Variation in training regimens in professional showjumping yards.
Authors: Lönnell A C, Bröjer J, Nostell K, Hernlund E, Roepstorff L, Tranquille C A, Murray R C, Oomen A, van Weeren R, Bitschnau C, Montavon S, Weishaupt M A, Egenvall A
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Training Variation in Professional Showjumping Yards Professional showjumping yards across Europe demonstrate remarkably inconsistent training approaches, with a six-month prospective study of 263 Warmbloods across 31 riders in four countries revealing daily exercise duration ranging from 19 to 52 minutes per day at risk—nearly a threefold difference despite all competitors operating at elite level. The research documented substantial variation not only in total training time but also in the balance between flatwork, jumping, lungeing and treadmill use, with additional differences in turnout provision and recovery protocols between riders, locations and seasonal periods. Notably, riders who employed more structured, consistent activity patterns actually trained for fewer total minutes daily but invested proportionally more time in flatwork, suggesting that variety itself may be a training variable independent of volume. The critical question emerging from these findings concerns whether such divergent approaches confer equivalent preparation for competition demands—a question with clear implications for injury prevention, performance optimisation and evidence-based training prescription in professional practice. For practitioners advising on training programmes, these findings highlight the absence of standardised protocols at elite level and underscore the need for further investigation into which elements of training regimen (consistency, volume, activity type, or their combination) most effectively build the physiological and biomechanical resilience required in high-level jumping competition.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Elite showjumping yards use vastly different training approaches (19-52 min/day variation) with no established standard protocol, suggesting individual trainer preference rather than evidence-based consensus for this discipline
- •Training structure and intensity vary considerably even among competitors at professional level — consider documenting your own yard's training metrics to benchmark against peers and identify injury patterns specific to your approach
- •The study does not establish which training regimens are optimal for injury prevention or performance, so trainers should monitor their own horses' injury rates and fitness outcomes when evaluating training effectiveness
Key Findings
- •Daily exercise duration varied substantially between elite professional riders, ranging from 19-52 minutes per day at risk across 263 showjumping horses
- •Significant variation existed in training activity composition (flatwork, lungeing, treadmill work, turnout) between riders, countries, and months despite horses competing at the same professional level
- •Low variation in training activities was associated with decreased total training time and increased flatwork duration
- •Horses lost similar proportions of training days across riders due to injury or illness, but training regimens differed substantially in structure despite competing at identical elite levels