How to support your horse when training steps up and the season approaches.
The days are getting ever so slightly lighter (which we are very here for!) and we know lots of our customers have their sights firmly set on the season ahead. Setting big goals, mapping out training plans and entering competitions are the relatively easy tasks - the hard work comes in the early starts, the consistency and overcoming hurdles along the way.
As training ramps up, our horses and ponies will face increased physical demands. Increases in cardiovascular fitness and muscle development are two of the most obvious ones, but there’s also digestive balance, electrolyte loss, skin and hoof health and joint health to consider. That’s why a broad approach to supporting your horse helps them stay healthy and ready for consistent work. In this month’s blog we’re sharing practical strategies and trusted products from Equine Products UK to help you along the way.
Building fitness for the long game
It’s important to increase the duration and intensity of exercise slowly and stay consistent. That’s because asking a horse to do too much too soon can overload muscles, joints and tendons, and that puts them at greater risk of injury. A structured plan that includes walk, trot and canter work, with rest days and varied exercises like groundwork or poles, helps build fitness safely.
Training across different surfaces (arena, hacking, all-weather) promotes balanced strength and can help reduce repetitive strain and boredom. It’s always more fun for horse and rider to have variation in the type of training and exercise they do, so consider hiring some gallops if you’re unable to hack and are bored to tears with the school or book a water treadmill session, loose school session or plan a beach ride!
Warm up and cool down properly
When you’re training in colder temperatures, your warmup is vital to prevent injury. Their muscles and soft tissues could take longer to become warm and, even though it’s cold and your horse might stop sweating quickly, the cool down needs to be carried out properly too. That’s because proper cool-downs are essential to help the cardiovascular and muscular systems return to baseline and promote removal of waste metabolites. Even if you’ve washed them off and popped a cooler, keep walking them around to make sure they don’t get stiff after a hard training session.
Nutrition that’s fuel for progress
As your horse’s workload increases, so do their nutritional needs. A foundation of high-quality forage is key, and it should be paired with hard feed for extra energy when needed and balancers that deliver essential vitamins and minerals. Supplementing proactively can help ensure your horse has what they need for energy metabolism, recovery and general wellbeing. Selenavite E is our ultimate feed balancer, providing 21 micronutrients including trace elements, vitamins and amino acids.
Some riders and owners also take steps to support good digestion during training and competitions, so that their horse or pony is able to absorb all those nutrients they’ve carefully chosen and paid for! Optimum digestion can help keep them in good condition and ensure optimum energy levels during training. Transvite Excel is a highly effective gut balancer that’s packed with prebiotic and probiotics and formulated to support digestive equilibrium and help maintain a happy gut even during busy competition weekends and travel.
As work becomes more demanding, building muscle resilience and supporting energy metabolism becomes even more important. L-Carnitine is a feed supplement that provides L-Carnitine, a co-factor that plays a role in transporting fatty acids into cells for energy and helps buffer lactic acid during exercise, potentially aiding endurance and reducing fatigue as training intensity increases. If you’re keen to do everything to optimise your horse’s performance and conditioning programme, why not take a closer look?
Caring for the whole horse
When training steps up, it’s worth taking the time to step back and look at your horse as a whole. Fitness and nutrition play a huge role in success during the competition season, but so do the everyday details that support comfort, balance and long-term soundness.
Dentistry: Good equine dental health helps ensure horses are happy in their work with no sharp edges impinging on their mouth and it means they can chew properly, which supports digestion and helps your horse get the most from their forage and hard feed.
Physio: A visit from your equine physio or osteopath is a great idea – some owners choose to book in a session before they start their training session and then again as competitions get underway, others a regular visit throughout the process.
Saddle fit: As topline muscle develops, a saddle that once fitted well may start to pinch or restrict movement. Regular checks can help prevent pressure points, rubbing or subtle resistance under saddle.
It’s also important to keep an eye out for small changes. Reduced performance, stiffness that lingers longer than expected, or changes in behaviour can all be early signs that something needs adjusting - whether that’s the training plan, nutrition, tack or recovery time. If soreness, lameness or discomfort are apparent, seeking advice from a vet or qualified therapist can help identify underlying issues and put the right support in place early.
Electrolytes and hydration
Horses in harder training will sweat and lose essential salts. Replenishing these through electrolyte supplements supports hydration, muscle function and overall body balance, especially in winter when horses might drink less in cold weather but still work hard. Luckily, electrolytes are really easy to feed and here at EPUK we have a few options to choose from.
Everyday Electrolyte is a powder that is added to a horse’s feed and which, as the name suggests, is formulated for long term daily use. Or, you can take a closer look at Restore-Lyte, available in liquid, powder and syringe-based paste depending on your preference. This formulation contains glycine, an essential amino acid, a non-glucose-based carbohydrate source to replenish lost energy and vitamin C and electrolytes. It’s perfect for boosting energy and ensuring a horse can perform well during periods of hard competition and training.
Joint comfort as work increases
As workloads increase, our horse’s joints can be placed under greater and more consistent strain. This can be a concern for those of you with older horses returning to work, or those with previous wear and tear, but there are ways to help them.
Providing daily joint support can help maintain comfort and mobility, allowing horses to move more freely and feel more willing as training progresses. Supplements containing ingredients such as omega-3 fatty acids, MSM and hyaluronic acid are commonly used to support joint function during periods of increased work.
FlexiVite HA is a fast-acting joint supplement formulated to support joint lubrication, shock absorption and elasticity. Its unique combination of biologically active ingredients is designed to help maintain supple, comfortable joints during training and competition.
For horses that may already feel stiff or tight, No More Bute offers additional support. It delivers curcumin in a highly bioavailable form, helping to support the recovery process after exercise. Being completely stable through the digestive system, it allows for effective absorption and has no withdrawal period, making it suitable during intensive training and competition schedules.
Looking ahead to the competition season
As the season approaches, taking a considered and consistent approach to training, nutrition and overall care can make a real difference to how your horse feels and performs. We hope this blog helps you put the right foundations in place, so your horse can stay sound, healthy and happy as the work steps up.
The whole team here at EPUK wish you and your horse a successful, enjoyable season - and plenty of good days along the way!