Finding Alternatives for the Conditioning Goal - Many riders worry that their lack of access to hills means their horses will miss important conditioning benefits. But before charging up hills, or fretting about their absence, riders should first consider the specific gains they were hoping to make. A horse recovering from injury, for instance, will use and benefit from hills differently than a moderately fit horse aiming to improve stamina or performance. After specific goals are identified, relevant substitutions can be explored. Whether you need hills depends on what you hope to achieve.

Your horse's three primary gaits-walk, trot, and canter-each provide distinct advantages for conditioning aimed at enhancing performance. When utilized effectively, these gaits can achieve outcomes that might otherwise be overlooked. Ideally, training sessions should incorporate equal time spent in each of the three primary gaits to promote both flexibility and strength. However, specific conditioning phases may require an emphasis on one gait over the others. This article will explore how each gait benefits the equine athlete, particularly in relation to back usage, and will highlight the role of cavalletti routines in training.

Working Equitation Canada (WECan) has selected four riders and one alternate for Canada’s first team to compete at a working equitation world championship.

Selecting athletes for any team is hard. Selecting athletes for the first Canadian team that a fledgling organization has ever sent to a World Championships is doubly difficult. However, using subjective selection criteria which results in the highest ranked rider being left off the team pretty much guarantees that sport enthusiasts will question the selection process, the organization, and whether they want to be involved in future.