[RC] Training techniques for both human and animal - KimFue
"As a former distance runner, then competitive cyclist, I have been wondering if I am making a mistake in applying training techniques that work with human athletes to the physical conditioning of a horse. Am I understanding correctly that the same training strategies are appropriate for the two different species?"
Nancy Sturm
This could actually be the start of an interesting thread. Although I am sure that training theory could and does definitely cross over, I am wondering how those of you that train animals (horses or dogs) in competitive sports such as endurance riding, herding, agility, etc. make training/conditioning decisions as one approaches that animal's highest threshold. In other words, how does one come close to training to the peak without going over the top and blowing the animal out and over training/over riding.
When dealing with humans obviously we are able to express exactly how we are feeling, what part of the body is tweaked or possibly hurting, and probably have a better idea of when to back off and when to push. With animals there seems to always be a little more guess work as to why or how an animal is feeling. Is the animal slowing down because he is bored with the training conditions or is he slowing down because of the start of subtle abnormality? Is a higher resting HR an indication that the animal is overtrained or is it an indication of a mild illness or perhaps it is a reaction to something he ate? Although we use HR monitors on our horses they are not always the best indicator for what is going on overall in a horse. In cycling and other human sports there are tools that measure the wattage or the amount of power generated and that can be used to indicate the amount of effort exerted on a training course. Is something like that available for horses? I think it would be a great tool in conjunction with a HR monitor.
Are the higher levels of training animals in competitive sports an art or a feel? It seems to me as we approach that threshold where the gap between peak performance and overtraining narrows that the trainer's intuition or feel comes more into play. It doesn't seem to be "science" at that point. I think in endurance riding/racing, many choose to err on the side of caution because of the tragic results that can occur from "trainer/rider" error. I don't mean just the horrific metabolic breakdowns we see once in while at ride but the training or conditioning choices we make that lead to mechanical failure like suspensory/tendon injuries.
I know that when I am training myself for an event I have a much clearer picture of what is happening as I train toward that high performance threshold. With my horses, the picture is just not as clear as I approach the upper limits of conditioning/training/racing. I just don't have the same confidence with the horses as I do with my own training and therefore feel that even with all the proper basework and conditioning that I am never taking my horses to their highest level of performance (whatever that may be) because of that gray area and not wanting to cross that line. Perhaps my gray area is wider then those that are more successful in this area of equine performance and that is what separates the winners (in however you choose to win in this sport) from the rest.
