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Sunday, April 03 2022 / Published in General

Developing Fitness in Event Horses

By Liz Halliday

The fitness program for an event horse can vary based on a variety of factors such as the level of competition, age, breed, experience, etc. It’s true that each professional may have a slightly different plan for how they build up fitness and how much galloping they do, especially for the upper-level horses, but for this discussion I’m hoping to give a more generalized overview based on my own experiences through the years.

One thing that I truly believe is that horses get fit from the right quality of work, not just the quantity. For instance, I will often school my horses for only 20 to 25 minutes (after a period of walking, of course), but I try to make sure that they’re working in the right way so that they build muscle and strength. This applies to their jumping and trot sets as well, and I always try to have the horses working through their body rather than just going through the movements.

I also believe that variety in the event horse’s schedule is what keeps them fresh in both their mind and body, and helps to build fitness as well. Once the horses are in full work in a competition season, I will rarely do the same thing two days in a row. Each horse is an individual and we must be willing to alter our plans accordingly to suit the needs of each athlete but as a general rule, I like to keep variety in the weekly plan. A normal, non-competition week for a 6-year-old competing at Training Level, for example, might look like this:

Monday:          School

Tuesday:         Jump

Wednesday:    Hack and 20-minute trot set

Thursday:        School

Friday:             Hack 1 hour

Saturday:        Jump

Sunday:           Off

Liz and DeNiro Z galloping the cross-country course. Liz believes horses get fit from the right quality of work.

Photo by US Equestrian

I find many people believe that if you’re eventing then you should be galloping, regardless of the level but in my experience, if the quality of the daily work is good, then I rarely need to gallop the horses until they are at two-star and above. They gain fitness from the national competitions that they’re doing as well, and all of this helps them build up a good baseline of strength and endurance.

Once you begin competing in the season, it’s important to listen to your horses and gauge how they feel at the end of the show—if your horse is struggling with the distance on the cross-country phase then you may need to rethink the workload at home and consider adding some canter sets as part of their program.

When I initially begin galloping my horses in the earlier part of the season (normally three to four weeks before their first event for the two-star horses and above), I usually start with a period of walk, then 10 minutes of trotting followed by two five-minute canter sets at around 400 to 450 mpm with 2 ½ minutes of walk between sets. This can be done in a field with good ground, on a racetrack or even occasionally in the arena if ground conditions are not favorable. I generally repeat every fourth or fifth day, depending on if they’re competing that week or not, and I usually increase by a minute after two times at the previous distance. I rarely go beyond eight- or nine-minute sets total for most of the experienced horses aiming for a long format. I also don’t increase the speed much for these canter sets, as I generally only do fast gallops on a hill once the horses are getting closer to their spring three-day events. Again, I think it’s very important to keep the horses connected up to the bridle and pushing from behind while doing these canter sets, as this builds strength and is far more effective than just letting them go along with a loose rein and no contact.

This is just a very general overview of how I get my horses started for the season and it’s important to consider all alternatives for each situation. Swimming, for example, can be a great substitute for one of the gallops each week and can be something fun and different for the horses as well as offering less strain and concussion on the joints. The most important thing to remember is that your horse is an athlete and you must plan the fitness program based on each individual. Strength is very important in aiding stamina, so good quality work in a varied schedule will help you have a fit, happy event horse!

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Tagged under: equestrian, eventing, fitness, horse, liz-halliday, sidelines-magazine

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Jan Lukens has always felt blessed to be an artist Jan Lukens has always felt blessed to be an artist, turning his observations into works of art, but it hasn't always been easy. “My biggest challenge starting out was fitting in to the equestrian world as an artist, not a rider. Although I spent the better part of two decades exhibiting 15 weeks a year at national horse shows, there’s a massive 
difference between an artist who paints horses and someone who has been climbing into the saddle since they were 5 years old, surrounded by all aspects of the horse 
world.”

A prolific painter working mainly in oils, Jan’s original and commissioned works of art hang in the collections of the likes of individual gold medalist Joe Fargis and Rodrigo Pessoa, as well as many other Olympians and owners. One of the most influential 
moments in Jan’s career was in 2014, when Ralph Lauren acquired two of his equestrian paintings. “I was still recovering from the 2008 recession at that time. There  is a unique part of a painter’s reputation that is based on who has purchased or commissioned his art, and when I promoted that sale, my phone didn’t stop ringing for a 
year and a half.”
For more information visit janlukens.com

Read Jan’s full article at the link in our bio. And never miss an article by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine! 

 #Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
Calling all trainers and professional riders! St Calling all trainers and professional riders! 

Struggling to keep up with your social media and the barn? Reel editing got you overwhelmed? Is your #Hashtag - trending audio - sponsor tagging being neglected? 

Entrigue specializes in equestrian social media and rider management! We help equestrians handle the daily posting to Instagram and Facebook, handle boosting and engagement ads, and can help trainers and barns maximize their sponsorships, keep websites up to date, and PR! Your barn is a business too and as a rider or barn your digital hoof print counts!

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#equestrian #sponsoredrider #socialmedia #equestrianmarketing #equestrianreels #horsesofinstagram
Yay for June! We have another great edition for yo Yay for June! We have another great edition for you all that we can't wait for you to read. Up first are Evan and Ashley Donadt a dynamic duo that has won the hearts of many! Stay tuned for many great stories like this by following us on Instagram and Facebook or subscribing to get your very own copy of Sidelines Magazine!

What happens when a horse-crazy equestrian girl meets a never-touched-a-horse-before guy? If you’re Ashley and Evan Donadt, it might just be the beginning of a happily-ever-after that includes a solid dressage program and extremely popular social media channels featuring good-natured humor and horses.

Ashley, a lifelong equestrian, began her horse experiences with the local 4-H club, progressed to lessons with the local dressage trainer when she was 10, then her own pony when she was 11. Conversely, Evan grew up in Massachusetts, without any horse experience to speak of. The odds of them meeting were fairly low, until fate landed them both in Southern California.

Evan knew from the start that spending time with Ashley meant spending time at the barn. In fact, Ashley told him straightaway, “The horses come first always; you’re going to be second!” Evan wasn’t deterred, and instead found the loophole: spending all his own free time with her at the barn.

Read Ashley and Evan's full article in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine! You can also click the link in our bio. Don't forget to subscribe to get your very own copy delivered right to your door! Thank you Evan and Ashley for allowing us to share your story!
📸Portraits by Jeni Jo Brunner

#sidelinesmagazine #sidelines2023 #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
As we head into June we wrap up our May women entr As we head into June we wrap up our May women entrepreneur, edition. We were so lucky to be able to feature so many amazing women within the Horse industry. We have one more to share with you, and if you missed any of the women entrepreneur stories head to our website for all of our past issues! Enjoy! 

Hurry Up and Wait” is a familiar saying at hunter-jumper competitions. Unlike other disciplines, where 
riders are assigned specific ride times, hunter-jumper riders typically must check in with the starter at 
the in-gate throughout the day to determine when they will show. In 2019, Emma Fass decided to put 
her computer science background to use in the show industry and created RingSide Pro to allow riders 
to be “ringside” wherever they are.
Throughout high school, Emma competed at horses shows on her horse Son Of A Sailor, aka Ernie, 
oftentimes trailering Ernie into the show for the day with her mom. “That was stressful because we 
didn’t know how the show was running until we got there. Even once we were on the show grounds, we 
struggled to find information. It’s a hike to the rings and the speakers in the barns tend to be 
unreliable,” Emma said. “I would think to myself, There’s got to be a better way.”

For more information, visit www.ringsidepro.com

Read Emma’s full story at sidelinesmagazine.com, and never miss an edition of Sidelines magazine by subscribing. 

@ringsideproinsta @emmafass 
📸Photos by Kirsten Konopnicki, kkonophoto #Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
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