Many horses that compete have aches and pains from what I call the “mileage” of showing. Feeding joint supplements is a good support system, but the best preventative is warming up your horse slowly in a relaxed, natural state! By doing this you allow the horse’s joints to “lube” themselves and create good blood flow to all working parts, which in turn helps against the breakdown of tissue and bone. Requiring collection immediately may give you the desired look, but will cause the horse’s muscle tissue integrity to break down and eventually cause skeletal shift and arthritis. By keeping your demands simple at first, you are also more likely to re-develop your horses’ concentration, which has been lost to being “on recess” all winter.
Your horse may be stronger in some ways after a long “vacation” but will not be fit in the cardiovascular department. So, as you work him start out in no more than 10 minute intervals, working on one exercise at a time. Give your horse 5-6 minutes between sets to rest and digest what you are trying to accomplish. Please don’t expect your horse to be perfect after this long time out - trust me - you won’t be either! I tell my students “Less is more!” Many trainers like to work their horse 6 or 7 days a week. Personally, I find one day cardiovascular work and two days schooling is plenty. If the horse ends his session happy; he will start where you left off next time.
Develop a short, simple warm up on a loose rein that allows your horse freedom of movement and that addresses the basic aids. Try movements such as halt, walk, trot, canter, 20 meter circle and straight line. By keeping it simple you can evaluate your horse’s level of understanding and physical needs. Don’t assume you can start where you left off last year; and remember that through inactivity your horse’s body has changed. If your horse does not respond willingly and freely to the basic commands and movements then everything beyond that turns into a larger challenge.
We riders must remember that a horse thinks simply and responds to stimulation. By over practicing and repeating things too often we deaden our horse’s senses and overwhelm them mentally. A horse's greatest reward is not to have to concentrate about anything - but just to exist! Therefore, working on something only five to ten minutes at a time; then dropping the rein and just letting him relax for a few minutes is a very stimulating reward.
Letting your horse relax and what I call “defrag” confirms to the horse that he is on the right track. This in turn gives them confidence in understanding what is asked; thus generating willingness to perform. As noted Midwest dressage trainer and author Chuck Grant liked to say, “Ask often, expect little or nothing and reward generously”.
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