Maintaining Muscle Health Over The Winter Months?

When you exercise in the colder weathers, your horse’s muscles require more energy at a faster rate in order for them to function .

The colder temperature effects the temperature of your horse’s muscles which affects the muscles’ ability to contract. 

This can leave muscles more vulnerable to fatigue and strains, as cold muscles are less elastic and don’t absorb shock or impact as well as warm muscles.  Cold muscles are also less responsive to signals from the nervous system so movements are less coordinated.

How Can I Help Manage My Horse’s Muscles During Cold Weather?

Training in the cold cannot always be avoided, especially when preparing for a sunny show season just around the corner!  But providing your horse an adequate warmup can help you achieve optimal muscle contraction while you wait for warmer weather to arrive.

In addition to taking adequate time to start your workout with ample walking and suppleness exercises, you can curry comb your horse as you would when your trying to remove a shedding coat to encourage blood flow. Alternatively you can use effleurage motions with your hands to warm up the muscles before and after exercise!

Don't forget your horses lose condition over the winter months which means they have a lowered nutrition in their diets, a proper feeding plan with adequate amounts of good quality proteins and nutrients will help to maintain muscle tone and condition and help to keep them healthy and supple.

A massage every 4 weeks is advised over the winter months to heal any extra tightness the horse has from tension in the wintery weathers.