Horse muscle question.....?

Question

i have a 10 yr old paint mare and i was wondering to to get her to gain more muscle without feeding her stuff....i run barrels and poles but i want her to have more muscle....help????

Answer 1

Long trotting gets a horse in good condition - also realize the difference between muscle and condition.  A barrel horse should not look like the bulldog-type halter horses.  Muscle condition does not mean big, bulging muscles.  It means the horse maintains enough muscle mass to do the job required of it, including remaining sleek enough to move about efficiently.

Going long distances at a controlled fast trot builds wind and condition - both are needed by good barrel horses.

I would also suggest the Western Horseman books on Barrel racing by charmayne james and the other gal (sorry, I don't remember which gal the other one is right now, though I've read it, sucks to get old).  both of these books discuss all aspects of barrel racing including selecting the proper prospect, conditioning for the horse and the rider and a whole bookful of other things.  They are easy reads as well.

Answer 2

Hey! I run poles & barrels too!! I jog up & down hills to build muscle...I also take my horse for long jogs on the trails to help her stamina & muscle building...I dont do much running with her other than at competitions....just jogging, and she is built like a body builder lol!!

Good Luck & Happy Trails!

Answer 3

lots of long trotting, straight, i circles, everything. i don't mean a western jog but a stretched out moving trot, work up to several miles and that will help, it'll take time but you'll like the results.

Answer 4

You go Girl!!!! I barrel race too!!!  Make sure that she is fed pretty well because fat actually turns to muscle when she is worked so a nice fat content in your feed is good. That way you won't need any muscle building supplements.  I work my barrel horses on hills.  I also work on a lot of rollbacks (it helps build the hind end)  Good Luck

Answer 5

What you need to do is ride her more. do diffrent things. like make her walk up and down hills. then trot. then canter. and try to jump little jumps. but make her work for it. you need to ride her and keep her on a scedule. like mine is usually like ride for 3 or 4 days, then day off. and ride her for about 3 hours.