Horsemanship Level 4: Conditioning pt I The checklist item for Level 4 conditioning read: 7. Work vs. exercise. Warm-up and cooling out, reasons why. This week we will examine fitness, work, and excercise, and then look at warm-up and cool-down next week. Condition Along with his conformation, your horse's condition determines the type of activities…
Whenever I teach dance, or martial arts, body mechanics are a big part of the foundation that I try to build with my students. There are many similarities to the mechanics required in partner dancing to those required in swordplay. When you get into lifting and dipping your partner, the crossover starts to even more…
The single most important factor in learning any new physical skill is general strength, or the ability to press and pull with different parts of your body in all directions. By conditioning, we generally mean the endurance to perform work over an extended period of time. Both general strength and conditioning are essential elements to…
Horsemanship Level 3: Coolout Procedures Just like you, your horse needs to cool down gradually after strenuous exercise to avoid stiffness. Unlike you, your horse, with his larger mass to surface area ratio, is especially prone to overheating. A very hot horse that isn't allowed to cool down properly could go into shock, colic, or…