Because of the popularity of the sport here in Oklahoma, you can find a barrel race to
\nattend nearly every weekend and many weekdays as well\u2014all year long. However, keeping a
\nhorse in competition all year long isn\u2019t the best idea.
\nI decided early on that the winter months would be a good time to give my horses (and myself) a
\nbreak. Cold weather isn\u2019t my favorite anyway, so it seemed the most logical time of year to do it.
\nI\u2019ve also learned that there are many benefits to giving your horse a break, whether it be in
\nwinter or any other time of year.<\/p>\n
Why Breaks Are Beneficial<\/strong> How Long Should My Horse\u2019s Break Be?<\/strong> When a Long Break isn\u2019t Recommended<\/strong> Because of the popularity of the sport here in Oklahoma, you can find a barrel race to attend nearly every weekend and many weekdays as well\u2014all year long. However, keeping a horse in competition all year long isn\u2019t the best idea. I decided early on that the winter months would be a good time to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":38323,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-riding"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nHorses aren\u2019t machines that can continually keep going, even with the occasional \u201ctune-up\u201d.
\nLike us, they need rest both short term and long term. While short-term rest means allowing
\nthem to recover from intense exercise for a day or two or give them training breaks throughout
\nthe week, long-term breaks allow horses to heal and recover from both the mental and physical
\nstress of competition.<\/p>\n
\nTwo to three months is best for most horses. No matter what discipline they participate in, all
\nhorses will experience wear and tear, so time off is needed to allow the body to heal itself.
\nYounger horses are most in need of these breaks and may even benefit from more than one big
\nbreak per year. Breaks like these will allow their growth plates to develop appropriately and give
\nthem time to reach musculoskeletal maturity. Time off is also important to ease the constant
\nmental pressure of training. Think of it like school: kids get the summer off to rest and
\nrecuperate and young horses should be no different!<\/p>\n
\nBelieve it or not, older horses may not need the same type of extended break that younger
\nhorses do. Though, yes, they have wear and tear, they also likely have osteoarthritis
\nwhich can be benefitted by regular, low-intensity exercise. So even if you take a break from
\ncompetition, light exercise regularly may be better for your older horse than
\ngiving them several months off with no exercise at all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"