The Science Behind Tapering

The science behind tapering

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We are all looking to improve our horses' performance at competition. But, did you know that sometimes doing less is the best way to achieve this? We certainly didn’t! If you are interested in helping your horse to be at his very best on show day, we suggest you read on to find out more about this exciting and well-known human performance technique!

WHAT IS TAPERING?

Tapering is a reduction in the amount of training time spent on the days prior to attending a show or competitive event with your horse. It is not about reducing the intensity or level of effort that you or your horse put into the training, but rather the actual duration of time that you work for.

Tapering is a tried-and-tested method to improve performance, and has been used in human athletes over the past 30 years. However, it has not been so extensively used in horses, and is actually not well known or discussed in the equestrian disciplines.

THE SPECIFICS