By April Fingerlos

Four top trainers share their favorite exercises - the ones they rely on to convert lay-ups to champions.

Swimming is beneficial to all horses and is especially useful for horses who have undergone leg surgery, abdominal surgery or any procedures that prohibit exercise that causes impact to the musculoskeletal system. Horses with EPM or Laminitis benefit greatly from swimming as it allows them to rebuild lost muscle and coordination. This cannot be done with on-the-ground exercise.

Swimming is a perfect augmentation to a comprehensive rehabilitation or exercise program which might include the Aqua-Pacer, Equigym, Cold Saltwater Leg Spa, and Hyperbaric Chamber therapy.

It’s hard to deny that our show horses are athletes. We spend countless hours practicing, drilling, and testing our horses in an effort to create the ride we dream about. It seems almost cruel that the simplest things can derail all the benefits of that effort, resulting in injuries requiring lengthy time off, expensive medical regimens, and possibly even surgery. Our hopes fizzle as tests of skill and performance we once hoped to master morph into long-term tests of patience and daily quizzes in coping with frustration.

That wonderful day the vet gives you the green light to exit the treatment phase and start rehabilitation toward a show pen return can lift your heart—and hopes—from the stall floor to the stars. But what exercises will get you and your horse to the in-gate safely? You followed your vet’s instruction to the letter during treatment, with an accuracy that would have merited a gold star if one were offered. Now, it’s time to dust off the tack and get serious, while staying measured and careful.

Your vet will have valuable advice toward developing a general physical rehab program, but we’re going to go one step further. We asked four top trainers to share their favorite exercises—the ones they rely on to convert lay-ups to champions. The success of these exercises is in their deceptive simplicity, and your endless patience and dedication to your restored dreams.

Trainer’s name: Suzy Jeane, Valley View, Texas
Exercise: Ground Poles
Great for: Leg injuries, especially suspensory and tendon issues, and muscle re-development around surgical sites. Poles are especially effective for re-establishing full range of motion in a low-stress manner.
Side bonuses: Proper pole work restores a horse’s natural stride rhythm by strengthening weak muscles across the entire body.

The result is increased self-carriage and a truer, more balanced stride, be it on the rail or in a pattern.

Technique: The only special equipment you need is, of course, poles. Any standard trail pole will do, but I prefer to keep the diameter to no more than 6 inches. I scatter the poles in random places throughout the arena, setting them far enough from corners or fences to allow the horse to be straight for as many strides as possible before and after the pole. I will not ask for turns over poles until well after this part of rehab is completed.

As the horse improves over one pole, I’ll add a second, then a third, and finally a fourth, keeping them in a straight line. I put an average of 6 feet between each pole, which is a standard loping distance. This distance also accommodates an extra stride at the trot or three strides at the walk, without having to constantly dismount and reset my distances.

Resist the desire to add pole elevation as a variable before you’ve mastered four consistent poles at all three gaits. A single pole flat on the ground will adequately challenge your horse’s muscles, joints, and ligaments without risking re-injury or introducing new soreness.

Starting point: Thoroughly warm up your horse before pointing him at the first pole. Start with a single pole, riding over it as much as you comfortably can in 10-15 minutes at the walk, and jog or trot. When the trot is smooth, add the lope, and then consider adding an additional pole, returning to the walk and working upward through the gaits again.

When to step it up: Each time I go over a pole, I want an easy, flowing stride with no interruption in balance or rhythm before adding the next gait or an additional pole. The topline should never change, and the horse should be able to find his own distances to get over the poles properly.

When to scale back: Consistently ticking poles during rehab is a reliable indicator of weakness or soreness. Additionally, stumbling, weaving, or refusal is a dead giveaway that something is still wrong. I enlist the help of my vet to determine if the problem is a weak area that needs more patient but consistent work, or a sore spot somewhere that might need additional treatment or benefit from a short break.

Trainer: Reid Thomas, Corpus Christi, Texas
Exercise: Leg stretches
Great for: Chronic muscle soreness, chronic tightness of leg tendons and ligaments of the legs, increasing scar tissue flexibility.
Side bonuses: Any horse can benefit from leg stretches. I find them particularly helpful for older horses as pre-work warmup. It teaches youngsters to stand better for farrier work.

Technique: This is not an exercise that most horses balk at, so it can usually be done while they are in crossties or tied up. However, for horses new to stretches, or new to me, I will first untie them and start in an open area, just in case the horse needs to make large movements to keep his balance. I’ll stand in front of and slightly to one side of the horse, facing his chest, and reach down to grasp his cannon. I’ll pull the leg slowly up toward me, keeping the knee slightly bent initially to avoid excess strain on the tendons and ligaments. I want to lift the leg so that the forearm becomes parallel to the ground, and hold this position for a few moments before slowly lowering the leg to the ground. Never let the hoof fall heavily to the ground—the impact is uncomfortable and can undo the benefits of the stretch.

If the horse can stand balanced during this stretch, I’ll add lateral movement when the leg is in the air, moving the knee right and left slowly. As the limberness of the leg and shoulder increases, I’ll also move my hands down to the hoof and stretch the entire leg, pointing the toe forward. The hind legs can be stretched in a similar manner.

I repeat each stretch a few times at first, increasing the number of repetitions and decreasing the speed it takes to get to a full stretch as the horse gets stronger and more flexible. Going slower is harder, as it requires the horse to maintain his balance longer.
Starting point: I start this stretching technique as soon as I can, and integrate it into my regular routine for that horse’s recovery.

When to step it up: My horses tell me when they are ready to step up in frequency or slow down in tempo. At first, I might do only 2 or 3 repetitions, but, as the horse gets stronger, I’ll add another repetition, seeking the top end of his comfort zone. I’ll keep a close eye on evenness of flexibility between each front leg. If one leg’s flexibility falls behind the other, I’ll adjust my repetition count to accommodate and strengthen the weaker leg.

When to scale back: When there’s obvious pain during this exercise—the horse’s ears are back, he hops backwards, or refuses to lift the leg—I’ll back off and seek the skill of a reputable vet or chiropractor.

Trainer name: Tina Langness, New Richmond, Wisconsin
Exercise: Longing program
Great for: Neck injuries, chronic back issues, sore sacroiliac joints, and general cardio fitness. Long, slow strides provide stretching of tight muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Side bonuses: Muscles in the topline, shoulder, and pelvis begin reconditioning quickly in a posture that enhances and fosters self-carriage. The horse drives deeper naturally, freeing the knee to step longer as fitness returns.
Technique: Outfit your horse in a standard 30 foot longe line, a simple snaffle bridle with the reins removed for safety, and a surcingle. Attach side reins between the bit and surcingle in a manner that leaves the horse’s poll level to the topline and nose vertical to the ground in a full trot stride. I attach my longe line to the bit by running the snap end through the inner bit ring, over the horse’s poll, and clipping it to the opposite bit ring.

Proper adjustment of the side reins is crucial. They are there to support the horse, not to force him into an unnatural posture. Using them will stabilize the entire musculoskeletal structure. I also prefer using a surcingle at this point over a saddle, as your horse’s back muscles will change rapidly as fitness improves, resulting in sometimes dramatic fit changes. A surcingle does not risk creating the sore points an ill-fitting saddle will inevitably cause.

Keep the size of your circle as large as possible—I prefer at least 30 feet in diameter--while still allowing you to control your horse. Smaller circles greatly increase the risk of re-injury.

Starting point: Walk a lap or two, and then trot for 7-8 minutes in each direction. Keep your horse’s pace at a working trot—a jog will have little effect on his fitness.

When to step it up: Build slowly to 20-30 minutes total, depending on the severity of the injury you’re rehabbing. Severe injuries or longer layups may take longer sessions to achieve fitness. I want to see a damp sweat at the end of each session—no more and no less. This will take 3-5 weeks, but by the third week, I’ll follow each longing session with mounted long-trotting in long, straight lines, gradually increasing saddle time and weaning off longing time.

When to scale back: If the gait isn’t improving or the horse is showing signs of pain (pinned ears, over-active tail, crossfiring), I will first back off the riding time and up the longing. If that doesn’t show a quick reversal in condition, I’ll seek the advice of a vet and adjust the program as directed. This may mean a short rest, and/or a short-term addition of bute or banamine.

Trainer name: Julie Thompson-Martell, Granite Bay, California
Exercise: Ponying
Great for: Suspensory injuries, and neck and back soreness. The magic of ponying is the long, even, balanced stride it creates, benefiting the entire body as a whole.
Side bonuses: If the horse has any timidness around other horses in a crowded warm-up pen, this will fix it. You can easily introduce horses to new tack while ponying, too.
Technique: If you’ve never ponied another horse before, I strongly recommend consulting a professional for tips and advice before attempting it on your own for the first time. While it’s possible to pony off an ATV, I prefer to saddle horses for this task. My pony horse will be outfitted in his usual tack, though some riders might prefer to add a breastcollar. The ponied horse can wear whatever you like, such as protective legwear. I make sure I’m wearing sturdy jeans and boots, and will add a roping glove to the hand used to hold the ponied horse’s lead rope, protecting my skin just in case he tries to pull free.

Mount your pony horse, and have a ground assistant bring you the horse to be ponied. I prefer to dally to the saddle horn when I’m ponying another horse, but I always pay attention to where my hands are in relation to the lead rope and saddle horn to avoid pinched fingers. Start at an easy walk for a couple laps of your arena before moving to the jog, ensuring your ponied horse understands how to keep up with the pony horse. As you work, keep your lines as long and straight as possible, and move equally to the right and left.

Starting point: When the vet gives their approval to pony the horse, I’ll start at 3 days per week, with an equal amount of walking and trotting for 10 minutes.

When to step it up: As the horse gets stronger, I’ll add 3 to 4 minutes. If all goes well, a horse should be jogging and trotting 45 minute sessions at the end of 30 days.

When to scale back: If my horse is looking like he is stiff, leans to the side, or is drawing back, I’ll drop back the duration by several minutes, but I won’t stop altogether. I log the problem somewhere, so I can detect patterns for later training. I’ll also note where any stiffness was, and incorporate stretching on the ground to address those areas.

As a reminder, always consult your Veterinarian for medical advice and treatment before starting any program.