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[RC] Human/equine conditioning - Ridecamp Guest

Please Reply to: ti Tivers@xxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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"As a former distance runner, then competitive cyclist,  I have been
wondering if I am making a mistake in applying training techniques that
work with human athletes to the physical conditioning of a horse.  Am I
understanding correctly that the same training strategies are appropriate
for the two different species?"

Nancy Sturm>

The basic principles are the same--the horse is not from Mars, as some basic 
researchers making a career out of reinventing exercise physiology for the 
horse might have your believe.

There are some important differences. Fatigue cripples horses easier than it 
does humans--once the biomechanis start to fall apart, gigantic load-bearing 
changes can take place. So, don't push the horse into gait-changing fatigue.

The horse has an extremely efficient cardiovascular system, including a 
back-pack of "endurance" represented by a spllen that can contract and inject 
up to 50% more red cells into the blood. What this means is that, to get an 
adaptive change through exercise is more difficult, takes more time, requires 
more sustained high intensity work, than in humans.

The horse has a critically sensitive digestive tract that can be a killer. You 
have to be very careful in making dietary changes--including giving the horse 3 
weeks to "adapt" to any significant change before making another change.

The horse's hoof is far more critical than a running shoe in preventing injury 
or allowing efficiency in stride. Many athletic injuries begin with improper 
shoeing. Get the feet right, first.

The horse can't talk. thus it's more difficult to intervene in oncoming 
injuries. That's what monitoring systems are for. They speak for the horse.

Otherwise, the basic conditioning principles are much the same--you're on the 
right track.

ti


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