Episode #11: This is not a Stifle Episode

In today’s episode I will be looking at things that, while they may be common thought and practice, actually go against the science of training the horse’s body. 

This is not an episode about stifles, but they do have a lot to do with the inspiration behind this episode. If you have ever had a horse with weak stifles and have wanted to try hills or weighted boots, this episode will make you think! 

We look at some basic themes:

  1. Don’t do something you can’t do, and do it under a load. Remember injury happens when the load you introduce exceeds the capacity of the tissues to handle that load. If you know you have weak or dysfunctional tissues, DON’T LOAD THEM. Hill work counts as loading.

  2. I chat about being able to assess what the horse is capable of, and programming its loading capacity based on this. This affects group lessons and clinic planning! Are all the horses in the group physically prepared for the exercises? Can blanket homework solutions even be possible for strength training and injury recovery?

  3. I look at the internal and external systems at play to produce good movement. This includes the up regulation of certain skills from outside influences, and the afferent feedback from the body itself.

  4. I discuss the order in which we should proceed when training horses as athletes: Correcting their body first, setting up the tissues for the ability to receive the capacity of loading, and when tissue loading (like hill work) could more safely be added.

To be honest, this episode covers a lot. So, grab a coffee and dive in! 

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Please note: The ideas expressed in this podcast are opinions only, and are not substitutes for proper veterinary care, veterinary medicine and other forms of bodywork. The opinions are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic in nature.

Judith Rathbone