Getting up to fitness..question though!

[beating_hooves]

Well at the moment, Cherry is working 6 days a week to try and get her slimmed and fittened up for her first ever ODE on the 7th July.

The weird thing is, is that she is as fit as ever in trot and can go for quite a long while. But, as soon as I pop her into canter she is audibly breathing after a few strides which has me like.. and then if I let her walk she recovers fairly quickly.

Anything up with her? Is it just her weight that causes her to be uncomfortable in canter?

 

[beating_hooves]

Wow great feedback

 

[coss]

it could be that she is breathing harder simply to take more air in... when i gallop dawn she takes huge deep breaths and i think how unfit she is but it still takes me ages to stop her... doesn't matter how much of the field i gallop along she will breathe harder early on - maybe its like a preparation for it?
the fact that the recovery rate is fast i wouldn't be too worried but it always comes down to individual horses.

 

[Cupcake]

Perhaps she needs more short bursts in the canter so her body can adjust to it.

 

[WooHoo2]

I think there are different levels of fitness.

There is strength and control, and yes she may be able to jump high/wide etc but she may be lacking in stamina, a completely different kind of fitness.

She probably is taking in greater amounts of oxygen in canter, and is obviously quite fit, as she recovers quickly ~ but you can help by gradually building up her stamina, say for trotting for 30 mins non stop (not straight away!), and then say cantering for up to 5 mins.

Good luck.

 

[beating_hooves]

Thanks everyone