How to Build Muscle on Your Horse
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
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Building muscle on our horses, especially if you are doing a competition discipline, is crucial for their performance and overall health. We aim to develop muscle on the top line, which includes the top part of their neck, back under the saddle, and through the loin and hind end area.
Just like us, there are two sides to building muscle: Training and Diet. This video will provide tips on how to achieve this, using my Grand Prix horse, Harvey, as an example.
Big thank you to my friends at Purina for sponsoring this video.
Importance of Nutrition
Nutrition is the foundation of muscle building. Harvey has been off for about three months due to surgery, and he lost a significant amount of muscle. To help him regain it, I rely on Purina® products. Harvey's feeding routine includes:
-Purina® Ultium® Gastric Care to support his digestive health and performance,
-Purina® SuperSport® an amino acid supplement crucial for muscle development and maintaining a strong topline,
-Additionally, I've recently added Purina®'s new Systemiq™ supplement, an innovative probiotic supports optimal digestive and immune function (crucial for horses recovering from surgery or illness).
Purina’s commitment to research and scientifically backed formulations ensures that my horses receive the best possible nutrition to support their training and recovery.
If your horse isn't getting the dietary requirements needed for the level and type of work they are doing, you will always struggle to build muscle.
Training Regimen
Walking: Start with at least 15 minutes of walking. This warms up the muscles and prepares them for more strenuous activities. Ensure your horse is walking out, swinging their back, and moving with purpose.
Serpentines: Walking serpentines improve lateral suppleness, bending your horse from poll to tail equally on both sides.
Transitions: Incorporate transitions, such as trot-walk-trot and trot-canter-trot, to build hind end muscle and develop the top line. Focus on smooth transitions where the horse is lifting through their back and you're doing as little as possible.
Key Tips
Slow, Controlled Movements: When your horse anticipates, slow down the rhythm by holding your core tight and pushing them slightly sideways. Doing things rushed often means the horse won't be correctly balanced or using the topline muscles (just like when we try to rush through our squats!).
Engagement: Use leg-yield and shoulder-in positioning ensures your horse engages the hind leg and hind end properly during transitions.
Building Up Fitness
In the beginning of bring a horse back into work, avoid lateral work and tight circles. Focus on longer lines, big circles, and lots of transitions. Gradually increase the intensity as your horse builds muscle and fitness. Always allow plenty of walk breaks to prevent fatigue and injury. Depending on where your horse is starting from, this can take a few weeks to a few months. Listen to your horse and what they can do.
Conclusion
Building muscle on your horse is a combination of proper nutrition and consistent, well-structured training. Remember, it's a gradual process that requires patience and dedication.
Again a big thank you to Purina for sponsoring this video and for their unwavering dedication to equine health and nutrition. Their scientifically researched products have made a significant difference in supporting my Harvey's recovery (PS- since filming this video, Harvey has gained even more muscle, I'm so excited for us to get back to doing the Grand Prix together).
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My horse had a horrible sinus infection. It affected his eyes and he was blinded. The vets advised me to put him down. I brought him home and worked with him. He has such heart. He was hospitalized for 2 weeks. Then in 2 more weeks. I started riding him again. I had to think of ways to help him. He was already intered in a show series. There was a grass field off to the side I could use for warm up. Before we where 3rd. He trusted me and put his heart into it and won!! After some months he was able to go trail riding again ( walk only) All this totally blind. I learned a lot about facing adversity. ❤
That is awesome! My son's childhood horse was blind in one eye, and he was the sweetest, most dependable horse we've ever had in our barn.
This is super timely for us. My horse had a colon resection in April after almost a year of chronic colic and displacement issues. Turned out not to be his first surgery so spent a couple of months in a hernia belt. Talk about a topline killer! We are almost ready to start tack walking but have been doing lots and lots of groundwork. I’m glad to hear I have been on the right track with nutrition. Looking forward to being able to try some of these at the walk when we start.
SO so glad that Harvey's doing so much better! You must be so relieved!
I love this video, it truly shows the love you have for your beautiful Harvey. The tenderness in offering his bucket brought a tear to my eye. Such a great example of putting our wonderful partners welfare first 🦄💖🌈
This is such a helpful video. My horse l, about mid show season last year came up lame. Let her rest and turns out she has a splint. It took me months to get her back. She was perfect and we were jumping again, ready to go to a show. We gave her a 5 way vaccine and she had a horrible reaction to it. She had a fever of 41.3 and it was very stressful. She had lost at least all her topline and half her weight. She looked like we rescued her from the slaughter. The vets told us tgey have never seen anything like her. That happened 4 months ago and we are still working on getting her topline back. This video helps so much and i always watch your videos❤❤
Thank you for making this video! My horse has been rehabbing from a complicated suspensory injury since early May. Fortunately, we were able to tack-walk almost right from the beginning, but even with that, we have had to use light sedation to keep my guy on an even keel. Like Harvey, he has lost a lot of topline. We are now up to 40 min of walking, and were recently green-lighted by the vet to do lateral work (at the walk) and to trot. We are also allowed to do hills for conditioning. In terms of nutritional support, I have been using Purina Outlast for gastro health and have added SmartTendon pellets from SmartPak.
In the hot AZ summer we go to a totally different work that includes alot of walking, lateral work, time management because of how the heat can affect them.
So smart!
i wear a watch and time my walks and trots while building topline and fitness levels on the ground. it helps me keep track of the increase and I keep a journal of the timed work and gradually increase each week. thank you for your clear explanation. it makes me feel more confident with working with my horses.
Lol, I LOVED hearing you talk to yourself as you were coming back to trot, "Trot, trot. Soft hands. Check your position." I do that often, too! 😊 A huge thank you for all your videos!!!
Glad you enjoyed!
Thank you Amelia! I ride a 20 year old grade mare but love all of your pointers!
My horse got a laceration by his eye. Right on the bone of the eye orbit. It was about 15mm deep & 2" long. I feed him Nutrina proforce fuel. My vet is Littleton Equine Medical Center. Last time, Dr. Lori saw my horse was spring vaccinations. When I brought my horse into the barn. Dr. Lori said, " OH wow!".. He stepped back & looked at my horse. He said, " He looks fantastic!" Thanks for the tips. My horse was injured on Friday. He is on meds & has 9 staples in his head. So until the staples are removed, I can hand walk him. Proforce fuel has everything that you mentioned. I also give him magnesium, alfalfa, 707 essentials 6 in 1 joint, hoof health & glo n go amino acid oil. He also eats lots of pasture grass.
Thanks so much! Im glad Harvey is doing well again. ☺️
I’m rebuilding muscles on my newly acquired Friesian stallion who was out of work for two years.
I warm up and cool down by doing the long and low. Doing so has helped to build his topline beautifully. ❤
Thank you! Working on building muscle to support my boys kissing spine. Loved this video!!!!
Wow! You always have so much to share. It is so inspirational. Good Luck with Harvey.
My Wiley ( Wild Duke) is hand walking after a splint bone removal. He has lost most of his rump and top line. I do use Purina so that is a good match. We will be diligent with the Walk. No Rushing!!😊
Thanks Amelia
Harvey looks amazing! I love his way of going. He is so beautiful. I’ve had to overcome a broken wrist and broken tibia plateau. My mare has had to overcome a tendon issue front right and she had to overcome white line disease which took a year.
This was an extremely helpful video! Thank you for posting it! ❤️
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much for this! I was on a medical leave from riding for 4 months, then my horse got a major injury and had to be stalled for 6 months. She has been adjusting to returning to turnout and almost ready for tack walking, but there’s so little guidance on how to do this well. I have been overwhelmed with where to begin, we still have such a long journey ahead, so this is great help! I would love to see more of Harvey’s progress ❤
This is super helpful to me and my horse Tino .
Glad it helped!
Thank you. My horse had a health scare & was laid just about a yr. Even though I was given the ok to start her back to work since Nov. I've only been on her 1 time. She is being turned out, plus lots of in hand work & out hand walking.
This is just where my horse is , it has been a very emotional journey . He is coming back slowly.
This video shows people how much most people-including most dressage riders-love and care for their horses. We sweat over their supplements and their workouts making sure those things help our horses live their best most healthy and happy lives. Please don’t judge people by the outliers.
Your advice is always so sound, I Great advice
Glad it was helpful!
Hey Amelia, for how long do you continue such an easy routine? My 20yr mare has damaged ligament in her left back. We have at least 3 more weeks in hand walking before I tack her up. Btw, thanks for all your videos - such a big help and inspiration! It meant a lot for me ❤ we did a great progress thanks to you!
Thanks a lot for tips
Thank you for this! Because we have incredibly high temps here on AZ, and my working full time, I can really only ride very early on weekends so my horse has lost some of his topline. I'm going to definitely check out the Purina products you suggested. ❤
Glad to help!
My horse was injured at a boarding facility and tore her extender tendon in her left hind leg. At the equine hospital she was put in a cast and colicked tearing her peroneus tertius ligament in the same leg. She spent two months hospitalized. When I got her home we did a hand walking program increasing the distance each week and finally tack walking. That was six years ago and today she is sound! I am interested in the Purina supplement you mentioned, but she now has Cushings and I need to know if it is suitable for Cushing horses who require a low sugar and low starch diet? Thank you!
Be sure to consult your vet!
Harvey is looking so good and doing well becoming fit! I have gone back to foundation skills with a 18 yo gelding who has been in pasture, thinking he was retired 😅, for 4-5 years. Your video popped up and I’m so glad it did bc it is right where I need to be in working with him. I’m also getting back in the saddle as I haven’t ridden consistently in a long time. I’m struggling with my posting trot and basic body alignment ( dropping shoulders forward and leg position and the soreness that comes with that!). I do strength train, eat clean and have incorporated more cardio. Do you have a video explaining the posting trot with body position? I’m finding my legs just can’t hold for too long! Look forward to watching more of your tips soon!🐎
Great tips!!!
Very helpful video
Do you have any tips on what to focus on while riding a horse with osteoarthritis in both frontlegs?
Be sure to check in with your vet
Amelia, do you have your vet help.you decide on the best diet options? There are so many to choose from & I'm not sure what is best. How did you decide on these products
Always good to check in with a vet if you have questions!
I’m curious about the wraps you have on Harvey. I’ve noticed a lot of dressage people using those wraps. They look like standing bandages, but I’m not sure that’s what they are? What’s the benefit of using those wraps as opposed to other types of boots?
They are there to support and protect his legs!
I am feeding the super sport!@!@ yes it works
How long would you do one of these session for in the early days, and would you do this every day? I doubt my horse has ever been really fit, so I’m starting from scratch. Would it best to start with a half hour session and build up to longer as he gets fitter?
It's hard to answer that without knowing your horse or his conditon. Your vet would know best. Start slow and build up.
Hi amelia I’ve just purchased a Dutch warm blood and he is lacking weight and muscle my question is, if I feed him the Purina supersport will it make him more hot? He’s already a bit forward going so don’t wanna make him hyper thanks
It shouldn't but start feeding a small amount and build up slowly.
DO they need to be in a frame during transitions? My OTTB struggles with this and usually throws his head high into the air during transitions and absolutely hates when I ask him to move up or down in a frame when he's in full work let alone after a spell.
The goal is ultimately to have them in a balanced frame in transitions too! They will get better with practice!
what does "on the buckle" mean?
Long reins!