Fitness VS Efficiency
You ride your horse 5 days/week, they must be SUPER fit, right?
*Probably* wrong… They’re more likely super efficient. Efficiency and fitness cannot exist oat the same time, and an efficient horse is not a fit horse. Let’s break it down…
If you do lots of the same stuff, in the same places, each week, your horse’s body will create a more efficient way to do the work. This efficiency means that their body is using less energy and muscle activation to get the job done. It means that the body has learned to preserve itself from burnout and overwork when doing routine activities.
So, why is efficiency an issue? In theory, it’s not. But what needs to be considered is the purpose of the rides. Are you going to be competing? Is your intention conditioning? Is your intention strength building? Do you plan to ever switch things up or do something different with your horse? Do you want longevity and prevention of injuries? Then you need a FIT horse!
If you’re competing your horse, it’s important to remember that show days are NOT like your normal rides. They require more from your horse physically and mentally, ESPECIALLY if they’re being trailered, or if they’re staying overnight at the show grounds. Competitions are a great way to fatigue, injure, or stress your horse if they haven’t been conditioned properly.
If you’re looking to condition your horse for competition season, fitness purposes, or general work, this absolutely can and will not be achieved by doing the same things day in and day out. Variety is how you condition the body - muscles, joints, brain, etc. If you’re conditioning your horse to jump, but you’re focusing mainly on jumping your horse, they’ll become efficient at jumping, not conditioned for fitness.
If your goal is to create a stronger horse, efficiency is your enemy. You don’t want your horse to be accustomed to the work so much that they’re going through the motions with minimal muscle activation. You need to be strategically training different muscle groups, progressively overloading, varying intensity, and varying surfaces the horses is worked on. Muscle inactivity and physical efficiency means your horse will NOT be building strength. They are literally working smarter, not harder - and we need to flip that.
If you want a well-rounded riding partner that will be able to gallop out in the fields, pop over jumps, maybe head cross-country for fun, etc. then you need a fit horse. Variety is the spice of life - it keeps our horses engaged physically and mentally. It prevents boredom. It makes being around us and working with us as riders more enjoyable. If you want to be able to switch things up on occasion, you ned a well-rounded, fit horse. You need a horse with stability, strength, stamina, and sure-footedness. That won’t happen if you’re creating a program that leads your horse to be efficient.
If you want a horse who doesn’t lose tons of time to stall rest and injuries, and who can handle ridden work or just remain comfortable well into their senior years, you need to work on having a FIT horse. Fitness is protective - this means that maintaining fitness will increase longevity, health, and overall wellness while preventing injury and time lost to recovery. A fit horse is physically safer.
Your super efficient horse isn’t going to hold up to any lifestyle without injuries, stress, or fatigue. You need a super FIT horse. This means proper conditioning, cross-training, working outside of the arena, and varying intensity of rides. Fit horses take way more work. They require variation in intensity and focus of work. They require changes of scenery and footing. They require proper nutrition and management. They require proper recovery and balance. Fitness is purposeful - you can’t go through the motions mindlessly and have a fit horse land in your lap, you have to work and ride your horse with intention.
I meet a lot of owners and trainers who think they have fit horses, but more often than not, they’ve got very efficient horses instead - these are also horses who are bored and not mentally stimulated. A lose-lose situation. Efficient horses are prone to injury (both career stalling AND ending) more so than fit horses. Remember: fitness is protective. Fitness is a great way to maximize your horse’s engagement and health while prolonging their career and wellness over the long-term.