THERE are numerous benefits to starting the hunting season with a fit horse and rider. Making sure both horse and rider are fit will help to reduce the risk of injury and will allow for more enjoyable hunting.

A lot of riders will consider their horse’s fitness from the end of the summer onwards, however, they are less likely to put the same care and attention into making sure they are fit enough.

Every horse and rider is an individual and there are a variety of factors to take into account when preparing a fitness plan.

Horse fitness

Every horse is different when it comes to fitness. Some will always carry a little extra weight and take a lot of work to keep fit and others will naturally maintain a higher level of fitness.

The first thing to think about is how fit your horse is to start with. Have they been out in the field all summer and not worked since the previous season? Or have they been kept in light work over summer?

Other factors which are worth considering include:

As mentioned before, some horses will naturally maintain a higher level of fitness and therefore take less time to get fit. However, this comes with its own risk – be careful not to rush their fitness as this may result in injury.

If your horse is coming back into work after injury you will most likely need to give them more time than you normally would in other to let them get back to full strength gradually.

A general fitness plan for a hunter will take between eight and 12 weeks, depending on the above factors. The first three to five weeks should consist of road work. Generally speaking this will mostly be walking, starting for approximately 20 minutes and increasingly up to an hour. As your horse gets fitter you can include some hill work.

The road work should progress, increasing the intensity and time as your horse gets fitter. It should include trotting and hill work. By week five or six some canter work in the arena or field, depending on the ground, can be introduced.

Around week seven or eight you should be able to include more canter work and introduce some jumping. Try to avoid doing all of your canter work on artificial surfaces – it is important for hunters to be comfortable on different terrain and ground conditions.

Interval training can be used throughout your fitness plan. Interval training is doing periods of work interspersed with periods of rest. As the periods of work increase, the periods of rest decrease. Interval training can be done with trot work and canter work.

If at any stage in your fitness plan you feel your horse is struggling and not reaching the level of fitness, you should take back a step.

Particularly in the early stages of getting your horse fit it is important to take things slowly and give your horse time to build condition and fitness.

Before the season starts make sure:

Your horse’s vaccinations are up to date (horses require a few days off after receiving vaccinations so give yourself plenty of time to get them done).

Does your horse need to be shod? Be sure to include pins if your horse is getting a new set of shoes, as these will help to give them a little extra grip, especially on the road.

You should get your horse seen by an equine dentist at least once if not twice a year, and it’s best to get this done before the season starts.

Rider fitness

Rider fitness is not something which should be overlooked. There are a number of issues which can occur because a rider is unfit. Firstly, and most importantly, there is an increased risk of the rider losing concentration and risking having a bad fall because they are unfit and tired.

Also, if a rider if is unfit and not used to riding, they are more likely to be out of balance which also increases the chances of them falling off.

A large proportion of rider fitness can be achieved through getting their horse fit – it will go hand in hand that as you ride your horse to get them fitter you will also improve your own fitness. If possible try to ride more than one horse, even if it’s only for one or two days a week. This is great for fitness and it is always very healthy to ride other horses so you don’t get stuck in bad habits with your own horse.

If you feel riding alone is not getting the level of fitness you would like then some gym work can be used to boost your fitness. The best option is to ask a professional fitness instructor for some tips and tell them what you would like so they can point you in the right direction.

Before the season starts:

Make sure you hat is of the correct standard and is fit for purpose. If you had a bad fall then it is highly recommended that you change you hat.

If you wear a back protector out hunting check it is of the correct standard and fit for purpose.

Check over all of your equipment and tack and replace or fix anything that requires it.