TB types who get fit quickly

[Ziggy_]

Someone posted a very similar thread to this a few weeks ago, but I can't remember who, or what the answer was, so apologies in advance

My horse has had 10 weeks out in the field and I've just decided to start bringing her back into work. I was planning to start a proper fitness plan from the beginning so I took her for a walk of about 40 minutes. Anyway, she power walked the whole way, didn't break a sweat (its 12 degrees and she's an unclipped wooly mammoth) and finished just as fresh as she started and had a hooley round the field afterwards.

So my question is - is it neccessary to start right at the beginning or can I speed up a bit? I'm still planning to spend two weeks walking for her legs but could I increase to an hour or so and include some hills, or should I build up slowly?

 

[stencilface]

I had a TB who had about 3 months off in the field once with various foot problems (tried to box rest and it sent him crazy, and he jumped out of his small paddock so I just left him out with the rest to recover

)

I can't remember doing any specific fitness regime with him when I started riding him again (I was a teenager

) but we mostly hack anyway, so I prob just started with short ones mainly walking. I never worried about his fitness as he was always fit so it seemed, although yes good idea to do the first few weeks slowly for the legs.

But mine was out 24/7, so kept himself fit that way anyway

 

[saddlesore]

Wouldnt go too quickly as you still need to harden up tendons etc but if she's the type to have a regular hoolie round the field and gets daily t/o anyway you'll prob find she's still quite fit! My inclination would be to start steadily as usual just to toughen everything up, after that you can probably move on quite quickly

 

[amandathepanda]

My anglo-arab keeps himself fit charging around the field as they are all turned out on the side of the hill & he is the herd boss - lots of trotting around required! When he has had time off work I've always found that he just needs a couple of weeks of steady work (road work) before feeling happy to go a bit quicker. In fact I have always had problems keeping him quiet under saddle as he gets rather bouncy - not bad for a 22 year old high mileage red head

 

[Skhosu]

I wouldn't go too quickly personally, speaking from my own experience with my lad who has just had 10weeks out as well, he is bouncing off the walls but you can see dramatically that he is lacking a lot of muscle and I am being careful with bringing him in , but he does have an old injury as well for me to be aware of.

 

[Bay_Beasty]

When you're fit you sweat more. Well that is what I learned an uni. its the recovery rate after excercise, the breath recovery and heart rate you have to check to test true fitness. My horse is sweating a lot and he is really fit ATM and i have had to re clip him and fiddle his rugs as he kept sweating under his rugs, but he has also just put on a lot of condition from loosing it due to stress and also its mild. But I can take him for a long canter then trot then canter again in the woods and he is not really out of breath at all and his pulse is not racing at the end, but does sweat under his saddle between his legs on his neck and behind his ears and on his flanks (??? think this is what there called).

 

[Mrs_Wishkabibble]

[ QUOTE ]
Wouldnt go too quickly as you still need to harden up tendons etc

[/ QUOTE ]
I could never understand what was meant by that. I have spoken to my vet about it and she reckons it is a pure myth?
Other people I speak to say that roadwork is needed to "harden the tendons" Come on enlighten me!

Anyway, onto the original post, my TB when she was in work seemed to keep herself really fit? I never had a fitteniing programme as such, vascular wise she always seemed very fit although we werent doing top level eventing or anything like.
My Welsh x TB never sees to keep very fit unless I put lots of work in.

 

[saddlesore]

I was always taught that you need to do strenghtening work with the tendons (perhaps this is a better description than hardening) by doing slow, steady work for a period before moving on to more strenous exercise, otherwise they are more susceptible to damage. Perhaps this isnt true, but to this day by vet advises slow ridden work for a period after box rest to strenghten the tendons before t/o to prevent damage. Myth or not it has always worked for me!

 

[Bay_Beasty]

I think it lies in the fact that when a horse is not in work it looses muscle but the tendons stay the same. and with less muscle supporting the tendon you are more likely to strain it so with slow steady excercise you build up good muscle to support the tendon which reduces the chance of really damaging it. Then you have a good basis of muscle and well supported tendon to get the horse really fit fit on and you know that it's legs will cope with canter work, jumping etc! hope that makes sense!