Fitness

Just to update you on the Equine Breathers and Sam.

I have ridden Sam throughout the summer and have not had any double breathing from him and his recovery from canter work is a lot quicker now; 5/6 minutes instead of 30mins. Now getting into training for winter time with view to getting back into endurance rides in the spring 2012.
Last weekend we had a naughty but nice experience of Sam bolting off across the New Forest for half a mile in canter …..Not even a heavy breathe, no sweating - unbelievable.

Pauline and Lin started doing 1N 3 months ago with their 10 year old Connemara x TB, Sam. Three years ago Sam was diagnosed with allergic airway disease following a viral infection. Despite treatment and careful management Sam continued to have breathing difficulties (double respiratory movement and heaves) that were at times distressing and even life threatening.

“Completing endurance set speed ride in June and no ill effects and then training days attended are things we would not have even contemplated this time last year. Great isn’t it!   Mates at the yard can’t believe how well he has improved both physically and mentally over the past 3 months. We are now accompanying others out on forest rides and hacking regularly, which we would not have done before due to Sam’s breathing difficulties. Its difficult to believe that what you can see is happening and how quickly progress was made even though Sam has had a few set backs due to outside interventions ie annual jabs, picked up virus from field. He is still continuing to improve and this winter will tell us more.

Although Miss Galena was in very good shape, there were still some problems that we never could solve. Because of her stomach and gut problems , she was a bad eater. Furthermore she was a medium wind sucker , always reacted very irritated when groomed or saddled and had a permanent nose rash . Miss Galena has a heavy working schedule so we decided to implement it on a very extensive basis, monitoring her carefully and keeping her under close supervision of my vet.  Within a couple of weeks we already saw some noticeable improvements: Her fitness improved and she seemed happier and was more attentive at what was going on. Her recuperation time after a heavy training was faster and also her heart rate went down more rapidly after a cross country. In Holland the horses heart rates are checked before and within 10 minutes after a cross country, so I was able to document this improvement: before I started the breathing programme, she had a heart rate of 72 to 75 beats per minute, 10 minutes after finishing a cross country. Now she had around 60. Furthermore her nose rash vanished, she reacted less irritated when groomed and saddled and even her wind sucking seemed less.   After about 3 months the most astonishing result started showing itself: her eating improved. Miss Galena always had trouble digesting the high quality food that is ideal for a high performance. Now slowly she started to eat more and more and she also reacted impatiently and hungrily during feeding time. I can fully conform that even a strong and healthy horse can benefit from equine breathing.

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Karen's horse Amazon consistently coughed when being ridden , but not when being lunged either before or after riding. Following use of 1N before riding Amazon became cough free and gave lovely soft, relaxed work. When Karen tried not doing 1N, Amazon coughed for the whole ride and her work was strained.

"I have been back from holiday now for three weeks and after an initial couple of sessions where her cough was still present (nowhere near as bad as it originally was!) I rode her today and the cough has all but gone!! I have done the 1N technique prior to every ridden session (5 minutes on each nostril) and it really seems to be doing the trick.  I would also endorse a couple of points you made in this month’s ezine: - definitely do the “Perfect Manners” exercises or similar as I am sure this has helped her to trust me and although she was a bit wary to start she is now almost asleep within a matter of seconds when I do the 1N on her!! I am only able to ride 3 or 4 times a week so its not like I’m doing it with her every day to get this benefit. - she has most definitely improved in her fitness over the past few weeks!! She is rather tubby from all the rich grass coming through but her fitness just keeps on improving! Our lessons are improving all the time with our instructor saying that each lesson is the best she has ever seen us work! My next stage is to do the 1N at my first dressage comp for quite a few months (ie this weekend!) I have always been rather frustrated that she can give me such great work at home then goes daft when she is out. I do now exercise her at home before we go out which helps but I am hoping that this will be the icing on the cake and will help us to be more successful this season! Thanks for your advice (and even more thanks from Amazon!) I think we’re both a lot happier and healthier from using this technique!!"

I'm sure you've already considered the potential for performance horses, but although I've never been remotely competitive, I've noticed a big reduction in her recovery times after hard work. I should imagine that it would work wonders for endurance rider's mounts, or the vetting gate after a cross-country phase in eventing. I always considered Sadie to be very fit - especially for her age, but now she seems super-fit!

Re Miss Galena, an international event horse

Within a couple of weeks we already saw some noticeable improvements: She seemed fitter and happier and was more attentive at what was going on. Her recuperation time after a heavy training was faster and also her heart rate went down more rapidly after a cross country

Three really great advantages are: no medicines are involved, so no side effects and no toxic residues that need to be expelled, it is cheap for it only needs discipline and it is pleasant for the horse: they doze off while being in the breather.