Equine Behavior Q & A: Older Horse, New Tricks

I have a 35-year-old horse. I am trying to get him into better condition, but don't know how hard I can push him. He is willing to canter, and sometimes gallop, on his own, so he still has some spunk. What can I do in order to get him fit without overworking him?
—Sarah

Thank you for your thoughtful question, Sarah. Your first step should be to have a thorough vet exam to get the go-ahead to condition your horse. At this point in his life, I am assuming you would like him to be fit for health reasons as opposed to for competition. If that is the case, I suggest making the choice his by using positive reinforcement training and enrichment. How about teaching him to touch targets for a food reward? Teaching him to place his nose on a stable target (such as a traffic cone) can be a fun way for him to keep his body moving. If you use two traffic cones, you can teach him to touch one, then trot to the second and touch it to earn his treat.

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