04/29/2023
CONDITIONING THE RODEO HORSE:
I’d like to contribute a different perspective to the conversation floating around about how to condition western performance horses.
While I will never discourage horse owners from riding their horses MORE (because poor conditioning is definitely an issue in the arena), there are a few things to consider.
Sprinters don’t train like marathon runners.
Why is this? There are actually two different kinds of muscle that can be conditioned in humans and in horses. “Slow-twitch” muscles are those involved in long distance running and found more predominantly in breeds like Andalusians and Arabians.
“Fast-twitch” muscles, from the human perspective, are needed by those involved in explosive disciplines, like weight lifting, jumping, or sprinting. In the horse world this type of muscle is most needed by breeds like thoroughbreds or Quarter Horses in short races or rodeo events.
While some horses are more genetically inclined to possess one muscle fiber type over the other, either can be conditioned more with focused training. Loping a horse for a long period of time every day may get them into marvelous shape, but it is likely that only the slow-twitch muscle fibers are being strengthened.
Track athletes in explosive events train differently than their long-distance counterparts for good reason. They hit the weight room, do sprints, and use resistance training to maximize the strength of their fast-twitch muscle, on which they rely in a competition setting.
In conditioning horses, we are obviously limited to mainly cardiovascular activities. (Wouldn’t it be awesome to send our rope horses to the weight room?) But that doesn’t mean we can’t get creative!
Riding through snow is one of Jessica Routier’s favorite ways to get her barrel horses in shape. It works! Swimming is another resistance activity. Riding hills (up and down) is another great way to strengthen those muscles needed for quick turns and stops. Finally, sprints (utilized often by our racetrack brethren) are a great training tool, used sparingly and with discretion, along with “full contact” rodeo runs.
Again, I am NOT discouraging anyone from spending more time conditioning their horses. Most of us ought to spend a few more weeks getting horses ready for that first outing. A good long trot through the pasture is one of my favorite recommendations for clients. My main point is that if we constantly train a horse to only be able to go long distances, we may not see the desired explosive effect in the arena.
As a final tidbit, study after study has shown that human athletes who compete in more than one sport have far less chance of injury. I suggest we apply the same logic to our horses. My advice? Shake things up. Try a different discipline, drag some calves to the fire, take your arena horse for a trail ride. Every now and then, subject them to a good long cardio session, as any good athlete needs. Many activities can contribute to a horse in peak fitness, but being armed with knowledge of our horse’s physiology, we can optimize their performance ☺️
