We pull a horse out of the stable, a saddle is thrown up and we start training! But is it really that simple? Many more aspects are involved when training a horse. Some of these aspects are discussed here, and various training aspects are discussed. But in order for a horse to walk well, you also need to know something about its nutrition. And how do you actually train a horse properly?
What is training?
There are several definitions of training. The most used of these is: The regular and systematic administration of load stimuli, increasing in size and intensity, with the aim of increasing the performance capacity. Training is balancing between overload and useless work. The purpose and effect of training a horse is a purposeful and deliberate process to increase endurance, which also increases performance.
In a horse it is very important to achieve and then maintain general fitness. It is important to train a number of important properties such as;
- power;
- agility;
- speed;
- stamina.
These 4 properties also influence each other. Because if the stamina is good, the speed will be better because the horse lasts longer. And flexibility has a connection with strength. A horse without strength and agility has a reduced coordination.If it is known which sport the horse is allowed to practice, the rider can also train in that direction. For example, a dressage horse will be trained for agility and a race horse for endurance.
A number of exercises to strengthen the horse’s hindquarters are;
- trotting beams;
- jumping obstacles (in-out);
- make short sprints.
These exercises are important for all disciplines. Because there are few dressage riders who specifically include this in the training schedule. But it is precisely from dressage horses that they are required to put their hindquarters under it during various exercises. With the help of these gymnastic exercises the horse will go through its exercises more easily. After training it is important to know what the recovery period of the horse is. The recovery period can be seen as a bone meter of the horse’s condition. A body consists of cells, organs and organ systems, a heavy attack is made on this during training. In the recovery period we look at when the out of balance cells and organ systems have returned to the old situation. If you do this often you will see that the horse gets more condition so it will tire less quickly and will also recover more quickly. A good aid for this is a heart rate monitor.
Training structure
The training structure is very important and indispensable if you want to perform well. Both rider and horse must have a well-trained body. It is important that you train in the right way, if this does not happen, the horse will only deteriorate in its performance instead of forward. You usually don’t see this in the first weeks, but if it is noticed it is usually too late. It then takes quite some time to repair all ‘damage’. A training schedule can be made together with an instructor. He usually has enough experience to know what a horse needs in a certain discipline in terms of training. The training differs per discipline and should be tailored to the load capacity of the horse. The horse must not become over-tired because it will also work at a disadvantage for the combination.
We also have the rider. If everything were perfect, the rider would be equally muscled on both sides, completely symmetrical and coordinated. Unfortunately, this almost never occurs in practice and the rider is therefore more likely to be a jammer for the horse. It is therefore important not only to train your horse, but also the rider must be in good condition. In addition, it is nice if the rider has a good balance. There are also various exercises for this that you can do under the guidance of a sports instructor.
The training structure of a horse depends on the discipline in which the horse is released. For a horse it is important that it has four basic characteristics;
- agility;
- power;
- speed;
- stamina.
It is not that every horse must have all these qualities, it only makes it easier for a potential sport horse if it does. Which characteristics are more desirable in which horse depends on the purpose of the rider.
Injuries
Unfortunately, there can also be complications, every rider will have to contend with injuries to his or her horse (s).
Injuries are more common in poorly trained or poorly fit horses. We often see the most common injuries in the tendons. Tendons provide the connection between bone and muscle. There are various types of tendon injuries, we can think of;
- acute overload;
- chronic overload;
- overtraining syndrome.
We will check these three injuries 1 by 1.
Acute Overload:
Acute overload occurs when a poorly (insufficiently) trained horse has to handle an excessive load. But this overload can also occur when a well-trained horse has to do something other than what it is being trained for. The acute overload can be in the intermediate tendon, the deep flexor tendon and the superficial flexor tendon.
Because the fibers in the tendons tear, a fluid retention is formed. In addition to the causes mentioned earlier, an acute overload can also be caused by a recurring injury, external violence, fatigue and overloading of the muscles and tendons all at once. It is always smart to consult a veterinarian so that he can develop a treatment plan for the horse. Recovery from tendon disease is very slow. If a tendon injury cannot recover long enough, the chance of recurring problems will only increase.
Chronic Overload:
Chronic overload occurs for a long time. If the load during training has been just a bit too heavy and the recovery period is therefore too short, the horse will not get enough opportunity to recover. Chronic stress is an often recurring tendon disease that is difficult to cure because the scars are very fragile and are becoming increasingly vulnerable. In severe cases, the horse can no longer be used for sport.
Over-training syndrome:
In the overtraining syndrome, the performance is always less than can be expected on the basis of the underlying training. It is often found that the horse “does not work”. The horse is tired, performs poorly, is irritable, turns away when work is required, eats poorly and occasionally there is a reduced hormone effect. The horse has a reduced resistance which makes it sick more quickly and injuries occur more quickly because of this reduced resistance.
The nutrition
The food that the horse eats is used, among other things, to provide energy. The main ingredients in the feed are;
- carbohydrates;
- fats;
- protein;
- carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are included in the form of starch, lactose, fructose and sucrose. The multiple sugars must first be converted into simple sugars before they are suitable for use in the energy supply. These simple sugars (glucose, fructose, galactose) are all converted into glucose. The cells can release energy from glucose. Glucose is stored as glycogen in the muscles and in the liver. If there is enough glucose and glycogen, the other simple sugars are converted into volatile fatty acids, which are stored as body fat.
Fats are absorbed and converted into smaller units in the small intestine with the help of bile. These small pieces of fat are absorbed by the intestinal wall and then converted into volatile fatty acids. These volatile fatty acids are converted back into glucose and then possibly into glycogen, but can also be used directly as an energy supplier. Finally, the volatile fatty acids can also be converted into body fat. During the digestion of crude fiber volatile fatty acids are released. Energy can also be released from this.
Proteins are converted into amino acids in the small intestine with the help of enzymes. The amino acids are absorbed by the intestinal wall. The amino acids necessary for building proteins are transported to the right place by the blood. The surplus goes to the liver. Here the nitrogen is removed from the amino acid. The nitrogen is converted into urea and / or hippuric acid and leaves the body in the urine. The remainder of the amino acid is converted into volatile fatty acids, glucose and glycogen, substances that can be used for energy supply. The surplus of volatile fatty acids is converted into body fat.
Energy systems
Finally, I would like to explain the energy systems. Because what do we mean by energy systems? By energy systems is meant; training in a way that is stressful. Good training is very difficult because you cannot cross the line, but if you train too little or below level, the horse will deteriorate. Good training must largely be done by feeling and you can also gain a lot of information by critically assessing the horse. There are four energy systems; competence, adaptation, fatigue and damage. We will explain these energy systems further.
Competence:
With competence-oriented training, there is no attack on the organs or the organ systems. Competent means that the horse is easily able to do what is required. Training-oriented, therefore, no positive effect will occur and the training has therefore been useless in that respect. During the recovery days, at the start (warming up) and end (cooling down) of a training, work will be done in the competence area. It is important that there is not too much training in the competence area, after all, your horse does not benefit from it. Because there is no ‘attack’ on the body, the performance capacity will decrease.
Adaptation:
This means; adapt to a new situation, where adaptation is possible.
With adaptation an attack is committed on the body and after a recovery period the body comes to overcompensation. Training-oriented this is positive. As a result of the adaptation the horse will improve, the performance capacity will increase.
Fatigue:
Slight fatigue is positive. There will always be some degree of fatigue with adaptation. The cells and organs that are excited during adaptation will be tired. This fatigue must be converted into overcompensation during the recovery period. No overcompensation will be obtained with insufficient recovery or excessive fatigue. Heavy fatigue must therefore be avoided, as well as too short a brain period. On average, a horse recovers 72 hours after hard work.
Damage:
In case of damage, certain properties are too fatigued and can therefore no longer function optimally. Usually the cause is a one-time overload, or what often occurs a succession of fatiguing loads with recovery periods that are too short in between. A one-time heavy training on moderately hard ground can cause cracks in the bone tissue near the joints. This invisible injury takes seven to ten days to recover. If the horse is heavily loaded again after too short a recovery period, the horse will weaken again, if you continue this way it will end in irreparable damage. The horse will then be unsuitable and no longer usable to deliver any performance.
This shows that training a horse is not as simple as it seems, there are many factors involved. I think it is good to be aware of this so that you can train your horse more effectively and purposefully!