We are our horses personal trainers

I am pretty sure that every endurance rider used every resource availible to learn about conditioning their horse. I know I do. I have made researching conditioning articles and creating new conditioning regimes into my second hobby.

And why not? We are conditioning an animal that cannot tells if something is wrong or if we are pushing them to much, to ride in 100 mile races (I use the term race here because you do have to finish by a certain time, so its not like your just riding your horse over 100 miles at your own pace, you are on a trail with other riders for a set time.).

I do a lot of research on human conditioning as well, not for me (I hate running!) but because many of the princables that you will learn for horses is the same for humans. I have read that conditioning a horse is very similar to conditioning for a human, I am not sure if I totally believe that yet, but  I will go with it for now.

The really big difference is that of course the horse cannot tell us what is going on with their body. So not only do we have to understand our horses current level of fitness; we have to know HOW to condition them without injury, we have to know WHAT develops good endurance, we have to know WHAT they need to eat in order for them keep of with our conditioning demands, we have to know HOW often to condition them and HOW long of rest to give them. And we have to do this all off just reading their body language! Imagine if every personal trainer in every gym had to do that with all of their clients!

 

And of course lets not forget that we need to condition ourselves as well. WE have to be able to keep up with this amazing athlete that we have now created.

Gee, who knew the job of a personal trainer could be so difficult!

 

Once I bring this horse home, and most deffinatly if  I buy him, you will find the personal trainer monster within me come out. I LOVE to share my newfound conditioning/training articles and books as well as conditioning schedules and records. Not one little thing will be left undone with this horse. EVERYTHING will be recorded and mapped out for his training, conditioning and diet.

 

So I will most likley add links to my favorite articles, and probably be posting about them more too, as well as my favorite training schedules (assuming blogger can link pdf files).

 

Well thats all! May not hear from me until Monday, when I very well may have a new horse to talk about!