05/19/08 Cross Training

To stay in shape top athletes cross train. Why should it be any different for horses? I'm Jeff Keane stay tuned and I will be back with a look at cross training for horses. Cross training is as important for the performance horse as it is for human athletes, here's Susan Allen with some tips on conditioning. Jeff, my advice is to mix it up. In fact you could be putting your horse at risk for injury by riding the same routine day after day. Many of the repetitive use injuries to ligaments and tendons can be blamed on repetitive arena work. Experts on conditioning sport horses will tell you that sports like jumping, barrel racing or roping require training exercises that are preformed with high intensity and fewer reps, like short gallops, hill work and gymnastic grids. If you are moving cattle, packing or trail riding, lower intensity exercises with long bouts of trotting will keep horses in top shape. Veterinarian Hilary Clayton author of one of the best books on this subject titled Conditioning Sport Horses stresses that stretching before and after workouts is especially critical for horses kept in stalls and runs. She also councils that after a tough workout, horses muscle tissues need time to recover so the same exercise shouldn't be preformed day after day. Without adequate rest, muscles can be injured. And by rest Dr. Clayton doesn't mean leaving a horse to stand but providing a variety of light activities. In a nutshell Susan sounds like the key to keeping both a horse and human athlete in top condition is to cross train .