January is a time many of us are starting to bring horses back into work who might have been off for part of the winter. When starting a horse back into work after a break, slow and steady is key. We break down our Insider Top Tips on how to plan a return to work for your horse to help ensure comfort & fitness levels.
Assess Your Horse’s Condition & Tack
After time off, some horses are prone to losing fitness while some may gain weight due to increased down time. Whether your horse has been turned out or remained stabled for the period of their break, we recommend starting with an overall condition check. Start with a visual assessment of your horse’s body, coat and vital signs. Pay close attention to their legs, back, and overall body condition. Have they lost or gained weight? Do they react to pressure when touched along their backs, legs or body? Any new lumps or bumps? If the answer is yes to any of these checks, consider scheduling your vet or physio visit to find root causes and to ensure new issues do not worsen. In the case of weight loss or weight gain, checking in with a local equine nutritionist can help structure a feeding plan to coordinate with your horse’s return to work.
Additionally it is always beneficial to check the fit of your horse’s tack, particularly if you have noticed a change in their physical condition. In some cases a change of saddle pad or girth might be sufficient, while in cases where changes have been more dramatic scheduling a check with a qualified saddle fitter can help inform changes that might be needed to ensure a comfortable return to work for your horse and prevent developing more long term issues. Developed in collaboration with our Team Riders, the Aloga saddle pad is constructed from a cotton blend outer fabric to create a highly breathable, long lasting pad. With a shock absorbing padding for protection it is a great choice for if you are looking to upgrade your saddle pad collection this year.
Slow and Steady
To begin, focus on light, low-intensity exercise to check soundness and your horse’s level of comfort. Starting with light groundwork or hacking to assess fitness. Following this incorporate walk and trot interval sessions, gradually increasing duration and intensity over the course of a few days. Incline & hill work is also a wonderful way to help fitness levels if such terrain is accessible to you in the early weeks of returning to work. Aim to gradually increase duration, intensity and reintroducing canter work over the course of a few weeks. Once your horse is fit enough to maintain 30-40 minutes of consistent work, keep things interesting by mixing up your training sessions. Include pole work to re-engage their mind and assist with building core strength.
Monitor Progress and Rest as Needed
As owners and riders we are often the best judge of our horses so it is important to listen to them and watch for signs of fatigue or discomfort. They’ll let you know if you’re pushing too hard or when they’re ready to take on more. Incorporating sufficient cool down as part of your schooling helps your horse both recover and for their coats to dry which is particularly important on cold days if they have sweated up. Using a fast drying sheet such as the Aloga Waffle Cooler after exercise will help effectively wick moisture from the coat. Rest days are an integral part of the fitness process so be sure your horse is getting a break from work one or two days a week. This helps muscles, tendons & ligaments to recover as well as helping the strengthening process that will build towards over all fitness levels. Active rest such as turnout or hand grazing encourages gentle movement to support circulation particularly to the lower limbs that aids lymphatic drainage and repair in these areas
Bringing your horse back into work after a break is a gradual process that requires patience, time and attention. Watching for physical or behavioral changes in your horse will help inform the length of time and types of exercise that will make a return to work as comfortable and productive as possible for you and your horse.