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Yes, horses
swim! Horses paddle with their legs, with most of the motion from the knee down,
and they are quite buoyant. Most enjoy swimming! A disadvantage is that it can
be difficult to control the horse's direction. If you are bareback it is also difficult to stay on the horse, so be sure to
try to wrap your legs around as tight as you can so you don’t slide off your horse.
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The swimming of horses as a means of conditioning &
rehabilitation has been well established amongst trainers and owners in all equestrian groups the world over. In addition
to building basic muscle tone, it provides exercise and development to underutilized muscles and expands and strengthens the
heart and lungs. Swimming has been shown to reduce the recovery time of horses after surgery, injury or lameness, while at
the same time maintaining or improving their condition. Most importantly, it provides a form of exercise where there is low
risk of injury and the horse is not subjected to the pounding that track or field work provides.
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