Working with the Older horse

Dressage training with Charlie Hutton

Petplan Equine have teamed up with Charlie Hutton from the renowned Talland equestrian to produce a series of videos to help dressage riders care for their horses, prevent illness and injury where possible and to help them achieve those extra marks

http://www.petplanequine.co.uk/area-festivals/training-videos.asp

Working with the older horse

• When you first get on your older horse, during his warm-up ask yourself “what does he feel like today?”. Knowing your horse will help you know what to work on that day and spot if he’s not feeling 100% straight away.

• During your warm-up ride lots of transitions both from pace to pace, and within each pace, as this encourages the horse to engage and listen to you. Make sure while doing this you encourage him to be supple through his back.

• Cantering an older horse fairly early in the warm-up can reduce the amount of concussion and be more comfortable for his joints.

• Leg yielding is a great exercise to use in the warm-up as it will help your horse loosen through his body and will make him more responsive to your aids.

Petplan Equine understands that, thanks to advancing veterinary care, horses are living active lives for longer, and provides owners with insurance for illness as well as injury for horses right up to the age of 25 if insured before their 20th birthday.