Summer Training Tips

Training over summer is hard - it’s hot and there are those seasonal holidays to juggle. So, should we simply stop? I think not.

A warmup session in warmup frame is often enough during very hot weather.

Whilst it is nice to have a break from our own ambitions, and our horses are often better for some down-time, it’s all too easy for those planned two weeks off to turn into two or three months. Certainly, training over summer can be challenging especially in the hotter northern states. In Queensland, where I live, we have limited events from November through to March, and with few competitions, lack of motivation can also contribute to an extended downtime.

But the fact is, our horses lose significant cardiovascular fitness after two weeks off. After four weeks, they also lose muscle endurance and strength, bone density, and soft tissue tone - and from there on, to regain their fitness they will require a gradual conditioning program that may take months.

For these reasons, although hard, it is easier to push on with training over the summer season rather than face the drawbacks of bringing our horses back to the gym after an extended holiday. Indeed, with no events to disturb training, and apart from the extra care that comes with managing horses and heat, summertime can be a great time to train.

Because of the risk of too much repetition, it may be too hot to introduce new exercises and challenges, but we can use our time purposefully over summer:

• Work on the fundamentals of balance and connection in a lower/ warm up frame. Even if all we do is a warmup, inviting the horse to stretch forward and downward, and in this frame train transitions from both within and through changes of pace, it is still a worthwhile session. We can also work on lateral suppleness with some travers on the circle in this longer frame, keeping it to a twenty minute session

• Introduce the double bridle to horses who are ready, with light rides and a loose curb rein

• Develop the half steps as they can HANGING TOUGH be done very briefly, rewarding/ ending the session when they offer understanding and a few steps; or practising the single flying change, ending the session after a clean change each way. And if that takes only five minutes each side, then our ride is only fifteen to twenty minutes long

• Practise one of the most underestimated transitions of all: free/extended walk to and from medium/collected walk. Thirty minutes of practising this transition a few times a week can radically improve our test rides

• Halts, rein-backs and walk pirouettes, often neglected during competition season, are also a worthy focus that won’t leave anyone dripping with sweat

• Focus on position corrections, like walking with a short broomstick behind our elbows or strapping our hands/legs to the girth/saddle/neck rope/whatever tool we use to place our bodies where they need to be

• Muscle memory can always be built over shorter periods of time in both ourselves and our horses.

Having suggested these exercises, training over summer requires an awareness of the heat index and adjustments to our schedule: from not training on some days to avoiding the midday heat, and adhering to a more simplified routine on other days.

Horses are as prone to heat stress as humans, so it’s our job as their carer/ trainer to ensure they are significantly cooled down post session with hydration and recovery being the primary goals.

Trainers of horses in humid climates should be mindful that exercise in hot and humid conditions can trigger anhidrosis, a condition where the over stimulation of sweat glands can cause them to stop responding to the signals that trigger sweating, which is key to thermoregulation. Indeed, anhidrotic horses pose increased challenges for their owners, and once triggered, the horse will be prone to it for the rest of their life.

Whether a horse has anhidrosis or not, trainers should follow careful guidelines to ensure the best care for their horse, protocols that include:

• Train during early mornings or evenings, the cooler parts of the day

• Invest in fans and/or misters for the tack up and wash bays to increase air circulation and evaporation

• Dampen the coat with water before and during exercise - and whenever we stop for a break during a training session, spray them with water on the neck, under the saddle pad, and over the loins to wet the skin and encourage the sweat glands to operate as normal

• At the end of the session, allow plenty of cool down time in the shade at walk

• Post session, hose off until the water coming off the horse’s belly is cool

• Offer a molasses drink, which can be a wonderful treat and has the extra benefit of quick hydration replenishment

• Ice boots to cool the legs, cold packs over the loins, and EquiCool towels over the body to absorb heat and help lower the horse’s body temperature. And yes, cooling them down may take longer than our actual training session.

Note: if our horse’s respiration and heart rates are elevated prior to riding, we should definitely opt not to train. And of course, there can be very hot days when training is simply not possible due to the risk of excessive water loss through sweat and over-heating. Between too hot, too wet, and seasonal holidays, we lose enough days to summer – so my motto is train mindfully when you can.

Post session molasses drinks for replenishment and quick hydration can work a treat.