Warmup and shoeing

very steep rocky and with unstable footing. Its widely believed that horses should not be ridden in the mountains until they are 4 years old to avoid injury and joint damage.
The risks multiply when casual treks become longdistance rides. Its about the hoursdays and miles you put on the horse Goodnight explains. Just as with humans your body can only take so much physical abuse before you start seeing physical effects. Not all trails are created equally either. Light riding on soft flat footing with an 80pound kid wont cause much joint damage in a horse. But arduous steep rocky trails all day long and over distances of 20 miles or more will take its toll on your horses joints.
Joint support options
Joint support needs to start well before you take to the trails Goodnight says. To avoid joint injuries I make sure my horses are in excellent physical condition to be enduring the trails I take them on and the number of miles I expect to ride she says. Joint injuries are much more likely to occur on a tired horse or one that is in poor shape.
In addition she notes The horses strength and balance has everything to do with how well he negotiates difficult terrain and the weight of the rider and whether or not he avoids injury. I know it takes at least 90 days of steady riding excellent nutrition and supplements to make an impact on the horses fitness. This is why its important to set your goals well in advance to make sure your horse is ready for the ride.
Speaking of supplements Goodnight says she starts her horses on joint health supplements containing glucosamine at a very young age. Though such supplements can be expensive Goodnight says shes found that you get what you pay for I only feed my horses supplements that have pure ingredients a high level of quality control.
What young horses need
In addition Goodnight says If I have a young andor green horse that might spook at times or may not be surefooted yet protective boots could help prevent injury. But she adds that boots can pose certain challenges on the trail if they become loose get wet heat up a leg or even comes off while riding in company. For recreational trail riding on an experienced surefooted horse I would not use protective bootsthe wear and tear on their joints is
happening on the inside she says.
When all is said and done the methods might vary according to the types of exertion involved the preferences of trainers and the needs of individual horses but certain commonalities can be found among the jointprotection strategies implemented in most equine sports. These include the early use of joint support measures tailoring a horses workload to his age and conditioning level and feeding shoeing and resting him properly throughout his competitive career.