Puffing during light work

[little_critter]

I know my mare isn't as fit as I'd like (a work in progress) but she is worked apprx 4 times a week, one of which is a 2 hour hack with quite a few long trots and canters.
She has been at this level of work for months, so she's not coming back into work or anything like that.
Yesterday I brought her in and rode her in the school and she was puffing after just 10 minutes of warm up (mostly walk and a bit of trot)
I can't believe she is really *that* unfit.
Could she be struggling because she had just come in off the grass ?(not lush grass as she is strip grazed)
Could the puffing be a sign of anything else?
I suspect she puffs more when we are doing something she doesn't enjoy!

 

[Wagtail]

I know my mare isn't as fit as I'd like (a work in progress) but she is worked apprx 4 times a week, one of which is a 2 hour hack with quite a few long trots and canters.
She has been at this level of work for months, so she's not coming back into work or anything like that.
Yesterday I brought her in and rode her in the school and she was puffing after just 10 minutes of warm up (mostly walk and a bit of trot)
I can't believe she is really *that* unfit.
Could she be struggling because she had just come in off the grass ?(not lush grass as she is strip grazed)
Could the puffing be a sign of anything else?
I suspect she puffs more when we are doing something she doesn't enjoy!

Puffing was my mare's first sign of laminitis, even before she got noticeably footsore. She also had a pollen allergy, so sometimes the two causes got confused. Check your mare for pulses. Short grass is often much more sugary than long lush grass. If you are absolutely certain she does not have laminitis, she could have a pollen allergy or a virus. If she is being ridden as you say then she should not be puffing. There is something wrong.

 

[little_critter]

Thanks. I had it in the back of mind that it might be a sign of lami. I've been sooo careful and will be gutted if it is.
I'll try checking for pulses but I've never managed to find one through the feather before.

 

[little_critter]

Can't find any pulses (just had half the yard checking)

 

[soulfull]

When you say puffing do you mean nostrils flaring or her flanks moving fast?

 

[Wagtail]

Can't find any pulses (just had half the yard checking)

Good. Then it must be a virus or pollen allergy. I had to feed my mare 10 cetirizine tablets daily at this time of year. That completely cleared the symptoms. Good that you are questioning it. Many people would probably not even notice.

 

[BBP]

Mine puffs when the pollen is bad and he isn't unfit, it might be something like that.

 

[AdorableAlice]

This year we are surrounded by rape and the horses are noticing it.

 

[Darremi]

From the sound of her work pattern she may be unfit. Her current workload would be classified as "light work".

In order to get her fitter you need to put stress on the heart and lungs by getting the heart rate up for a sustained period of time. I would recommend working her harder in her 4x weekly sessions.

When you go for a hack make sure you trot and canter almost continuously for at least half an hour. Trots and canters interspersed over two hours with substantial breaks in between will simply not cut it for improving fitness.

Good luck.

 

[Wagtail]

From the sound of her work pattern she may be unfit. Her current workload would be classified as "light work".

In order to get her fitter you need to put stress on the heart and lungs by getting the heart rate up for a sustained period of time. I would recommend working her harder in her 4x weekly sessions.

When you go for a hack make sure you trot and canter almost continuously for at least half an hour. Trots and canters interspersed over two hours with substantial breaks in between will simply not cut it for improving fitness.

Good luck.

Yes, she is in light work, but if she is worked 4 times a week in the manner the OP describes, she should be fit enough not to puff after a 10 minute warm up in walk with a bit of trot! I would only expect that amount of puffing from a horse that had been out of work for months or more.

 

[Fransurrey]

Mine gets a bit wheezy in the summer and I noticed it today. I think it's terrible this year. I don't normally have hayfever but have really suffered this Spring.

 

[ChiffChaff]

Mine is probably the same in terms of fitness, and puffs a bit atm, for him it's horsey hayfever - just bought him the pots of 500 piriton and and noticed an immediate improvement (he also gets puffy/runny eyes and a runny nose)

 

[little_critter]

Oh I agree she is in light work but puffing after 10 mins walk and a bit of trot isn't 'right'
I am working on getting her fitter, when we hack I try to do as many longer trots and canters as the ground allows. I push her a bit more each time to try and improve her stamina. I'm considering trying the local gallops in a few weeks time.

We hacked out today (took it very carefully to begin with and would have gone straight back to the yard if anything had seemed amiss)
We did 1.5 hours with some long trots and canters and she seemed ok. Puffing a little after the canters but still willing to the end (although lacking some spark)
She had a couple of damp sweat patches but didn't look like she'd had a 'hard' ride.
Yard conclusion was she was struggling yesterday with a belly full of grass.

I know what I'm doing isn't serious fittening work but I struggle to fit long fittening hacks round a full time job - I'm trying my best.

When I said she was puffing yesterday I mean fairly light puffing of the nostrils, not heavy breathing as if she's just been for a gallop.

I'll keep an eye on her and if it persists the vet will be called.
Once they are allowed out at night I may switch so she is in during the day and out at night so she is less likely to have a belly full when I want to ride.

 

[Moomin1]

Have you had her heart checked?

 

[little_critter]

Have you had her heart checked?

Not specifically. But when she had her jabs in jan the vet listened to her heart as a matter of course and all seemed ok.

 

[Moomin1]

Not specifically. But when she had her jabs in jan the vet listened to her heart as a matter of course and all seemed ok.

To check her heart funtion properly they need to check it at rest, during work and after work so it may be worth you just getting it checked to be on the safe side.

 

[little_critter]

To check her heart funtion properly they need to check it at rest, during work and after work so it may be worth you just getting it checked to be on the safe side.

Thanks. I'm hoping this was a one off but will keep an eye on her and call vet if required.
Unfortunately she has always been a lazy ****** so it's hard to tell whether she is feeling 'off' or just being her normal self.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

What surface is the school? Could it have been a little too dry and dusty. I am often horrified at the clouds of dust that envelope the horse and rider in some indoor schools.

 

[little_critter]

What surface is the school? Could it have been a little too dry and dusty. I am often horrified at the clouds of dust that envelope the horse and rider in some indoor schools.

The school is sand and can get a bit deep and dusty but we've had plenty of rain recently so no dust at the moment.