An equine athlete needs a carefully planned fitness program much more than your average trail horse. The demands of a three-mile long cross-country course, an eight-minute Grand Prix dressage test, or a reining final can test the endurance of even the fittest horse and can make or break a competition. A few gallops around the field every Sunday just isn't going to cut it. A top-notch fitness program is what you need.

Dr. Hilary Clayton, professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University, America, is considered the top expert in conditioning sport horses. She spent years researching conditioning techniques and has printed her findings in "Conditioning Sport Horses."

The book gives the scientific explanations to help you create a fitness program that makes sense. Dr. Clayton explains interval training, riding tactics that preserve the energy reserves, coping with weather conditions and the nutritional needs of the sport horse. She also covers the various conditioning needs for several disciplines including polo, sprinting sports, cutting, reining, combined driving, eventing and oddly enough, even chuck wagon racing.