The warm-up and cool-down aspects of a ride are extremely important in helping your horse stay fit and sound. Horses need proper care after a hard workout to help with cool-down and recovery.
When you’re picking your horse’s stall, the composition of his manure is probably the last thing on your mind. Nevertheless, analyzing your horse’s manure can reveal important information and is one of the best ways to monitor your horse’s health.
One of the most impressive muscles in your horse’s body is his heart. Composed of four pumping chambers plus various inflow and outflow vessels, your horse’s heart supplies blood to all parts of his body nonstop, whether working or at rest, from birth until death. The equine heart is remarkable; no other muscle puts in the same workload.
The words “equine fitness” hold different meanings for various horse owners and riders. A horse’s ideal fitness level depends on his workload and training schedule. All horses should generally be in average physical shape and maintain a median body condition score; however, many factors contribute to overall fitness. To understand the full picture of your horse’s fitness, you’ll need to look at elements beyond age, weight and soundness.
As an equestrian, you understand that your horse is an athlete and manage his care so he’s in top physical condition and able to perform at his required workload. But what about your physical wellbeing? Yes, equestrians are athletes – and your fitness matters too! Riding requires a certain level of horse-rider coordination, symmetry, strength and endurance that can be enhanced through specific exercises to keep your body in motion.
When you’re picking your horse’s stall, the composition of his manure is probably the last thing on your mind. Nevertheless, analyzing your horse’s manure can reveal important information and is one of the best ways to monitor your horse’s health.
In addition to a horse’s normal, resting vital signs, every horse owner should know how much their horse weighs. Knowing how much your horse weighs will not just help you to feed him properly and monitor his overall health, but becomes extremely important when deworming your horse and dispensing certain medications where an under- or overdosage could lead to potential health issues.