Exercise Training Plan for the Recovering Laminitic Horse

When your horse foundered and is recovering you’ve probably got advice from your vet: exercise your horse more, get him fit and put him on a (restrictive) diet. When you’re a clicker trainer you might not want to lunge or round pen your horse and riding isn’t yet an option. Or, you have a non ridden horse, that you need to get in shape. The first step is to create a tailored exercise plan for your horse! Here’s how to do start.

Exercise Plan for Your Horse

Your horse needs a tailored plan. That’s why all the other training plans will fail you. Start asking yourself what your goal is and what your horse can do. If he’s recovering from a laminitis attack or is overweight, you have to ease him into an Exercise plan.

Start where your horse is at

Don’t be afraid to start were your horse is at. Even 5 minutes a day can have an impact, if your horse is at zero minutes a day and you’re consistent!

Consistency is key in exercising an overweight horse. Five minutes of hand walking your horse 7 days a week, for two months has more impact (and is safer!) than starting with 4 times 45 minutes and then dropping the ball after week 1.

I’ve had amazing results with my 5-minute, 5-day (walking) movement challenges and my 10-minute/day for 10 days.

Once you’re consistent you’ll discover amazing things: you do have time! Your horse loves it. The more you do this, the easier it gets! And so on. What you’ll discover is hard to say, but 5 days/5 minutes or the 10 days/10 minute Movement Challenge will shift things, for sure! You can start and try it out!

Use Positive Reinforcement (R+) to Motivate your Horse

A lot of overweight horses are reluctant to exercise. Is that your horse, too? Does he walk slowly or is he stopping on his way to the arena? Is he arena sour?

With positive reinforcement (clicker) training you’ll give your horse something valuable in return for his efforts! This will make him engaged! There is a Win for him, too!

In clicker training we don’t keep offering as much food rewards as we offer in the beginning. Purpose is to fade out the clicks and treats, once a behaviour (eg forward movement/walk) is consistently offered and on cue. Don’t let the amount of “treats” holding you back from using R+.

Set a CLEAR Training Goal for your Horse

Step 1 to create a tailored exercise plan for your horse is to start with a clear and measurable goal!

Most people (and you might recognize yourself in this) set goals that are either too broad, too vague or are too perfect.

Failure: Goal is too vague

• “I want my horse to be healthy”
• “I want my horse to be feeling better”
• “I want my horse to be happy”

How can you measure this? What are health indicators? If you want your horse to “feel better”, what does that mean? How is he feeling now? How can you be sure about his feelings?

If he’s lethargic and reluctant to move, of course you want him to feel better and be more energetic, but if you don’t have a proper way to measure your baseline and your goal, you have no way to measure your progress.

When you can not measure your progress, you have no idea of what you’re doing is working. Changes are that you’ll fall of the band wagon soon. Making no progress at all is a recipe for quitting.

Success: ‘Measuring is Knowing’

Can you measure your starting point, your goal and your progress in between?

You can weigh your horse if you want him to lose weight, use a measuring tape or -even less exact- make clear before and after photos.

If you want your horse to be fitter, you can use a stopwatch to measure how long he can walk or trot without stopping. You can time your exercise sessions: starting with 5 minutes of walk, then 6, then 7 and so on. This way you’ll know for sure you’re increasing his stamina!

Pick Your Exercise

How are you going to make your horse fitter or help him lose weight? What kind of exercise are you going to use? Pick something that is feasible and you like doing. Pick something that you can see easy progress. [Read Exercising Overweight Non Ridden Horses: 7 Excellent Exercises for ideas].

Don’t make it too hard for your horse, or he’ll become reluctant and you might have to start using coercion to keep him going! This blog is all about accomplishing your goals with positive reinforcement.

Know that circles are very hard on the body and lines and the HippoLogic Rectangle are easier and more fun for your horse.

Tailor your exercise Training Plan to your Horse

Most internet training plans fail because their are not tailored to your horse. When your horse is recovering from laminitis you might not even want to ride. Then starting with 10 minutes of walk and trotting for 1 minute in week 2, won’t get you to your goal. This is not tailored to your horse, your situation.

Focus on what you can do

Find exercises that you can do. When you don’t have an arena to start walking your horse, go on the road. When your horse doesn’t want to leave the barn, take a friend with you. Focus on solutions and the more you’ll do that, the more solutions you’ll see!

Tailor your Plan to your Horse

Your plan will be successful when you tailor your Exercise Plan to your horse, your environment and your schedule! You’ll stay motivated when you have ways to measure your progress.

Eager to get started?

Create your own Exercise Training Plan with HippoLogic

Are you ready to create a tailored Exercise Training Plan for your Horse? I got you covered. My 45-minute Masterclass comes with a workbook that you can fill in. I guide you a step-by-step though the process of creating a tailored training plan for your horse.

Set your goal based on the 30 points covered in the workbook, to make sure your goal will be super clear, that it’s is measurable and feasible for your horse and a proven 3-step framework to set you up for success!

Free for HippoLogic Academy members!

Click the image ⬆️ to learn more and get the Masterclass and Workbook, so you can make your own training plan.

You might be interested in these blogs

• 3 Steps to Successfully build an Exercise routine for your Overweight Horse or Whoa-Horse
• Treats in training for Overweight Horses?

Happy Horse training! You are the trainer!

Sandra Poppema, HippoLogic

Lack of Time to Train your Horse…

Many people struggle with having enough time to exercise their horses. I’have a Facebook support group for Overweight Horses and many people told me that time is their biggest struggle. Also in my other FB group (HippoLogic Clicker Training Horses) people struggle with a lack of time. It’s a common struggle for people and the struggle is real!

Step 1: What is the real problem?

As a clicker coach I notice that everyone has the same amount of time (24 hours in a day), yet some people feel they have never enough.

Therefor I don’t ‘time’ is the real problem: everyone has it, but it’s how we prioritize our tasks Or do we have enough clarity about what we can do in a certain amount of time? When we have clarity about the steps we need to take, we often also have a better idea of time.

Are you dedicating much of your time to other people’s priorities (e.g. doing chores at the barn and doing them better than anyone else)?

Sometimes horse people use ‘time’ when they are at a dead point (plateau) in their training… When you’re stuck and don’t get the results you want, your brain can take over and steer you in another direction: “This (other thing) is really important!” , so you won’t be confronted with the issue of feeling like a failure (your brain hates that and is trying to avoid that at all costs. So instead of solving the problem, your brains solves it by redirecting your attention).

Have you ever come home from the barn, only to realize that you’ve been chatting the whole time or doing chores instead of the reason you came to the barn (enjoying and interacting with your horse)?

When you are stuck about getting more forward movement or better quality movement (your horse needs to carry himself more) and you don’t know ‘how’ to do this with positive reinforcement, it can happen that you get distracted.

I struggled many years with consistently scheduling to exercise Kyra. I didn’t really know how to turn her into a willing Go-Horse. Until… she got laminitis and was diagnosed with EMS (Equine Metabolic Syndrome). Suddenly I had 3 hours a day and 7 days a week to take care of her (my priorities shifted 180º: from “I have to do something, but I don’t know how….” to : “I HAVE to get her in shape and get her healthy again! I need to take action. NOW!”)

Another reason that can feel like a lack of time is a lack of motivation. When you would have an accountability partner, a friend who helps you exercise your horse it would be way easier, wouldn’t it? Having someone to share your struggles and wins with and discuss your approach is so incredible motivating! If this is what you need, come talk to me.

Fear is another reason that often holds equestrians back from their dreams. When I was a horseback riding instructor and worked with fearful riders, I heard all the excuses in the book why they hadn’t ridden their horse. A lot of them used ‘the lack of time’ excuse. Once they overcame their fear of being in the saddle, those excuses simply evaporated. Time wasn’t really the issue, as it is often not the real reason. It’s often a deeper lying reason…

Step 2: Be honest

What is really holding you back from exercising your horse?

If it’s really is time, maybe it’s time to consider another person for your horse… Unless your horse and your wallet don’t suffer from you not enjoying your horse to the fullest?
If time would be the real reason it’s would be the easiest to solve: Simply hire a trainer or find a leaser to help you exercise your horse.

If you have a hard time doing that ask yourself:
What’s your struggle really about?

Is it:

• Time
• Prioritizing important tasks (I can imagine that Health for your horse,is pretty high on your list)
• Support or lack of motivation (exercising your horse feels hard and an ‘endless task’ rather than something you can both enjoy and look forward to)
• Knowledge (you can benefit from a step-by-step shaping plan how to go about teaching your horse to offer movement with R+ or you could use a clear schedule or training plan to get to your exercise goals for your horse)
• Not having as much fun (you dread going to the barn because the path to get your horse in shape or recover from laminitis is taking all energy out of you. You’re stressed about it and it’s hard to turn it into a fun endeavor)
• Fear (from fear for your horse to the fear of ‘messing your horse up with (positive) reinforcement training/treats, doing it wrong, fear of failing in the end/not reaching your the health goals for your horse and so on. Very common and not many people talk about this!)

Just some things to ponder about… When you find the underlying reason the good news is: you can do something about it! Imagine your horse being in perfect health and shape….

Step 3

Find support to overcome the thing that you’re really struggling with!
Participating in an online course with a coaching part, finding a clicker (exercise) challenge, a coach or friend who can help you. It all helps! You can also join my Facebook groups: Clicker Training or R+ Exercising Overweight/Laminitis horses

5 Tips that can help you

1. Find a friend that has a similar or the same goal with her horse. Support each other
2. Find someone online and set dates for the next 4 weeks exercising or clicker training your horse
3. Make your own schedule for the next 4 weeks and check off each day on your calendar that you did it! Cleebrate with a friend at the end of 4 weeks. Rinse and repeat
4. Find a coach to help you take your training to the next level
5. Join the HippoLogic Clicker Training Academy

Compassionate horse owner

Are you a compassionate horse owner who wants to build a strong friendship with your horse? Would you like to understand your horse better and help your horse to understand YOU better? Get access to high quality online training and a fabulous, supportive R+ community in our HippoLogic Clicker Training Academy. Check out the link!

Ready to take your Clicker Training to the next level?

Join the HippoLogic Academy! I coach and support you personally getting your dream results with positive reinforcement, so that you can bond with your horse in the process. Create a connection build on mutual trust and understanding, a clear two-way communication built on love.

In 2024 the focus besides giving you a solid foundation is R+ Movement Training: Exercise your horse with positive reinforcement and transform your WHOA-horse into a GO-horse or get your Fat Horse Fit in a Few Months. Like all good things, learning a skill takes time. Therefore you’ll get one year personal support in the HippoLogic Academy.
Click the image to go access the application form ↓

Not sure? Start with a free clicker training assessment to get taste of what it feels like to work with me. When you have a specific struggle that you want to overcome, don’t hesitate to contact me.

In this assessment you’ll discover what’s holding you back from accomplishing the things you want with your horse. After our conversation you’ll know exactly what to do, in order to move forward towards your goals.

Book here

Happy Horse training!
Sandra Poppema, B.Sc., founder of HippoLogic & HippoLogic Clicker Training Academy

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