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| As you proceed through your horse's fitness training | | | | - Tack Fit- A human Olympic athlete looks very |
| program, remember that change is not only inevitable, | | | | different from a couch potato. Expect to see some |
| CHANGE IS THE GOAL. As your horse increases in | | | | radical changes in your horse's physiology through your |
| physical fitness, his body, mind and emotions will all | | | | fitness training program! As he loses weight and gains |
| change too. The horse trainer who pays careful | | | | muscle, you will find your saddle no longer fits. If you do |
| attention to the horses in her or his stable will achieve | | | | not have several different sized saddles that are |
| the best results in the shortest amount of time. | | | | appropriate to your horse, you may use a saddle with |
| Keep your eyes trained on your horse for changes in | | | | adjustable gullets or use shims or pads to maintain |
| these common areas: | | | | correct fit. Your horse's soundness and your |
| - Vital Statistics- Vital Statistics refer to your horse's | | | | competitive success depend on it! |
| temperature, pulse and respiration (TPR). As your | | | | - Inflammation- Inflammation is the equine body's |
| horse progresses through your fitness training | | | | response to overexertion. Train yourself to watch and |
| program, his vital statistics can act as red flags. Check | | | | feel your horse, particularly his legs and hooves, for |
| his TPR at the same time each day for several days | | | | any changes. Watch for swelling and feel for heat. |
| in a row and average the numbers to learn what is | | | | Swelling and heat indicate inflammation, excessive |
| "normal" for your horse. Monitor your horses TPR | | | | stress and potential injury. |
| throughout your conditioning program. Even slight | | | | MONITOR your horse's changes carefully as you |
| changes can indicate problems brewing. As horses | | | | progress through your equine conditioning program. |
| become more physically fit, expect to see their | | | | You may need to adjust your training program to |
| baseline pulse and respiration lower. | | | | accommodate unforeseen challenges. The faster you |
| - Nutrient Requirements- The amount of feed that | | | | can catch and fix potential problems, the more you |
| was sufficient to maintain good body condition when | | | | can avoid damaging your horse. This means more |
| your horse was a pasture potato will not be enough to | | | | fitness and more fun faster for both you and your |
| support him as his training load increases. Adjust your | | | | horse! |
| horse's feed ration to accommodate increasing | | | | |