Notes on equitation and horse training/Question 8
VIII.
Outdoor work.—Conditioning is not a chapter apart in the education of the young horse; conditioning and training run together and the horse acquires at the same time habits of work and of obedience. It would be a mistake to think that the conditioning of a horse requires the jockey seat on a sanded track. Riding-hall work and outdoor exercise are generally sufficient.
When to begin.—Outside work should be begun as early as possible. It is an advantage to take the horses out as soon as they know how to go straight ahead and to turn to the right and left. Outdoor rides, intelligently conducted, "put horses into the bridle" [1] and improve the carriage.
Moreover, this is a good way to quiet the animals as troopers are less exacting on the road than on the riding-hall track.
Combination of riding hall and outside work.—This outside work must be combined with the lessons in the hall. There is no necessity of feeling compelled to follow blindly a set schedule such as to work on the road for six weeks and then stay inside for several months. On the contrary, it is of distinct advantage to alternate the two and to have at least two outdoor rides each week. However, the officer in charge of training must base his
decision as to schedule upon the deportment, conformation, and general condition of his horses. Horses in poor condition, those that fret and that throw too much weight upon the hind quarters should be taken out frequently. Clumsy horses and those that throw the weight on the forehand should receive most of their work in the hall.
Choice of ground.—If possible, soft ground should be selected. On hard ground the fetlock joints become fatigued and the lower legs are liable to injury; the horse develops windpuffs and splints. But it would be wrong to work over heavy ground; the hocks would suffer and eventually spavins would appear.
When training has been completed, good results may be obtained by riding a horse with loose reins over bad roads. This forces the horse to take the initiative and as he is allowed complete freedom of the head, he easily gets out of difficulties even on very bad ground.
Gaits.—In outdoor rides there should be alternation of the walk and trot, gradually increasing at each outing the amount of time devoted to the trot. Toward the end of the period of training the distances at a trot should be lengthened; but there should always be intervals of at least ten minutes at a walk to allow the horse to resume his normal breathing.
The gallop should not be used in outdoor work except upon very good ground. If you have available only bad or fair footing, do not gallop. By rigidly enforcing a schedule, regardless of conditions, the result will inevitably be injury to the animals. In any case, galloping should not begin outside until the rider is sure of his ability to make his horse lead off freely with either foot. He can then work his mount equally on both sides and can avoid those struggles that put a horse in the air during the whole ride.
Sweats.—A horse should not be sweated at the beginning of training, at least not until his disposition has been
studied. As a rule any excess of fat disappears with ordinary work.
When giving a sweat, a suitable day and hour should be selected; the horse should be well covered, wrapping especially the parts where there is most fat; work the horse a little at a walk and then gallop him steadily until he is in profuse perspiration; do not hurry about scraping, but let the sweat have plenty of time to exude; uncover the horse little by little and scrape slowly, bearing well on the edge of the scraper to force out the sweat; reblanket the horse and lead him around at a walk for a few minutes; uncover and scrape again; finally walk the horse until he is perfectly dry before returning him to the stable.
There should always be an interval of about five days between sweats and ordinarily three or four will be sufficient. Be careful that the horse does not drink to excess at the next watering.
The first sweat is hard to bring; the third and fourth time it comes more easily.
Purges.—In addition to sweating, it is sometimes of advantage to administer purgatives to reduce the intestines of horses with too much belly.
Before purging, a horse should be put on diet and mashes for forty-eight hours. Either aloes or sulphate of soda may be used as a purgative. Aloes acts directly upon the large intestines and for this reason it is used by preference for taking off belly. It is administered as a ball in doses of 30 to 50 grams (7¾ to 12¾ drams).[2]
Sulphate of soda (Glauber or horse salts) is given dissolved in the drinking water and has the great advantage
of never irritating the intestines. It must be given in large doses, 300 grams at least (9½ ounces).
Condition of the legs.—Overexertion of the legs manifests itself in splints, wind puffs, spavins, and in the swelling and stiffening of the fetlock joints.
In case of swelling of the fetlocks and wind puffs, avoid work on hard ground, and cut down the work; use douches and hand rubbing and apply flannel bandages.
For splints, use red ointment (mercuric ointment—a blister) as soon as the injury appears.
For bog spavins stop work in the hall and all collected work at the gallop; exercise quietly on the road and use douches.
Appetite and condition of the horse.—A young horse must be given substantial nourishment in order to readily resist the first fatigues of training and also because he is still growing at the age when his education is undertaken. More or less hay, according to the animal's condition, and always plenty of oats. From time to time, every eight or ten days, a handful of sulphate of soda can be given in the drinking water or in a mash to counteract the heating effect produced by oats.
If horses are too fat, cut down the hay and also the water. If the horses are in poor condition, give linseed mashes and put dry bran in the oats; try beans and carrots; in a word—variety. Frequently a horse refuses to eat because he has been put on full oats too suddenly; in this case, cut down the ration or even place the animal on diet for a time.
Results.—In conclusion, if outdoor work has been alternated with riding-hall work in proper ratio, the young horse, at the end of training, has lost any surplus fat; has acquired muscle; his joints and tendons have been strengthened and his wind developed. In short, after a length of time which varies with age, breeding, and disposition, the horse is in condition to undergo without injury the hardships of the service for which he is destined.
- ↑ To put a young horse into his bridle is to make him take hold of his bit and bear on it properly whenever he moves forward under the impulse of both legs. He thus, as previously stated, produces a proper tension on the reins. If a horse fails to bear on the bit and to tighten the reins when the legs urge him forward he is said to be "behind the bit.-The Board.
- ↑ a In our service a ball is usually made of aloes, 6 to 8 drams-with ginger, 1 dram; or the issue "purgative capsule" is used. Glauber salts is an excellent laxative but is not on our supply table. The use of physics to reduce fat has been abandoned in this country on account of the accompanying weakening effects, but dieting is always enforced.-The Board.