Translate This Page

Bringing you and your horse back into work

When bringing yourself andyour horse back into work after a rest, it is very important to consider their muscle strength as well as their cardiovascular fitness.  Whilst we are very keen to get back in the saddle enjoying the spring days we need to make sure the horse is given the opportunity to get in shape and have a great experience coming back into work.

In the following I have provided some suggestion. First before refitting the bridle make sure the teeth and feet are in good order. Then take a week on the ground, getting flexion side to side and up and down. Do poll exercises, then after one to two weeks of mainly walking, building up from 10mins-30mins and then introduce trot and canter quite slowly, followed by maybe some pole work.  People often don’t understand why?  Well it’s about a thing called conditioning! Conditioning eases the muscles into work as well as starts slowly building the cardiovascular fitness and bone density up.   I mean, think about it yourself, how would you feel if you came back from a four week holiday in Bali where all you did was laid by the pool, drink a number of cocktails and gorge yourself on the amazing food and then two days back your personal trainer has you doing 20 minutes of squats followed by 20 minutes on the treadmill?  I think you would be complaining...  So why should we expect our horses to do the same?  We need to condition them for what we expect them to do not only in body but also in mind. What conditioning also does is prepare the brain…prepare the brain you say?  I am happy to work! Conditioning helps these motor neurons function in the way you want them to.   Talk to your trainer and get info how best to bring your equine buddy back into having fun with you.

MFC Equine wishes you happy and safe riding.

To change what is wrong

Incorrect riding faults do not stop  you from riding - they only say you're not riding correctly - then what is correctness ?? Read more

The what If's!

"Let's talk about the question of “What If’s?” I have ridiculous ones that pop into my head, some are just planning survival too far ahead, others are imagination and too destructive! (Like the time I was walking down a long dark wintry road at night. It was raining and we just had a flat tyre. I was with my accountant. He was distressed because we had no jack. We decided to call into a local farm house; along the way my accountant repeated what if. What if they don't have a jack. What if they won't lend it. On and on he went. When I got to the door, the farmer came out, and I said keep your jack and walked off. Bob the accountant yelled at me, why did you do that? I replied, you convinced me with the What If's we were not going to get the jack, what was the point of that!” Read more