If you are unfamiliar with conditioning statistics, they illustrate why doing nothing with your horses during the off-season (if you have one) is not the best course of action. The chart below lists the number of months it takes for various body parts/systems of a horse to reach fitness, each starting from Day 1 of a fitness program (for example, it takes 12-24 months total conditioning time from Day 1 for bone fitness). The 1 to 2 years set forth below represent the time it takes a sound horse’s body to remodel and adapt to the increase in intensity and stress of ONE LEVEL OF TRAINING, not the entire time it takes for a horse to reach full fitness suitable for advanced work from the start of his initial training.
Time per Level / Body Parts/Systems
2 - 3 months Cardiovascular system
5 - 6 months Muscles
6 - 12 months Ligaments, joint capsules, tendons & hoof tissues
12 - 24 months Bones
These statistics track with the levels of difficulty of a sound and functional training program; the degree of development progressively increasing in stages with the horse’s advancement in training. Competitive Dressage and Eventing are deliberately divided into increasing levels of difficulty to account for this and each horse is expected to progress through each of the levels at his own pace until he reaches his individual, maximum ability. Horses capable of advanced work in Dressage and Eventing do not start to reach optimal, physical function for it until approximately age 10. Polo is not divided into stages as far as the horse is concerned. There is no mandated progression; the Rules just state that if a horse is deemed improperly conditioned or presenting a danger, he may be removed from the game. It is left to each player to develop their own guidelines to determine when their horse is ready to play and at what intensity. Because the experience and skill of each player, and those of each individual horse he plays, on each team in a game can vary widely, you can find relatively green horses at any goal level of play if they show the talent for it. But talent can be a fragile shell. And the riding skill and playing strategy of a player can make any goal level tougher or easier on a horse. Since a polo pony must possess many of the skills of a warhorse– i.e., very fast Dressage horse with cross-country stamina and toughness; war being the purpose for which the training systems of Dressage and, later, Eventing (known previously as The Military) were created– their development should follow a similar time frame to the level of their individual ability, and their current stage of development should determine what and how much is asked of them no matter what goal level they play. If you have a tough game to play, leave your green/unfit guys at home.
If your horse does nothing between seasons, a season is over well before your horse is fit enough for the work he is being asked to perform, and the obvious conclusion is that many injuries, health crises and degenerative conditions are, for the most part, preventable with proper conditioning. Adequate fitness varies by sport and level of difficulty, and just because a horse has been trained to do something, does not mean he is fit enough to do it. Likewise, a currently fit horse who has the talent to perform at higher levels needs additional conditioning and development before he can perform at that higher level in a manner that does not inflict damage. Just like an upper level horse who is unfit, he may be able to perform certain more advanced maneuvers, but his body is not strong enough to sustain them and maintain correct form doing them, and that leads to internal damage.
Factors that must be taken into consideration and that also effect how long it will take to reach a target fitness level include, frequency and duration of work sessions, age, current health and fitness status, existing soundness issues, conformation defects, quality of care and management, current level of experience, type and condition of available training facilities, weather conditions, and, of course, the skill of the trainer. Starting a young horse in any discipline early to train them up faster is not wise. Depending on breed and care received, horses continue to grow until they reach 6 to 8 years of age. Until then, their bones are comparatively soft and their growth plates still active which puts them at higher risk for injuries such as stress fractures and joint deformation. Exercise helps increase bone density, but no matter how talented a young horse, their physical immaturity requires that they be built up gradually under saddle starting around age 3, sometimes 4, with consistent handling from birth. The older a horse is, the harder it is and the longer it takes to bring them back into shape, so it’s important that they be kept active within their comfort limits and abilities. Active, older horses have fewer health issues, and the years of training and experience that they possess are invaluable.
It is great that so many people are giving former racehorses second careers now. They have a lot to offer and many have gone on to be superstars in other sports. What about them? They’re super-fit already, so you only have to worry about teaching them how to do something new, right? How much fitter can you get than a racehorse?
All thoroughbreds in the U.S. are considered 1 year older on January 1 of each year, no matter on what day of the year they were actually born. Most racehorses are started around 2 and are racing before 3 years old. If they are currently racing when you buy them, they are incredibly fit– specifically for racing: 1 big start, running straight in an extended body form, 1 or 2 wide curves to the left, for around 2 minutes depending on a race’s distance, in 2 gears: fast and faster. Their bodies have been physically molded before they have reached maturity to produce these intense, specific movements to a high degree, not stopping, starting, turning, pirouetting, jumping, and transitions through all gaits and body frames. That is why even the even-tempered ones have to be "let down" from racing form and rest for 6 months to a year post-racing, depending upon their physical and mental soundness; and most of them require a chemical let down, as well. Often they are so wired and/or sore that, for many, it’s better to let them rest completely and get used to life on a farm again, being turned out, but still handled every day, before trying to work with them. Sound, even-tempered fellows can be worked with during their let-down periods4, but you have to be cognizant of the physical process they are going through and not force them into a new way of using themselves. If you rush them, you will end up with more problems; ones that limit their ability, are harder to fix and which require someone very advanced and a lot more time to rectify, if possible. This is true for any horse that is being retrained. Deconstruct/Reconstruct. Phases. It takes time.
People tend to treat conditioning and training as separate elements. They think in terms of schooling horses on certain days with figures, patterns, mallet work or gymnastic exercises, and conditioning on others, doing sets, intervals, speed work, distance or cross-country work. The truth is that they are the same thing. The horse performs certain things and in a certain way because each of his genetically-bestowed, and subsequently altered, bodily structures involved has been conditioned to produce such alignment and action. Good or bad, every time he moves, the characteristics of that specific movement and form are further ingrained– he is being conditioned to replicate it exactly as he is currently doing it right then. Something to think about the next time you are ponying sets and notice that they are moving crookedly because their heads are pulled towards you, or your horse is pounding along on his forehand because his spine is inverted. Classical training is based on movements that are innate to horses, those that they naturally perform freely at-will. In other words, unless you are seeking to teach your horse tricks, training is not about teaching a horse how to pick up a specific lead, for example; it’s about developing communication with your horse so that you can fluently translate your request for him to do something he already knows how to do. He already knows how to pick up the lead he wants; he has done it on his own since birth. But, add the weight, balancing and communication issues of a rider and tack, and you have to build him up physically so he can handle carrying you in the first place, and more so for him to do it with correct form and energy; and, when you want a specific lead, you have to physically set him up for it the way he would do it for himself on his own. The more correct form and development the both of you have, the easier it happens. When you work with a horse this way– in his own "language"– it’s a rare horse that doesn’t instinctively respond correctly. Something (pain, weakness, bad footing, a distraction, etc.) or someone (you, the horse) would have to cause him to rearrange himself incorrectly to get it wrong. There are things that horses need to learn, but the majority of the learning is on the rider. Did you know that if a horse is properly strengthened to carry you and himself he will automatically put himself on the bit/into the bridle? No extra tack or pulling required.
Trainers and horses today are fortunate that pharmaceutical companies have found it profitable to produce a myriad of products for horses, and let’s hope that they continue to research and refine better solutions to promote their good health and comfort. There is a point, though, where, legal or not, supplements and drugs cross the line of healthy support and become performance enhancing drugs. There is no question that it is challenging to keep a horse in top form for intense work, and if other competitors have chosen to dope their horses in one way or another, the rest may feel the compulsion to do so as well. These horses are then put in a position where they are using themselves in some way and degree beyond their capacity and incurring damage because of it. Whether it is micro-tearing or all out failure, there is no way to avoid this; it is the nature of pushing anything beyond its current limitations. Artificial stimulation can mask accumulating internal damage, which is why "sudden" failure is not unusual when used. Whether their use is employed or not, applying the above timetable to your horse’s history and current program will give you an idea of the parts of your horse’s body that are currently at highest risk for failure. Conditioning is based upon pushing limitations incrementally to a degree and pace that give the horse’s body time and resources to adapt in a progressively healthy way.
Horses need energy to perform at any level, but some trainers are mistaken in their belief that a horse needs to be explosive or nearly wild to play intensely or jump Grand Prix courses. Yes, you want them to be able to respond with incredible power and speed, but not come apart at the seams, unfocused leaking everywhere, or attacking others doing it! There is little discussion when going the chemical route; they are hot and wired until they crash when the drugs run out. The wrong type or balance of feed can cause the same problem. Despite a minority of riders/players having adapted to this method, they and those that haven’t still waste time, energy and focus they could be using for strategy, quickness and finesse, fighting and trying to control– read, distracted and delayed response– what are supposed to be their partners in the effort and not something that has to be man-handled to do its job. The best horses possess a high degree of mental acuity; you cannot expect the best of a horse if his mind is full of static. Horses that are built up to that level of performance correctly, trained correctly and given the care they require to sustain it do not need performance enhancing drugs. You have to give them the time, and have the proper training facilities, the knowledge and the skill, and an individualized feeding and care program to do it, but they last longer, are healthier, and perform better. That is not to say that you can play them or compete as much as or for as long as you like. Even perfectly fit horses start to tire as they work, and research has proven the obvious fact that the rate of accidental injury, meaning injuries such as interfering with themselves, slipping, tripping, rapping their knees on a jump, also climbs the more tired a horse gets. If he gives you his best two chukkers a week, or showing every four weeks, you need to respect his limit and adjust your playing/competition schedule for him accordingly. Maybe it’s time to start splitting chukkers if you don’t already, or maybe it’s time to add more horses to your string before the ones you have start to break down from being played too many times a week. If your horse is seasoned and you have a full slate of rated shows ahead, do you need to add several schooling shows to his calendar? Do you really need to play in the 4-goal league if you’re also playing the 8 and 12-goals? Even machines have limits. If you exceed his limit at his current conditioning and training level, you are on the road to declining performance and health.
There are so many elements that affect performance, from the cellular level to saddle fit, that there is always something that can be improved. That said, horses, like people, come in many designs; not everyone is headed to the Olympics, nor should they be. If your horse is not performing to your desired level, blunt assessment of your training, fitness and care programs, your knowledge and skill, and your horse’s character and state, is in order. Training is a process of persistent questioning and evaluation. If he does possess the ability to go farther, then you need to figure out what you are doing wrong, what’s missing, what’s deficient, and how to fix it. If he has genuinely reached his optimal performance level and you need more, then you have a duty to find a situation for him that suits his abilities, and not push him beyond and cripple him. If profit is a motivator, they are worth more sound.
You would not want to keep your horses in an intense fitness program year-round, but you need to maintain an adequate level of fitness during your off-season relevant to competition performance expectations so you aren’t starting from zero each year and never reaching it. The off-season is a great time to work on flexibility and other issues that have hindered you and your horses during the season. It provides a good opportunity to cross-train, lay the groundwork for more advanced skills and build stronger relationships with them. Cross-country work and trail riding give them a break from formal training environments and are very beneficial for developing strength, balance, agility, endurance and responsiveness in ways that are difficult or impossible to replicate in an arena or on a playing field. If they’ve never been ridden out before, they will need an introductory education about uneven ground, obstacles and things that may or may not be hiding behind trees, etc. Make sure you adjust their feed as necessary to match their energy requirements. All considered, if you are planning to move up a level in competition in the coming season, your "off" season training must be intense enough to support that ambition. Keeping your goals, status and first game or show date in mind, you will have to determine when to start building back up to full competition status. A schooling show or two in the two months prior to your first rated show can help you gauge the effectiveness of your program and adjust it if necessary. Some clubs have the ability to play year round to a lesser or greater extent, usually in the form of arena polo, but generally they will have a month or so of scrimmaging prior to the start of their main grass season. If you have maintained your horses with schooling during the off-season, you would probably start gradually building 2 to 3 months prior to your pre-season scrimmages or first competition (earlier for rated events). If you pony your string in sets, please take into consideration that the ones being ponied are not getting the same workout as the one carrying you, and sometimes pulling the others, is.
While it is common among event and Dressage trainers to school each horse for around an hour, more or less depending on what they need to work on that day (eventers can hit 2 hours on certain days), many polo ponies are worked for around 20 minutes, give or take. Often they are ponied, not ridden or carrying weight, around a track in sets, not worked individually. The theory being they play for 7 - 7.5 minutes in a game (if not doubled), so they do not need any longer, and that you have to conserve their energy for game days. And, frankly, if you have 4, 6 or more horses to school every day, even 20 minutes separately requires significant time and devotion. But, creating a modern-day warhorse within a polo pony requires changes on a biological level from increasing the number of capillaries supplying his muscles and bone density to improving neural function and energy storage/conversion; capacities which take considerable time to create, expand and maintain. Twenty minutes is generally how long it takes to warm up a sound horse properly before his body is ready for work. The work itself is divided into sets by short breaks, as needed, to keep the work productive; followed by a 10 minute cool down phase with more stretching and relaxation exercises and walking out before dismounting. For horses with soundness issues or in light work, the warm up phase may be longer or supplant the work phase entirely, as the horse’s needs require. A good training program is effective because it dissects and addresses all of the components that comprise its goal(s). If you analyze all of the maneuvers a pony performs in a chukker, the speed and variability involved, and the physical contact they encounter, you come up with many of the same movements and figures performed in upper level Dressage tests, at times approaching the speed of a race or certainly Preliminary Level and above galloping speed during the cross-country phase of an event. The sudden changes from one movement to the next and physical contact share elements of working over natural (not rough) terrain and jumping. So, yes, if your ponies get no more than 20 minutes of training a day, they will run out of gas easily and they won’t have what it takes to stay strong the whole season. And even less if their care isn’t sufficient to support it. They don’t have the capacity for it.
Dressage competition is very focused on the perfection of movements and figures, to the point that perfecting the movements and figures themselves is often regarded as the goal of Dressage. However, the goal is to perfect the horse; what is asked of the horse in a Dressage test is just that– a way of testing the perfection of the horse. This is a very different perspective from which to approach a horse’s training and must be foundational to any training program. Figures, patterns, different types of jumps, hills, gait transitions, lateral work, interval training; all of them are tools used to develop a horse to his fullest potential. Your job, as a trainer, is to determine what is not perfect about your horse, relative to himself as an individual, and use these tools to improve them. What this means is, instead of continuing to drill flying changes that are faulty, and hence ingraining bad changes further, you must figure out why they are so difficult for him (or you) and address that issue instead. Possessing a fully-functioning body is what permits perfection. Somehow along the way Dressage has been reduced to what is seen today in tests, and many people think of it as something totally separate from other types of riding, but what was originally created as a way to train deadly-effective warhorses evolved many years ago into a foundational method of training for all horses. And while those in the sport may be familiar with that aspect, what has been forgotten by many is that jumping and cross-country work are integral elements of Dressage training; and the reason they are, as stated before above, is that there are development issues that cannot be addressed adequately or as efficiently by flatwork alone. Figures and movements do not always sufficiently challenge certain deficiencies or problems in a way, or put the horse in a situation where, he can overcome certain limitations; strengthen or build elasticity into a specific structure; change and support poor alignment. Unfortunately for those eventers who can’t stand flatwork, the same can be said for jumping and cross-country work. The difference is the degree of challenge necessary for achievement/correction; low, gymnastic jumping and basic cross-country work will most likely suffice for issues affecting Dressage horses and polo ponies that warrant them. All polo ponies and players need to be skilled at jumping small fences anyway to play well on boarded fields. (The Rules specify a maximum board height of 11 inches.) The sound of legs and hooves striking and stumbling over the boards ought to be like fingernails scraping on a chalkboard to a player. Should you go the extra mile and school them a bit higher, it may prove advantageous should a horse and/or rider go down in front of you.
Sophisticated conditioning and training programs require above average knowledge and skill to design and implement correctly. You have to know what, when and how much of this and that is needed for any given issue, and you have to address each step in the process properly while remaining considerate of the whole horse. I emphasize this because it’s not acceptable or desirable to just start running inexperienced and/or unfit horses or people at jumps or over hills. If you are unfamiliar or rusty with any aspect, you must take whatever steps necessary to educate yourself first before incorporating them. This is true also for any unmounted element such as feeding and care. Do not hinder/limit/rob yourself. Persistence in learning and improving themselves is what sets top trainers and competitors apart from the rest. They never stop expanding their own limits; that’s why they are and stay the best.
Medical and weather conditions excepted, horses need as much turn-out time with good shelter access and compatible companions as possible. Good shelter meaning clean, well-designed stalls with direct paddock access for individual turnout, or deep run-in sheds large enough for the number of horses using them whether they are stalled for some other portion of the day or not. Along with many other important benefits, turned out horses have better baseline fitness than stabled as they move and exercise themselves freely. When a horse is confined for long periods of time, you have to make up for their lack of exercise yourself with additional conditioning and suppling work.
Horses and people lose fitness faster than it takes to create it. How fast depends on how truly fit they were and how inactive they become. Most athletes feel a deficit in performance– usually in flexibility first– even after just several days off, and horses are no different. That is obviously not to say they are incapable of performing or gasping for breath after a week’s holiday– short breaks are necessary to stay healthy– but fitness is definitely a use it or lose it proposition. If you played volleyball on the beach, swam, golfed, went hiking, and your horses were turned out and someone took them out for a ride twice, during that week, you and they may not feel much of a difference when you start up again. But if the most exercise you got was lifting a fork at the all-you-can-eat buffet bar, or they were stuck in stalls most of the time and not ridden, or if a week was lost shipping to a new location, you will notice a difference, and you will have to incorporate that small decline into your training program and goal timetable. You would not want to break for a week or two just before the season starts. Take short breaks strategically so you and your horses are energized, ready and eager for the season to start.
Progress is slowed greatly by inadequate fitness. If you and your horses have a lot of downtime during the off-season, you will be familiar with how differently all of you perform once you are 2 or 3 months into a season. Things finally start clicking, your confidence increases and you feel like you are advancing rapidly. It’s no coincidence that your skills are pulling together at this point– you and your horses are starting to feel the beginnings of getting back into shape (cardiovascular, 2-3 months). If you step back and compare your performance with previous seasons, though, is this not the same– or nearly the same– level at which you were this time last year? Are you mistaking increased fitness for progress? Certainly playing and competing are integral to skill development, but so is conditioning– it’s the framework that allows it to happen. If you don’t train appropriately during your off-season, with a lot of dedication and concentrated work, you may be able to make limited progress as the years go by, but the odds are not with you and you put yourself and your horses at greater risk of injury. Copyright © 2014 Martha A. Clagett
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