likely to tie-up when ridden. Tying-up, medically termed exertional rhabdomylosis, is a form of exercise-induced muscle cramp- ing that usually occurs in the rear (gluteal) muscles shortly after the onset of exercise. Clinically this manifests itself as a painful horse that is very stiff in the rear, is hesitant to walk, and will sometimes have visibly swollen gluteal muscles. Treat- ment should involve a vet- erinarian as this can be a serious, life threatening disease. Prevention is
T e housing of horses during the week while you are unable to get the horse out for riding is a key factor in keeping your horse as fi t and healthy as pos- sible. Horses evolved as roaming animals that naturally move on a regular basis throughout their day while grazing.
Longeing your horse and/or riding him
in an arena during the week not only gives him some physical exercise but teaches him to focus and pay attention to you. Just get- ting your horse out of his stall or paddock helps prevent a “stall sour” horse—the mental stimulus is an interesting change of scenery. You can also tie your horse securely nearby while you are doing other chores (always within sight of your horse). If you have only an hour in the evening
or early morning, all of these little things help to keep your horse fi t both physi- cally and mentally and ready for weekend adventures. And with the longer days of summer upon us, we can all take advantage of the added daylight hours to spend more time with our horses.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT How much to feed a horse who is not
exercised during the week is a signifi cant factor to consider. A good motto to follow is: Do Not Feed a Horse For What He Will Be Doing, Feed Him Only For What He Has Done. In other words, do not increase your horse’s feed level because you will be rid- ing him in a day or two. Increase his feed level only after he has been exercised. The reason for this is twofold. One is behavioral in that a horse that has not been exercising, has been cooped up in a stall or paddock and has been receiving grain will likely come out of his stall with an energy level that is likely to intimidate even the most advanced level of rider. A calm, relaxed horse is a much more desirable ride than a nostril-fl aring, excitable horse that has been pumped up with grain and rest. Secondly, a horse that has been receiv-
ing a carbohydrate-enriched diet such as grain, without being exercised, is more
a low-carbohy- drate diet (this means little or no grain), regular exercise and a warm-up period prior to heavy exercise. When first getting the horse out for a ride after an ex- tended period (fi ve or six days) of rest, a warm- up period is essential to help prevent the horse from tying-up. (For more about low-carb, high-fi ber equine diets, see story on p.14.)
what horses naturally do best.
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WARM-UP YOUR WARRIOR A good warm-up regimen is to ride the
horse at a walk for a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes, then alternate a few minutes of trotting with a few minutes of walking. Do this for another 15 to 20 minutes and your horse will be warmed up and ready to go. It is also a good idea to avoid strenuous work at the start of your ride, such as go- ing up a steep hill. It is far better to have gone through your warm-up regimen prior to tackling any rugged climbs. Post exercise, after you have enjoyed
the weekend hitting the trails with your horse, is a good time to treat your horse to added dietary pleasures such as grain. If you do not plan on getting your horse out again for four or fi ve days, limit the number of days you supplement your horse’s diet with grain to one or two days post riding. During the week while the horse is not being ridden or exercised, regular feed- ing of a forage such as hay will sustain the horse’s weight, keep the gastrointestinal tract active and healthy and help prevent boredom as the horse will have something to munch on throughout the day.
40 June | July 2010 •
WWW.TRAILBLAZERMAGAZINE.US
Movement by way of walking, trotting and occasional loping between periods of grazing and resting are
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