What is ridden water submersion training (RWST)?

RWST is a ridden form of condition training that involves submerging the horse up to sternum height in water (at the beach or in an artificial lake) and trotting them for set intervals. While there has been no previous research on this form of training until now, the anecdotal basis behind RWST is to increase the horse’s fitness while minimising the risk of injury to the lower limbs, which is especially relevant to disciplines that have high rates of tendon injuries.