This article is from the December 2020 Horse Deals magazine.

As sedentary lifestyles are becoming more common and the daily activity we partake in each day is less and less, the requirement to exercise for health and wellbeing has developed into a broken recorder by the fitness industry. Even though horse riding, whether professional or pleasure, is technically exercising, we can always do other activities off the horse to improve our fitness levels and benefit the time and experience we spend with our partners.

As discussed in early articles, whether you’re riding ten horses a day or one trusty mount a few times a week, strength training to improve posture and realign imbalances is highly recommended for every equestrian. Cardiovascular training, however, is more of an individual basis.

If you are amongst the riders who do track work or ride a team of ten horses or more a day, then there’s probably little benefit in your riding performance to incorporate a running program into your weekly routine. However, for those who don’t ride long hours each day, here are some general guidelines and recommendations for your discipline and/or personal circumstances.

Endurance based disciplines

Endurance, dressage, reining, showing

The disciplines above replicate what we would call LISS - Low Intensity Steady State. Don’t allow the name to fool you, low intensity does not mean easy. It is a comparison point to sprinting or galloping, it’s simply less intense than the higher cardiovascular demanding exercises, as your heart rate and respiratory rate is generally lower and steadier than it would be sprinting or jumping a horse.

During these disciplines, riders usually spend long periods of time in the saddle with very little break time within the workout. Here, we have a constant demand for our muscles to be engaged and an increased heart rate and respiratory rate. To get the most bang for your buck we suggest riders under this category incorporate other steady-state cardio means to increase their fitness levels. The main aim here is to build a base off the horse that is more demanding than your riding in itself, therefore your muscles and cardiovascular systems are more durable to withstand the demands or requirements of your riding. The type of steady-state cardio you choose to partake in really is personal preference.

Walking

If walking is your go-to, aim to start with three brisk walking sessions a week for a minimum of 45 minutes each walk. As your fitness increases progressively increase your walking by either increasing the time of your walk or by adding in more sessions during the week. The table below is a guide to follow to get started.

Jogging

Jogging is often underestimated and seen as an easy/simple cardio to partake in - don’t be fooled, it can be very demanding. If you are a complete beginner to jogging I’d suggest downloading an app on your phone, the likes of the Couch to 5k which will progressively build your training. If you’d consider yourself an intermediate jogger, then either follow the program outline on the right or commit to jogging three times a week for 30-45 minutes a session. To make sure you’re jogging at the right pace, you want to be plugging along at a decent enough pace that you can’t have a long conversation with another person, but you’re not gasping for air, losing your balance or unable to keep your posture throughout.

Higher Intensity Interval based disciplines

Jumping, barrel racing, campdrafting, eventing

Higher intensity based disciplines require a similar style cardio training for maximum benefit - High Intensity Interval Training. HIIT has become worldly popular and seen in many gyms such as F45. As hard-hitting, demanding and popular these workouts are designed to be, there is a community misconception regarding them. They are NOT safe to do more than three times a week. Understandably, this may seem controversial to some popular big brand chains or trends. However, the science and updated peer-reviewed research (University, ethically signed off and scientific) all concludes to the same result; do not partake in HIIT more than three times a week.

To partake in HIIT training you need to remember the following considerations;
• Allow 24 hours rest from any other heavy exercise post-training
• Partake in no more than two to three sessions a week

Without sticking to these professional guidelines you risk developing Overtraining Syndrome and injury. No matter how effective your training may be, or how immaculate your form is - too much training results in problems. Probably not a bad thing to remember when training our horses too!

Now that official warning is out of the way - don’t be scared by a HIIT session (no seriously). For the purposes of increasing your cardio levels, muscle endurance and simulating a jumping, barrel racing or campdrafting course, you will be simulating similar body movements at a much higher intensity. The key here is to challenge yourself enough that the requirements of your phase doesn’t seem challenging at a competitive level, due to your body being able to withstand the physical demands - therefore you obtain a greater performance in the ring.

The most recommended way to incorporate HIIT training into your program is by following professional programs. Sign up to an F45 class, the HIIT classes at your local gym or contact a Physical Trainer (preferably one who knows the demands of riding itself) to write you up a program and support you through it. HIIT training is tough, so it’s always a lot easier to challenge yourself with a group of friends.

Good luck with your cardio efforts over the summer and happy riding!

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