Meeting a Professional Rider and Trainer
Maxime Livio is a top-level eventing rider. He has been ranked number 1 in France for 12 years and is among the top 20 in the world. Maxime runs a stable near Saumur, which houses 70 horses, including high-level competition horses, sale horses, and student horses, from amateur to elite levels. He is also the coach of the Thailand national team, which has been based at his stable for about ten years.
Here, Maxime Livio shares his expertise and advice to optimize a horse’s cardiovascular training, improving endurance, recovery, and performance across all equestrian disciplines.
The Importance of Cardio Across All Disciplines
The Horse’s Cardiovascular System
Horse Pilot: What are the particularities of a horse’s cardiovascular system?
Maxime Livio: Similar to humans, horses show links between movement, heart rate, and breathing. At the gallop, respiration is based on stride rhythm and mechanics. Horses inhale and exhale with each stride, which affects recovery. A horse with short, quick strides will have faster breathing and a higher heart rate, whereas a horse with long strides will have slightly greater cardiac capacity and endurance.
Cardio Training for Horses
HP: Why is it essential to work on a horse’s cardio?
ML: The heart is a muscle, and like in humans, it must be trained to handle increasing workloads. Training allows the heart to transition smoothly from rest to work and then to recovery.
Moreover, emotions affect the heart rate. Some horses may show unusual heart rates during exercise, caused by surprises like encountering a deer or new situations, such as a young horse on its first cross-country course. Cardio training must therefore be gradual, accounting for these factors that can disrupt heart function.
HP: How does cardio training influence a horse’s performance across disciplines?
ML: The key in riding is the rider’s balance of actions, as these directly impact the horse. When the horse is exerted, its heart rate rises, which can cause mistakes. For example, errors at the end of a course or dressage test often result from insufficient oxygen to the brain combined with fatigue and increased heart rate. This can lead the rider to act more harshly, causing tension. Therefore, progressive, regular training is essential in all disciplines to build the horse’s mental, muscular, and cardiovascular fitness at the level required.
Training Goals
Main Objectives
HP: What are your main objectives when training your horses’ cardio?
ML: We aim to gradually develop endurance. First, the horse must learn to move efficiently so its body works correctly. Muscles work harder and require more blood and oxygen. The goal is to develop both aerobic and anaerobic systems—endurance and power—so the horse can sustain longer and more intense effort.
Personalizing Cardio Training
HP: How do you adapt cardio training to each horse’s individual needs?
ML: For me, training must be adapted to each horse’s personality. An introverted horse benefits from regular, easy exercises to gain confidence, while a confident horse requires short, intense technical exercises. Cardio training also considers the horse’s intrinsic potential. Naturally fast, energetic horses need long, slow sessions to learn pacing, while endurance-type horses require interval gallops to vary rhythm. Changing pace is essential; without it, these horses won’t improve.
Medical Monitoring to Track Cardio Efficiency: Heart, Lungs, Heart Rate…
HP: Which medical parameters do you monitor to adjust your horses’ cardio program?
ML: Medical monitoring occurs at several levels. During exercise, we check heart rate with a heart rate monitor. I find that relying solely on this tool can disconnect the rider from sensations, which are often more relevant in the moment. Still, the data is important for veterinarians to analyze. The goal is a reduction in heart rate and recovery time without decreasing training intensity.
Regular respiratory checks are also part of monitoring. Horses are never at 100% respiratory capacity, but small treatments via nebulization or oral medication can improve capacity by 5–15%, boosting endurance. Nutrition is another key factor, as feed quality directly impacts cardiovascular performance.
Finally, tack is closely monitored. Some horses develop dry mouths during exercise, affecting breathing. Paraffin oil is applied before cross-country to keep the mouth moist, maintain contact with the bit, and improve respiration. Comprehensive medical monitoring thus enhances the horse’s cardiovascular potential.
Training Protocols and Exercise Variation
Number of Sessions
HP: How many sessions per week do you recommend for effective cardio development?
ML: It depends on the discipline and competition level. Generally, no more than two leg-intensive sessions per week (jumping, gallop), ideally spaced four days apart. Gallops can be replaced by trotting, which is less leg-intensive and similar to jogging for maintenance. Elite horses typically have one trotting and one gallop per week. After jumping, horses trot to clear their heads, while other days focus on dressage.
Duration
HP: How long should these sessions last?
ML: Duration depends on the competition level. For full recovery, trot time after a gallop should be one to two times the gallop duration. Warm-ups often use a steep hill for 15–25 minutes, which raises the heart rate without straining the legs or body. Prolonged fast gallops are risky; it’s better to maintain moderate speed with occasional acceleration or to increase difficulty via terrain, like hills or deep surfaces, to elevate cardio safely.
Standard Protocol
HP: What is your standard cardio routine?
ML: Horses follow a structured routine: 30 minutes on the walker in the morning, followed by a 30–45 minute training session, paddock time, and another 30-minute walker session. The day ends with care.
Targeted Protocol
HP: Can you describe a targeted protocol for competition preparation?
ML: At higher levels, we add one or more trotting or gallop sessions weekly. Training is progressive, increasing intensity gradually. For example, January gallops prepare horses for March competitions. Early sessions reacclimate the body after weeks of light work; later sessions are slightly longer but still moderate. One month in, horses can handle more effort, with pace and slope variations to enhance cardio safely. The goal is to optimize fitness without overexertion.
Exercise Variation
HP: Why is it important to vary exercises?
ML: Variety keeps horses engaged and happy. Diverse exercises improve focus and mental freshness. Physically, it prepares horses for all surfaces—grass, sand, uphill, downhill, soft or firm. Outdoor work with elevation teaches balance and pushing strength naturally.
Cardio Exercises: Arena and Outdoor Work
HP: Can you share specific exercises effective for cardio?
ML: In the arena, I gallop 8–12 minutes, alternating straight lines with faster pace in suspension, and circles where I sit to encourage collection. Always balance work between both directions and practice lead changes. Outdoor work focuses on uphill and downhill at trot or gallop, teaching the horse to push and balance naturally.
Recovery
Importance of Recovery
HP: Why is recovery crucial for long-term health and performance?
ML: Recovery removes lactic acid and prevents stiffness or injuries like tendinitis. The longer and more progressive the recovery, the fewer consequences from effort.
After cross-country, two recovery types are used: active recovery (trot and walk to gradually lower heart rate) and cooling (spraying with cold water then walking). Leg care includes cold applications and clay to tighten tissues, restoring optimal well-being for the next effort.
Evaluating Recovery
HP: How do you assess recovery effectiveness?
ML: Sweat indicates effort intensity; hydration is assessed by skin elasticity. Other indicators include mucous membrane color, eye alertness, coat shine, and general demeanor. A fully recovered horse is as alert as usual.
Key Takeaway: A horse’s fitness and endurance rely directly on cardiovascular efficiency. To reach peak performance, train the heart for sustained effort and improve respiratory capacity. Progressive, regular cardio allows horses to reach full athletic potential while preserving long-term health.
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We are proud to count Maxime Livio among our Horse Pilot ambassadors & athletes and to support him in his projects. Many thanks to him for sharing his experience.
Photo credits: Stephane Cande
