The repetition of an exercise may seem to be a solution when training a horse in Dressage, and that may be true to a degree. However, we must keep in mind, too much of a good thing can be damaging. In Dressage, we as the master in the master/slave partnership of rider and horse, must take the responsibility to know when to quit.
I have witnessed barns of Dressage enthusiasts who are of the belief that pushing horses to perfection is the only way to win and get high scores. Perhaps it is in this particular time in the Dressage International scene of competition. The sad thing is what happens to the horse in this process. After such repetivive stress is inflicted on the horse the only alternative is to deal with the consequences of this type of training with the vet coming three and four times a year, or more, for steroid injections or surgery. This may seem like an acceptable way to treat their equine partners in their eyes and in the world class level of competitors. I see this as borderline horse abuse if not full blown horse abuse.
It is my belief and my humane opinion that this process is nothing more than an obsession and a compulsive behavior that the human counterpart of the duo is guilty of. This is especially true of those who are aware that their horse will never make it to world class competition. Those who do make it must realize that there is a price to pay and of course do their best to minimize any damage inflicted. Mercifully, the perpetrator should muster the honesty to step back and look at themselves in a sober state of mind.
To these folks I can only say…”The harm that you do to the horse is in your hands. The equine partner has no choice but to submit to your obsessive ways and the consequences are those that you must pay for in funds and in guilt.
Frankly, you will be happy to note that, as the horse suffers from repetitive stress injuries, microfractures, from daily drilling on various parts of a dressage test, for example, flying changes or canter piroettes, they can recover from their injuries if you simply realize that you are destroying musculoskeletal tissue by working them daily on the same things. If you understand that horses can repair their own bone and muscle tissue then you will understand that if they are given alternating exercises on alternating days with a variety of work they will be better athletes. The consciencious rider will discover that the horse partner will be much stronger and happier and a better athlete in the long term if days of work are spaced apart with other activities or rest days. Brilliance can be found in this method as the horse will maintain his athletic status rather than become lame.
Obsessive daily drilling on the same skills will destroy the very bones and muscles of the horse dancer that you wish to train to perfection. You will be forced to artificially correct lameness issues with expensive steriod injections and keep the vets coming for visits three and four times a year. This really is a waste of money and is defeating of the purpose of building on your horse’s training. What could happen, instead of reaching Gran Prix is likely early retirement.”
A horses’ bones can repair and rebuild through what veterinary researchers have called ‘remodeling,’ activity within the bone tissue. However, if the constant high loading of the affected bones is continous, then complete fractures of the bone will result and so will permanent damage. Horses can rebuild and not succumb to oblivious abuse, if we regularly allow them a little time to heal and remodel their bone and muscle tissues by riding them in Dressage training(repetitive stress training and high loads) every other day. The alternate day can be ridden in the pasture over cavaletties and low jumps or on a cross country hack.
If a rider is compulsive about training, a more manageable and healthy solution is to keep a barn of two or more horses and train one horse one day and train the other horse on the rest day of the first of the pair. Balance is key here. If a person’s life it completely engrossed in dressage, they should, for the sake of keeping their horse sound, find another interest so as to avoid oblivious and self involved abusive training practices. Balance is important in one’s life. Too much focus on a goal that is bascially only met by a select few is not only unrealistic and hazardous for one’s own mental well being and personal life, but for the horse’s life as well.
Any rider who trains daily on the same Dressage movements or only Dressage could virtually be doing more harm than good and will most likely require a vet to come repair the damage done, artificially rather than naturally had the rider allowed the catabolic stage of training to arrest and allowed the anabolic phase to occur.
Personally, I cannot afford thousands of dollars in vet bills per horse. More importantly, I could not consciously live with myself for inflicting the damage such compulsions impose on horses. Perhaps some people can. It would take a level of insensitivity that is simply defined as; a self absorbed person’s torture of a subserviant animal that is deserving of respect and humane consideration.
Reference:
STRESS FRACTURES IN ATHLETIC HORSES: A CAUSE OF CATASTROPHIC INJURY
Susan M. Stover, DVM, PhD, Dipl ACVS
http://www.veterinaria.uchile.cl/publicacion/congresoxi/prafesional/equinos2/18.doc.
