Kat's Corner
The Importance of Adequately Warming up and Cooling Down your horse.
As riders, and possibly sports persons in other disciplines, we are well aware of the importance of warming up our own bodies prior to exercise and cooling down and stretching in the correct manner after strenuous work.
But how many horse owners and riders take care to properly warm up and cool down their horses sufficiently before and after exercise?
How important is it to the muscles and circulation of the horse to adhere to correct warming up and cooling down procedures?
Satisfactory warming up and cooling down is as vital to a horse as it is to a human athlete and should play an integral role in any training programme undertaken. It can help to reduce the risk of and perhaps even prevent serious injury if only we as riders take the time to carry out the procedures correctly and religiously.
Low level muscular activity such as at a walk and trot loosens muscles in preparation for the increased demand during further exercise.
As a result of the low level muscular activity in these gaits, there is an increased blood supply to the muscles. This in turn results in an increase in muscle temperature which benefits the horse by improving muscle contractions and reflex times.The increase in blood supply carries more vital oxygen to the muscles and also the spleen of the horse contracts, releasing red blood cells.
Many times in Cyprus I have heard talk of the horses heamoglobin levels but few people realise that unlike humans, a horse’s spleen releases red blood cells in response to exercise and increased need. However, there is a delay between the commencement of exercise and the release of red blood cells through contraction of the spleen, therefore the need to adequately warm up the horse. The gradual increase in muscle temperature also benefit’s the use of enzymes. Glucose takes time to be released in the blood and therefore in the early stages of exercise the main fuel used is glycogen which is stored in the muscles. However, there is only a limited supply of glycogen stored in the muscles, so we do not want the horse to begin exercise too quickly as this glycogen, and vital energy supply, will be rapidly depleted.
All too often I have seen horses with damaged tendons. This injury is a serious one and prevention is better than cure. A good warm-up routine creates good water redistribution in the collagen matrix of the tendons and increases their elasticity gradually.
Many trainers and riders like to carry out stretches on their horses before even beginning any exercise, but this is something I do not advocate as an equine therapist.
All too often I have seen people tack up their horses and before they have even left the stable they are picking up their forelegs and aggressively yanking them forward, claiming to be stretching the horse prior to exercise. This will only serve to potentially damage the horse. If you can imagine that this horse has been standing still in the stable or idling in the paddock, to have his forelimbs yanked before warming up will only serve to damage the muscles, or worse, the tendons. Instead I ask all my clients to begin by walking the horse on a long rein and then doing gentle stretches from the saddle after an adequate period of walking, circling and turning.Just as important as warming up before exercise, is the procedure of cooling down after exercise.
Contrary to popular belief cooling down does not mean radically reducing the horse’s body temperature. Instead cooling down should aim to remove the lactic acid from the muscles and the bloodstream that has been built up during exercise. This is done by walking and trotting and a period of slow trotting has been shown to stimulate a rapid recovery of the phosphagen stores. Slow trotting is often used in interval training of the performance horse, in the recovery period as it is more effective than walk. Without sufficiently removing the lactic acid and restoring the phosphagen stores, we end up with horses that are stiff and sore the next time they come to exercise, their stride becomes shortened and lameness may begin to be seen.
These knock-on effects of not cooling down or simply cold-hosing the horse straight after the strenuous phase of exercise, can be seriously damaging and could easily be avoided.
With regards to passive stretching I always recommend that my clients carry out gentle passive stretches to the neck, legs and back, often with a carrot as a treat, at the end of exercise, having correctly warmed up and cooled down their horses!
Katrina Gothorp 2010
