Walk or trot: what really builds fitness?

What fitness building actually means

Fitness is more than stamina. It involves the interplay of cardiovascular capacity, muscle strength, tendon strength, and recovery after exertion. A well-trained horse recovers faster, tires less quickly, and moves more efficiently. Fitness building requires gradual loading: you train the body by pushing it slightly beyond what it's used to, while also giving it time to recover and adapt. That principle applies to both walk and trot.

What the walk does for your horse

The walk is a four-beat gait with no suspension phase, meaning the horse always has at least one foot on the ground. As a result, the load on joints and tendons is relatively low. Yet walk work is far from passive. An active, forward-moving walk on a long rein stimulates the back muscles, promotes circulation, and helps lymphatic fluid move more freely. Scientific research shows that 20 minutes of active walk work raises the heart rate to 60–80 beats per minute — enough to provide an aerobic training stimulus for horses with a low base fitness level or during recovery periods. For young horses or horses returning from injury, extended walk work is therefore a safe and effective starting point.

When the walk is the preferred choice

• During the build-up phase after rest or injury (at least 4–6 weeks before intensive trot work is introduced)
• As a warm-up: 10–15 minutes of walk before beginning trot work
• As a cool-down: at least 10 minutes of walk after intensive work to gradually cool the muscles
• In heat or high humidity, when trotting quickly leads to overheating
• For horses with tendon or ligament issues or mild arthritis, as a low-impact training alternative

What the trot does for fitness

The trot is a two-beat gait with a suspension phase and demands significantly more from the heart, lungs, and muscles than the walk. At a working pace of 13–16 km/h, the heart rate rises to 120–160 beats per minute, placing it within the aerobic training zone. That is precisely the range in which you train the heart and lungs without exceeding the lactate threshold. Trotting regularly for 20–30 minutes at this pace demonstrably builds stamina. The suspension phase in the trot also trains the abdominal and back muscles more intensively than the walk, contributing to a stronger topline.

Practical build-up: a weekly example

An effective basic programme for a horse being brought back into work after winter looks like this:

• Weeks 1–2: 4 x per week 30 min active walk, with light hill work if possible
• Weeks 3–4: 3 x walk (30 min) + 2 x walk–trot combination (20 min walk, 10 min trot in short intervals of 3–5 min)
• Weeks 5–6: 2 x pure walk work + 3 x trot training building up to 20–25 min of active trot pace
• Week 7+: refine based on heart rate, recovery speed, and the horse's overall fitness

Heart rate monitoring makes the difference

Impression and intuition are useful, but a heart rate monitor gives you objective data. A horse whose heart rate reaches 180 after just 15 minutes of trotting has exceeded its aerobic zone and is building fatigue rather than fitness. Aim for a working heart rate of 120–150 beats per minute for aerobic fitness building. Afterwards, the heart rate should return below 60–70 within 10 minutes. Record these values in your horse's EquiSight horse profile so you can compare progress week by week and objectively adjust your training programme.

Common mistake: moving to more trot too quickly

The most common mistake is skipping the walk phase. Horses that are trotted intensively immediately after a rest period build muscle but neglect the tendons and ligaments — which train more slowly and need more time. Tendons and ligaments become stronger through slow, repeated loading at low intensity. The walk does exactly that. Bear in mind that tendons and ligaments need 6–8 weeks to adapt to new training work, while muscles can do so in as little as 2–3 weeks.