Tips on Conditioning

*Increase work load by no more than 20% each week.

*If you increase distance, do NOT increase speed.

*When you increase speed, shorten the distance.

*When doing speed work avoid training with other horses which may result in bad habits (such as race-brain), and increase the risk of accident and injury.

*Activities that build strength include: Dressage, hill work, and slow exercise in deep footing.

*Hill work develops the horse's muscles, tendons, and ligaments, builds cardio fitness, and neuromuscular coordination. Hill work should be done two or three times weekly, but not two days in a row.