Getting back onboard

Week 2 – Increase to 30-40 minutes walking

Week 3 – Continue walk work up to 1 hour, including hill work

Week 4 – Introduce short bursts of trot work

Week 5 – Introduce short schooling sessions. Easier lateral work can be reintroduced, again if appropriate, this will help the suppleness and flexibility of the horse and add some interest into their routine. If appropriate lungeing can be used, but keep the circles big, and lunge for no more than 20 minutes in total.

Weeks 6-8 – Extend your schooling sessions and introduce canter work. Maintain the hill work and hacking, start to introduce pole work and small fences.

Minimising risks

Warming up and cooling down

As you intensify your exercise programme remember to allow time for proper warm up and cool down sessions to help reduce the risk of injury. Warming up will help you both prepare mentally for the session ahead, as well as gradually building heart rate and oxygen flow and engage muscles. Cooling down will allow the heart rate to return gradually to normal and reduce the risk of inflammation in the muscles.

Knowing your horse

Being alert to your horse’s usual behaviour will help you to spot any problems as you progress. Resistance, napping, bucking, rearing, favouring one lead over the other or persistently changing leads in canter, unsettled head carriage, tail swishing or clamping are some of the signs that your horse may be struggling or in pain. If you are worried it’s important to speak to your vet to discuss next steps.

The right diet

Overfeeding can result in weight gain and behavioural problems. If your horse needs additional feed beyond grass, hay and a dietary balancer, a low starch high fibre diet will provide slow release energy. Always remember to feed for the actual, rather than the anticipated, workload and don’t over-estimate how much work you are doing. Make any dietary changes gradually and speak to your vet or call a feed company helpline for advice if you are unsure.

Rider fitness

It’s equally important for us, as riders, to be fit, confident and suited to our horse’s size, temperament and ability – this way you will both get the most out of your partnership.

Getting out and about

Be mindful of the fact that your horse may be more exuberant than usual when you get out and about. Factor in extra time at training sessions or unfamiliar hacks away from home to acclimatise him safely!

Fit for purpose

Always make sure your horse is fit enough for your planned activities; you both want to have fun and a tired horse is less likely to enjoy the experience and will be more prone to injury.

Re-building fitness after time off can be immensely satisfying and fun. It gives you a chance to enhance your skills and iron out any problems, ready for when lockdown is lifted and competitions start again.