Every equestrian knows that horses need physical training. That training includes not only endurance, strengthening, or conditioning but also a lot of rest. The latter is an integral step of the fitness program if you want your horse to always be in its best shape.
According to an essay writing help service rest in sports medicine means the time spent with no training. There are plenty of reasons for giving your horses some rest, including both physiological and psychological reasons. This rest will allow the tissues to recover and get stronger. Including rest in your training program will bring its results very soon. Both rest and recovery are crucial for medical history.
Provide your horse with adequate recovery time
If you own a horse property and have trotters, always give them a “vacation” after strenuous competitions, at least for 3 weeks. This happens in the middle of the second half of the racing season. After the cross-country season, everyone is tired.
Also, you have to look at your horse individually (and yourself too) – do you need a vacation now or not? Take the load off gradually and do not forget to reduce the concentrates.
What should a vacation be like? Some people manage to send horses to the countryside in summer – a complete change of scenery, fresh air. It makes sense if the horse can walk a lot and a lot there (with comfort!).
The disadvantages of such a decision
- It depends on how the farm is set up
- If there are mares and foals on the farm, a stallion will go crazy once seeing a herd
- If you don’t move anywhere, let the horse just walk more. This walk should be very light so that the horse doesn’t lose energy. Otherwise, if another horse is working nearby, yours just gets mad.
If you’re not going away, you have to come and see the horses – they do miss us! Brush them, treat them and walk. You can also walk around on horseback if the terrain is suitable.
Make Sure he Refuels His Body Every 24 Hours
Let us make it clear — there are two types of horse break and recovery — short-term and long-term. Active recovery or short-term is required after intense exercises. Your horse must take this time to refuel energy and fluid stores. Such rest every 24 hours allows to increase the protein in muscle cells, produce metabolic waste, and recover damaged tissues.
You can arrange such cool-down phases with low-intensity exercises right after heavy workouts or competitions. After a hard period, devote a couple of days up to 24 hours to rest. Do not forget that movement is also crucial during this period. For instance, you can practice light trail riding or turnouts. It will help stretch muscles.
Take a Break From Exercise Just When You Think He Needs It The Most
You should feel your horse, as well as he feels you. Normally, at the end of a long show season or multi-mile endurance, actual rest is very helpful for horses. As a research paper says, no riding at all would be healthy and helpful during this period. However, keep in mind that the horse needs more than a break from physical activity.
As it was mentioned above, there are also psychological reasons for giving rest. He must relax not only physically but also mentally. A horse needs to be not just a “working machine” but a horse. It still doesn’t mean he must stand in a stall. Instead, arrange a stress-free and friendly environment and walk around.
Horses and Heat Stroke
Not all equestrians are aware that this animal, just like a human, is susceptible to heatstroke and it can die if you don’t act immediately. Unsuitable conditions may cause a heat stroke.
Heat and high humidity exhaust the horse, neutralizing its defenses and ability to self-cool. Moreover, your horse must have enough water to drink, otherwise, the insidious heatstroke is inevitable. Please provide your horse with cool water and a salt-brick. When losing sweat, your horse loses the necessary salts.
The reaction to heat is different in different horses. Some can bear it without any damage to health, and some find it extremely difficult. During the hottest and most humid days, pay attention to the possible symptoms of heatstroke.
The most obvious of them are:
- He does not want to work anymore
- Feels weak
- Muscles are shaking
- Difficulty concentrating
- Significant decrease in the amount of urine
- Refuses to eat
Once you notice any of these, put your horse in a cool and ventilated stall. By all means, call the vet. A change in heart rate could also be the result of overheating. Measure pulse, ask the vet how to do it if you are not aware of it. Normal horse pulse is 30-40 beats/minute during rest.
The truth is that working horses may not express any heatstroke symptoms until they are strutted and appear in the stall. Therefore, on hot days, just come back a bit later and check how he feels.
Chores to Assign Riders That Will Still Help the Horse Get Fit Without Any Effort
Experts claim that you won’t lose any share of fitness even if your horse rests in a paddock for a few weeks. What causes the loss of fitness and strength is a “rest” in a stall for much longer periods. Feel him, always notice when your horse needs more rest than usual, and give it whenever necessary to avoid burnout.
Remember that total stall rest is not welcomed unless he is under a vet’s order. Just arrange active rest for your horse from time to time. This will only help maintain his great physical shape.
Conclusion
Just like humans, horses require rest from work from time to time. Healthy training destroys muscle tissues. Your horse is dehydrated and exhausted. Therefore, having rest gives your horse a chance to cope with these changes and adjust to stress caused by physical strain.
Without sufficient time for recovery, the body will keep destroying. None of the means such as ice or hydromassage will compensate for insufficient rest. You might be also interested to check the Horse Leg lab report sample that describes horse leg anatomy in detail, as well as horse and human locomotion. It will help you learn more about what kind of activities to choose for your horse.
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