Stop Riding Weak Horses

Fitness

Fitness is about training not just your body, but also your mind.

Stop •R•I•D•I•N•G• weak horses.

Just because a horse is rideable doesn’t mean they possess the musculature to be ridden. Just because you can lift one bag of feed and carry it around does not mean you are fit. We must not assume the same about horses.

What does this mean?

• Horses can absolutely carry a load, though they were not intended to.

• Adding weight on the back of a weak horse is like you attempting to lift heavy weights after months of no exercise - regardless the amount of weight you used to lift, you have to start back & increase the weight slowly from a low starting point.

• Trained horses are rideable, BUT it is harder for them to gain good muscle if they are constantly in bad form, like you with your excessive weights in the gym - we may lift it, but it isn’t pretty if it’s too heavy!

• Horses must be shown how to use their bodies to better equip themselves to carry a load atop their thoracic cavity.

• Horses need not be ridden to gain muscle mass to carry a load.

Visible attributes weak horses possess:

• Thin neck

• Boney back (lack of healthy topline)

• Poor posture

• Poor conformation (ties in with poor posture)

• Center balance on forehand

• Poor muscle development

• Muscle “holes” (Ex: lack of definition behind scapula)

• Pain face

• Distaste for human interaction

It is extremely easy to take 15-20 minutes a day to give your horse a workout, without riding them. I am not saying to never ride, I am simply stating that working up these animals’ musculature before throwing a leg over should never be overlooked.

How do you do develop muscle well & proper for a horse to support a rider?

• Understand you do not have to ride a saddle horse to develop healthy musculature.

• Ensure their posture is good & well before increasing difficulty.

• Listen to your horse - know equine body language.

• Understand basic equine biomechanics.

• Understand basic rider biomechanics.

• Understand if they struggle on the ground, they will struggle even more under saddle.

• Understand that riding isn’t the only way saddle horses can get a proper workout.

Horses. Will. Always. Try. To. Please. Us.

Please do not take advantage of these amazing animals’ good nature & throw them into things they are not ready for only to line up several mind & body issues down the road for them. They count on us to show them the way.

Be kind & fair to your horse by always understanding what’s best for them over yourself. I am always here to help.

- LR