The summer months can be a gruelling cycle of showing week-in and week-out. The struggle to keep the horse and rider sound of body and mind through the show season is always a top priority for trainers, and the struggle to do the same through the off months is of equal importance.

Lindy Townley has decades of experience preparing horse and rider pairs across North America. Named Trainer of the Year by the BC Hunter-Jumper Association in 2013, she has coached students to numerous CET Finals wins, and horses to national hunter and jumper titles. At Westwind Equestrian in Surrey, BC, Townley devotes much of her efforts in the off-season to keeping horses happy and fit while also giving them some down-time

The first signs of trouble

Preventing a sour horse involves diligent attention to any attitude changes that may indicate physical discomfort. Regular visits from veterinarians and farriers and a sound stable management program should be enough to keep the horses healthy, but sometimes a visit from the acupuncturist or massage therapist is also necessary. “I’ve not had a great deal of experience with unhappy horses,” explains Townley. “If I do, almost one hundred per cent of the time it’s something physical. If I do notice the attitude changing, I try to assess why, where, and what is causing it. It is sometimes a bit of “CSI” work to find out what the problem is, but that’s a big part of knowing the horses in your barn. It can usually be resolved with anything from massage therapy to checking out the joints and ligaments with a veterinarian. I have never had an attitude problem with a horse that has not been caused by physical issues.”

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