To design a successful training program for both ourselves and our horses, we must understand the most basic principles of training. I will consider 5 principles that provide insight into how our bodies adapt and respond to exercise. We also must understand how to set goals for ourselves and our horses. I will discuss setting SMART goals.
Principles of Training
Specificity
The principle of specificity says that we must train specifically for that which we wish to improve. This may seem obvious, but sometimes it is so obvious that we overlook it. For example, we may train a horse on a hard packed trail and then be surprised when it is easily fatigued in deep footing. Our training was not specific enough for our performance setting. More to the point, strength training will improve strength, endurance training will improve endurance, and cardiorespiratory training will improve cardiorespiratory fitness. The cardiorespiratory system adapts to exercise the most quickly, while the skeletal system responds the slowest. Therefore, we must be careful about placing too much stress on the bones too quickly. We must slowly allow the horses to build bone density.
Progressive Overload
The principle of progressive overload says that we must gradually increase the amount of stress placed on the body in order to continue seeing adaptations to the exercise. We can increase the amount of stress by increasing the intensity, frequency, or duration of exercise. This means if we can easily walk three miles, we could progress to jogging three miles, walking three miles more times a week, or walking four miles.
Periodization
Periodization is varying the exercise we do throughout the year or month in order to prevent injury and burnout. The body requires rest, so we cannot progressively increase the stress on the body without periods of rest in between. Athletes will naturally experience plateaus, decreases in performance, or in the worst case injury, without periods of rest. Therefore, we cannot continually overload without periods of maintenance and rest.
Reversibility
Although the body adapts to exercise with increases in fitness, the adaptions do not last forever. If we stop training, the adaptations will be lost. Therefore, it is important that we continually maintain our fitness throughout our lives. The loss of adaptations happens in the same order as they were gained. In other words, the cardiorespiratory system is the quickest to adapt to exercise but also experiences detraining the quickest. Loss of cardiorespiratory adaptations begins only 2 weeks after the cessation of training. Decreases in strength and power on the other hand may not occur for 4 to 6 weeks after the cessation of training.
Individualization
Lastly, we must remember that each individual athlete, whether equine or human, is different. Therefore, we cannot expect to see the same progress from each athlete under the same training regimen. When designing a training plan and setting goals, we must tailor them to the individual.
These principles will help guide us in designing our training plans and setting our goals. Goals help keep us on track and hold us accountable. It is important to set both longterm and short-term goals. When setting goals, it is helpful to use the acronym, SMART. Goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
SMART Goals
Specific
The first task in setting a goal is identifying what, where, and how. The more specific the goal is, the easier it is to design a plan to meet that goal. Explicitly define the goal.Measurable
In order to track progress towards a goal, it must be measurable. If it's not measurable, there is no way to determine if the goal was met.Attainable
The best goals provide a challenge but are within reach. It is easier to stay motivated when we see it is actually possible to achieve the goal. Once a goal is achieved, we can set another goal to keep us always moving in the direction we want to go.Relevant
Goals are more likely to be attained, if we actually want to achieve them and they are highly valuable. Why set a goal if it is not important to you? Choose goals that you truly want to complete.Time-bound
We must always set a deadline. Without a deadline, there is no motivation to complete a goal in any reasonable amount of time.Below is an example of a smart goal to help guide you in setting your own goals. Let us consider an example horse. Buddy is 10 years old with quite a bit of training. He has been used in previous years for trail rides of a moderate intensity lasting about 4 hours. He has recently had a few months off and is now ready to get back to work. While he is not fit, he is sound and a healthy weight.
Note that this table is just the goal. In order to achieve the goal, the rider must also create and adhere to a training plan. Buddy will need to begin at a much lower intensity and on much shorter rides before he is ready for the longer rides of moderate intensity. I hope these simple guidelines provide the basics that will help you create a training plan for both you and your horse.
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