Most horses don’t get enough exercise.

When most horses get exercise, they usually get too much.

That’s because in both cases they are dependent on us, and can’t make their own determination.

In a natural state, a horse will walk, jog and occasionally lope as the mood strikes him. He’ll travel about 30 miles in a 24 hour period. Of course there are plenty of stops for drinking, grazing and snoozing.

In a natural state, a horse will get himself fit for the job he is doing,
which is surviving, and that will be that.

In any captive state other than a planned training regimen, horses stand,
walk in tiny circles, snooze, eat, drink, and travel only a few miles in a
24 hour period.

After five days in a 12 by 12 stall, thousands of horses are then asked to
go trail riding, or roping, or team penning, or barrel racing, or to a show
or just to zip around an arena for an hour.

That borders on abuse.

So what kind and how much exercise should a horse have?

One renowned expert devotes a whole paragraph to exercise in his complete
encyclopedia on horses. He says horses should exercise as much as possible
on pasture. If no pasture is available, exercise mature animals for an
hour or two a day under saddle or in harness.

Thanks much, but they just doesn’t get it.

Obviously different amounts of exercise are correct for different horses.
Young horses, for example, don’t need the same type of exercise as an
older jumper.

A medical expert advises a horse’s daily exercise should consist of enough
work to make the horse’s pulse, respiration and perspiration output
increase to the point where at least one of the three is noticeable.
That’s not good enough either. If we follow that guide, all we know for
sure is that exertion has taken place.

I think the answer lies in the dictionary. Exercise is defined as "active
use to give practice and training, or to cause improvement."

A young horse in a round pen, or on a longe line is going to show
improvement in gait, pace, stopping ability or just in paying attention
about the same time he’s had enough exercise to rid himself of all his
excess energies. It won’t be coincidental that his pulse and respiration
are elevated, and that he’s about to break a sweat on his neck. This is
the place to stop. More exercise for this horse is going to be
detrimental.

An older horse in training is going to need a few minutes just to warm up.
So the rule of "walk the first mile out" is a good guide for starters.

Then we can go to work on the performance lessons, past and present.
Using the definition of exercise, we’ll know the horse has had enough when
he starts to show "improvement in his work." Now walk the last mile back.

With the young horse or the older, conditioned horse, you’ll be smart to
never get them overheated mentally or physically with too much exercise.

Horses, just as humans, learn best when they are fresh and feel good.
There’s another type of exercise horses need. Every horse should have
some time alone, free, to roam. Turn him out in a paddock or a pasture, or
even a training ring. Be sure he’s got enough room to run, stop, turn,

kick up his heels and get the kinks out.

Once a week or more often, you’ll find the free exercise period will
"improve" a horse’s mind.

If you aren’t going to turn him out, or longe him, or ride him, at least
get him walked every day.

Hand-walking a horse isn’t all that much fun, so hot walkers are dandy. A
young horse should have at least a half-hour on a walker if he gets no
other exercise that day. A mature horse which is being worked four or five
days a week will need at least an hour on a walker.

Now I agree, time doesn’t have a true relationship to a horse and his
present physical condition; I’m just trying to suggest the horse needs to
move a good distance. Time on the walker may not be the best exercise, but
it won’t be too taxing.

I’ll stick with the amount of needed exercise to be that which produces
improvement in an individual horse’s skills.

Push the horse beyond the improvement state, and the horse’s performance
will suffer.

The key to exercise is knowing when enough is enough.