Welcome to class!

Evaluating Your Athlete

It’s only fair that I start this off with a teeny disclosure: you know how before you make a major lifestyle change it’s recommended to consult with your doctor first? This is kind of the same thing…

Today’s information is a little dense: however, understanding your horse’s physical makeup is imperative to building a healthy athlete.

There are over 700 muscles in the average horse's body… we aren't going to cover it all but we’re going to highlight the important stuff before we get on with the juicy stuff.

So... without further hesitation, let's dive in!

Are ya'll thirsty for more?

Last time we trudged through some material surrounding muscles: what are they made of, the types of muscles, the various muscular contractions, and how muscles attach themselves to the body. You know, fun stuff.

Today that information is translating into some more interesting topics: what muscles should look and feel like, one little thing muscles love and need to grow, keeping soreness at bay, and what happens when we work with tension.

Let's dive in!

Break out your riding boots, we're getting to work!

Last time we looked at the 3 S's that create our optimal training routine: Schooling, Suppling, and Strength training.

Throughout the course we did a deep dive into how the horse’s body is put together (well, we did a shallow dive, because there was several months worth of material we could have covered). Anyhow, I wanted to share how the body works to stress how important what we are going to discuss today. Of all the S's this is by far the most important; so lets jump in!

Onto the next S: Strengthening.

Fun Fact: Riding your horse through the same exercises day in and day out does NOT improve their fitness levels….

Ya'll, we made it! It's officially the last class of the course!

The course kind of feels like it's flown by, doesn't it?