Spring has sprung! Preparing for Riding After a Long Winter

It’s finally spring in the northern hemisphere, and if you don’t have access to an indoor arena, then you’re probably starting to bring your horse back into work. It’s important that this is done slowly and steadily to avoid injury and strain. It’s easy to be out of shape especially after this long, hard, and cold winter that the Northeast faced this year. 

Starting slowly and getting back into a routine is important for horses, this can look like lunging with or without tack on and long hand walking sessions. The walk is the gait that is perhaps the most important, yet we don’t place enough emphasis on how beneficial it is to both ourselves and our horses to walk as a warm up and as exercise! Walking is a lower impact gait, making it a sustainable exercise for conditioning work without producing excessive strain on the horse. Walking benefits all horses, and it is truly the foundation to long term soundness.

Consider adding a ground pole or two to your spring conditioning program, you don’t need an elaborate pole course for your horse to benefit. Try challenging you and your horse during a ground work session to get as straight as possible over poles, or taking one from an angle. Pole work is beneficial for your horses’ topline, coordination, and proprioception. While one should start with a simple pole set up, there are endless possibilities that can be found in books and online resources.

As the days grow longer and warmer, we wish you a fun and safe riding year ahead for both you and your horse(s)!