Kizzy_177 - 2016-01-01 9:12 PM So how long do you condition your horse, after they've had over a year off (and a baby), before entering? I realize this depends on the horse's condition to begin with, but I'm wondering in general? Thanks in advance! :)

Kizzy_177 - 2016-01-01 9:45 PM Baby is weaned ;) good point though.... And 6 months seems excessive? But maybe I'm not aware of certain issues that could arise? Why so long? Thanks for your input in advance!

uno-dos-tres! - 2016-01-01 10:59 PM If you've had a mare in a dry lot and not on pasture they just take awhile to get back into tip top shape. I really use long slow distance training and gymnastic training on the mares that I've tried to get back into the barrel pen. Frankly, its easier on a ranch horse vs a pen horse to get them back into shape. As they "use" their bodies in moving across the land. The abdominals are very important in athletic horses. Mares wtih lax tummy muscles take awhile to get strong and fit. You'll notice the fitness when they can move with ease in collection and they don't get strung out on the back side of turns. But what I've noticed and this was from a long time before AI and surrogate mares. The high performance mares I rode (cutting mares) tended to get very lax in the ligaments. I rode for a division of the King Ranch, the vets had us work the elite mares back in slowly to performance. If your not riding a 1D type mare you can probably get away with coming back sooner. I've just hurt so many by my not having them ultra fit, they ended up being placed back in the broody pen due to injury. 

If you kept the mare on a walker or treadmill ouor probably more ahead of the time schedule than you realize. I was told a long time ago by some very good vets half the time of the layoff period. I'm old school and still use that as a guide. Also if you use the pool I would land work equal to the time spent at the pool.