Muscle reinforcement of the horse : the basics

Training a horse cannot be restricted to the development of technical skills ; it should also encompass physical fitness training, muscular reinforcement, and suppling up. From the point of view of improving physique, a session will be either « cardio », « muscular reinforcement », or « suppling-up » dominated. From the technical point of view, the session will be either « mechanisation » type, or « sequence based » depending on whether working on a single figure, or on a succession of figures, or « stretching » if situated in a muscular and energy recovery phase. 

Some authors think that the horse has sufficient muscle tone for the work required of him ; this is probably not true for top level competitions, especially in dressage, where a lot of riders think that performance is limited by the horse’s strength, and that rendering the horse  « athletic » becomes the aim of training.

Muscular reinforcement in the horse should seek to promote harmonious and balanced development of the « horse » athlete. Professor Jean-Marie Denoix, and Jean-Pierre Pailloux describe the most sollicited muscle groups in the sports horse in movement in their book « physiotherapy for the horse » :

• Tension of the nuchal ligament ;
• Concentric contraction of the long head and neck muscles  ;
• Thoracic flexion and raising the withers ;
• Tension of the erector muscles of the spine;
• Lumbo sacral and thoracolumbar flexion.

Work should be varied and accompanied by stretching exercises. Otherwise the horse’s back  becomes hypertonic, which limits the part it plays in movement, the hocks will be subject to fatigue, locomotion becomes ataxic and irregular, and as a whole it is harmful to the integrity of the  musculoskeletal system.

It is a good idea to remember some of the basics regarding muscular reinfocement.
Depending on the type of exercise, work develops muscle structure (number and volume of fibers), nervous control and elasticity properties of the muscle.

There are 4 types of muscular contraction :
    • Concentric contraction (shortening of the muscle length) : for example the hindquarter muscles during propulsion at an extended trot or canter ;
    • Isometric contraction length of the muscle is maintained : for example in the « pesade » ;
    • Excentric contraction (stretching the muscle) : for example the elevator muscles in the shoulder when landing from a jump;
    • « Plyometric » exercise (during a brief lapse of time the muscle lengthens and then contracts) : for example during « passage »,  terre à terre, bounce jumps or a series of drops or step jumps.

To effectively develop the horse’s muscular mass, the exercise should be prolonged until he has completely used up his resources in ATP*. For the human athlete several serious successive exercises are required to get to this result. For the horse it is a bit more difficult to perform, as the relationship between the exercise and the muscles sollicited is not very well-known by the user. Moreover, there are no specific machines to develop a particular muscle.

As it relies on voluntary work, concentric muscle work implies much higher electrical activity than plyometric exercise. It is therefore recommended when in a competition period to promote rapidity in the execution of the movement.

Working with a load (heavier than that encountered in  a sports activity) is difficult to implement with a horse. It could relate to rider weight, weights used on the legs, using a brake or a heavier training carriage. The main drawback is that  this could lead to a deterioration of the gait when used excessively or too often.

*ATP : Adenosine triphosphate used in elementary muscle contraction.

Since it is either repetition, length of time and (or) intensity which will use up ATP resources that we’re looking for, the form recovery will take requires all our attention. The lapse of time to observe the gain in strength obtained through exercise can be of several days after the session.

Deferred recovery corresponds to the lapse of time needed to eliminate fatigue and recover muscle integrity. It should be noted that exercises using the most effective contractions to develop strength (isometric and excentric) require a longer lapse of time (several weeks in a human athlete) to recover, and cannot therefore be used in a final preparation cycle.

When developing maximal strength, recovery between series of exercises is done at a halt or walk to facilitate resynthesis of ATP by the alactic anaerobic system

Different forms of exercise

In the human athlete, the trainer uses three forms of exercise depending on the aim :

Development of volume and muscle mass :

By using strength close to maximal strength or even above in the case of isometric or excentric exercises :

• For example 5 series of 1 to 3 repetitions, with a 7 minute rest and one to two weeks for complete recovery.

Seeking « endurance strength »

Using one’s strength below maximum strength but with a lot of repetitions :

• Up to exhaustion level, 6 series of 6 repetitions with 5 minutes rest, and two days for total recovery.

Developing « speed strength »

Using a lower strength than maximum strength but with very fast execution :

• 10 to 20 series of 15 repetitions with between 5 and 7 minutes rest.

These values used for humans demonstrate the required intensity to produce muscle reinforcement, and the rest time needed between series and between sessions.

Adapting these rules to the horse athlete

Solliciting agonist and antagonist muscles

A good session combines the work of agonist and antagonist muscles. In fact, when antagonist muscles are not strong enough or elastic enough, they will have a braking effect on the movement produced by agonist muscles. Movement will be less ample and smooth ;

Amplitude of movement

If muscular reinforcement is to be carried out in the lengths used in the competitions, the antagonist muscles will also benefit from being worked over their entire amplitude range. This is why even a dressage horse needs to gallop outside, with his nose stretched out, and even if possible jump small fences.

The risk of specialising

Good training develops general musculature, even when the horse is very specialised like show horses. It is a guarantee of balance and muscular harmony which also contributes to reducing tendinous injury.

Relaxation

During exercise, the horse should be relaxed so that the muscles come into play over the full amplitude range. It is better to use exercises that the horse performs easily for muscular reinforcement, and to keep the exercises which are more difficult for technical work.

It is gradually, and when in a state of low stress that the horse will discover his joint amplitude and will develop musculature allowing ample movements

A few examples of exercises for the horse

For an athlete, whether human or horse, a lot of rules apply to both.

• A horse should begin with muscle reinforcement before specialising and before developing propulsion from the hindquarters ;
• General and specific muscle building should be carried out in parallel;
• The beauty of a movement is restricted by inadequacy of the antagonist muscles, which should be developed at the same time as the muscle producing the movement.

Exercises should be varied

Exercises should follow one another in succesion, with varying conditions ; different lengths or speeds for the lengthening of muscles, mixing concentric and excentric muscle contractions…

Some examples ;

• A few stides of shoulder-in followed by an extended trot on a circle ; muscles work at different tensions, lengths and speeds of execution ;
• A few strides of shoulder-in followed by a half-pass, the abductor muscles work successively as agonist and antagonist ;
• A few strides of rein back, break into a trot, in hand or ridden : in the rein back, the muscles usually sollicited to raise the leg are required to contribute to moving the horse’s mass.

The movement should be correctly performed to be of use

Some examples :

•  « Shoulder-in » on three tracks (and not on four tracks) to keep the hind leg well placed and to enable it to develop useful thrust;
• « Half-pass » well balanced and moving forwards, to lighten the inside shoulder allowing it to move upwards and forwards. This is conditional to allow an increase in propulsion.

The horse’s attitude depends on its level of dressage

• The neck rises gradually depending on suppleness and the strength of the horse’s back ;
• The « head-neck » angle closes gradually so as not to go against balance and the hindquarters propelling forwards;
• The horse should remain light and and relaxed, carrying himself without the help of the rider’s aids to develop his musculature.

Stretches and contractions used in succession

During a session, a series of exercises should allow the muscle to stretch, then contract, then stretch again. Some examples :

• Pirouette at a canter followed by extended canter with a low neck,
• Performing a « passage » followed by a circle at a trot or canter allowing the neck to extend,
• Counter-canter followed by the opposite loop on the correct lead, or an extended canter in a straight line and well-balanced.

To develop the load, in particular through activity, it is essential to have a well-balanced horse with a well oriented shoulder.

In the correct attitude, relaxed with no useless resistance, the horse will develop efficient musculature without necessarily requiring maximum loads.

A young horse must first develop strength in the shoulders through developing mobility, to be able to bear the muscular power of the rump, which has an easier development.

Raising the neck and closing the « head-neck » angle should be done gradually with a young horse to avoid excessive constraints on the horse’s back and hocks.

Transferring propulsion from the hindquarters to the shoulders qhould reach a satisfactory level before any specialisation is attempted.

Planning one’s sessions is imperative, recovering from a muscle building session should be appreciated.

Integrating muscle building sessions or specific muscular reinforcement exercises in a session is one of the fields which the Ifce is exploring with dressage horses. These tests will lead to an evolution in our approach in this field, this fact sheet  is only a first approach to an ongoing process.