Horse Training

Define the horse's training sessions

As part of the rigorous preparation of a Eventing Horse, it is essential to know the effect of each "gallop" session performed and to evaluate the results.
The purpose of this sheet is to list the training sessions usually practiced to show their diversity and to allow the trainer to choose the right load according to the objectives.

f we question our former national coaches or if we go through the writings they may have left, we observe the great variety of techniques used. They can be classified into four categories:

Race-type training,
Short interval training,
Continuous training,
Long interval training.

(1) Program developed by General Chevalier.
(2) If the conditioning work is insufficient.
(3) The rest of the week, the horse continues the conditioning work above.

Depending on the duration, the gallops are either very fast and therefore very short (800m) or performed at a speed lower than the speed of the cross but over longer durations continuously (15-20 min at 500 m / min) or in several series (3 times 5 to 7-8 min).

If we observe the best French and foreign riders of the 80s and 90s, they practiced quite different training for the same major competition (CCI *** or CCI ****, the long distance event included steeplechase and road).

The eventing horse performs its cross at a speed that significantly demands its anaerobic lactic metabolism. If he runs faster than his anaerobic threshold, exercise can lead him to high final lactate levels (> 15 mmol / L), which can be critical if not trained.

In order for the horse to compete with ease in cross country at high speeds, training must progress its speed to the anaerobic threshold. Scientific studies have shown that galloping sessions performed at this threshold are the most effective because they lead to exchanges between production and consumption of muscle lactate. The optimum working zone is between 4 to 6 mmol / l /. We call VLa4 (V4), the threshold speed where production and consumption of lactates are balanced allowing prolonged exercise without accumulation. Depending on the gallop class and physical condition, this speed is between 520 and 600 m / min for the best.

To list each type of session, measurements of average heart rate, witness of the aerobic metabolism, and of final lactatemia, witness of the solicitation of anaerobic lactic metabolism were made in trained horses. We will see successively:

The trotting
Work in varied terrain
Continuous or interval work at a moderate gallop
The climbs in step
Pool training
The “aerobic capacity development” type gallop session
The "maximum aerobic power" type gallop session
The desaturation session
The session with final acceleration

This guide is a wealth of information about horse training. You will learn about your horse and how to train him to be a good riding horse. If you have never trained a horse you will want to read this guide.

With this book you will learn to understand your horse and how your horse thinks. This will help you understand why horses are the way they are, and why they think the way they do. You will learn to teach your horse the things you want him to know. First you will learn to teach him to obey you and to look to you for instructions. You will need lots of patience when it comes to training a horse. It won’t be easy, but you can do it.busive horse training techniques