Why is a variety of surfaces important for soundness?

The surfaces a horse trains and competes on has a big impact on his ability to perform at his best and avoid injury. 

When choosing which type of surface to train your horse on, the basic premise is that it should be the one that will best prepare him for his job. So an eventer may be trained on a different surface to a dressage horse. But there are benefits for horses of all disciplines to be trained on a variety of surfaces.

Varying surfaces offer different types of tissue conditioning to the horse’s skeleton, ligaments, tendons and muscles. The body adapts to the “stress” by increasing density, strength, joint mobility and improved proprioception. We recommend using a joint supplement such as 4Cyte Epiitalis Forte which will assist in reducing any inflammation within the joint as well as ensuring healthy cartilage production.

Below we discuss the benefits of different surfaces:

·       Firmer Surfaces such as road work

o   Firmer surfaces that provide more concussion through the horse’s hoof adds value by stimulating bone density, thickening of the cortical bone(outer layer of the bone), additional strength and durability to the limb bones in particular, as well as stimulating hoof tissue growth

·       Softer Surfaces such as Sand arenas or soft grass

o   Surfaces that are more forgiving enable a greater range of motion through the limb joints and demand greater muscular exertion from the horse. These surfaces help prepare the ligaments, tendons and joints for greater flexibility and repetitive loading and strain.

·       Uneven ground

o   Uneven or undulating surfaces are great for training ‘proprioception’. This term refers to the involuntary awareness of the horse’s body in space and his footing relative to the ground. These automatic adjustments will help him be more balanced and ‘surefooted’ when travelling over rougher terrain. Eventers and Hunters benefit from training on uneven surfaces. Care should be taken to avoid tripping. Introduce slowly at the slower gaits and avoid muddy or slippery terrain

·       Deep surfaces

o   Excessively deep surfaces should be avoided. The repetitive strain of joints and ligaments over time can increase the risk of tendon / ligament injury. Depending on the discipline, a general rule of thumb is the horse’s hoof should never sink hoof deep into the sand and should ideally leave only inch deep foot prints. Cutters and Reiners may need slightly deeper footing than Dressage horses and jumpers/eventers.

 Avoiding injury:

Conditioning your horse to cope with the demands of performance should be taken gradually. It takes around 6 weeks for your horse to adapt to the stressors of new activities or surfaces. Physical adaption occurs from progressive overload, so increase the frequency or intensity slowly and ensure you include easy periods within that training block to allow the horse to recover. It’s during these recovery periods that the horse will make his gains. Over training can lead to injury or a sour horse. Training should still be fun, even when its hard!