Talking About Horses with Jec Ballou (Episode #57)
Feb 17, 2025Summary
In episode #57 of Talking About Horses, Patrick King and Jec Ballou delve into the intricacies of equine fitness and conditioning. They discuss the importance of customized fitness plans for horses, evaluating movement through video analysis, and understanding horse physiology to enhance training effectiveness. The conversation emphasizes identifying imbalances and asymmetries in horses, training techniques for dressage and working equitation, and the significance of frequency, intensity, and duration in a comprehensive training schedule. Jec shares insights on how to build confidence in horses and the necessity of varying training to achieve optimal results. In this conversation, Jec and Patrick discuss the importance of variety in training sessions for horses, emphasizing the need for different durations and intensities to prevent plateauing and enhance fitness. They explore the significance of proprioception and how it can be affected by repetitive training. The discussion also covers the benefits of incorporating high-intensity workouts, the cumulative nature of fitness gains, and the value of utilizing natural obstacles for training. Additionally, they address how to tailor workouts for individual horses, monitor the fitness of senior horses, and the advantages of track systems for promoting movement.
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