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One night during the Olympics, my husband and I were eating dinner in front of the television. I had my eyes glued to the dressage, while my ‘anti-horse’ husband was subtly trying to steal the remote. After a few glares on my part and a lot of patience on his, he finally gave up trying to be polite.
“Horse riding isn’t even a real sport anyway.” he said, backing away slowly. “The rider just sits there while the poor horse has to do all the work. The horse should get the medals, not the rider”. Now, as I’m sure you can imagine, things got pretty heated. I decided to make him eat his own words. I booked him in for his first one-hour riding lesson.
Only the lesson didn’t last for an hour. Thirty five minutes after bumping and bouncing along, he had realized that there was a lot more work involved than just ‘sitting there’. That old ‘duck-waddle’ syndrome that comes with learning to ride lasted for a week. I had finally proved my point.
The moral of the story is that the rider is not just a passenger aboard the horse, but part of a team. Whatever the discipline, whether it be endurance riding, jumping or dressage, all riders need to consider themselves as athletes. The last thing a tired horse needs is a tired rider. So unless you are only interested in the occasional Sunday afternoon trail ride, every rider should put a bit of effort into keeping his/ her body fit and healthy. After all, think of all the hours we spend training and exercising our horses. Surely it would make sense to use at least a few of those hours on ourselves, right?
A horse cannot be expected to be alert and energetic if the rider himself is just about collapsing from fatigue. When you are tired, you tend to fall into bad habits, such as slouching, floppy legs, hard hands, etc. Sally Swift, founder of the ‘Centered Riding’ technique, once said “The horse is your mirror- his body reflects yours”. A common example of this is when a tired rider starts to slouch, with his/ her shoulders rounded and eyes looking down. As a result, his/ her mount ‘mirrors’ the action and becomes heavy on the forehand, thus having difficulty engaging his hind legs. What’s more, pain caused by muscle fatigue causes tension in the rider’s body, which can then frighten or upset the horse. These are just a few of the reasons why every equestrian athlete has a responsibility to maintain an appropriate level of personal fitness. Regardless of competition level, a fit, healthy and robust rider will always make the horse’s job a little easier.
In order to improve their physical performance, many equestrian Olympians choose to work with professional athletes. However, there are many other solutions to developing your fitness level without having to break the bank. Aerobics, for instance (‘Oh no!’ I hear you groan) is extremely useful for improving the rider’s cardiovascular system, as well as for developing stamina and flexibility. Cycling and swimming are also valuable work-out options for the rider. Weight training, on the other hand, will help improve your muscle strength. But if you don’t fancy the idea of testosterone-filled gyms, these simple exercises below can be done at home. They are designed to improve the strength and stamina of the equestrian athlete, consequently making him/ her a more competent overall rider.
First of all, the leg lift is a great exercise for improving upper leg strength. Lie down with the left side of your body on the floor. Rest your right hand on your pelvis. To provide extra stability, rest your upper body weight on your left forearm and bend your left knee a little. Now slowly raise your right leg up into the air, keeping it straight until your foot is just about in line with your head, then lower it slowly back down to the ground. Keep going until you really feel your muscles working, then switch sides and repeat. If after a few minutes you still don’t feel anything, try using a small 2 pound ankle weight.
This next exercise is not only invaluable for improving upper and lower leg muscles, but also provides great entertainment for any onlookers! Grab one of your horse’s exercise bandages and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Stretch and tie the bandage around your ankles so that it is quite taut. Now walk. Don’t give the bandage any slack. Keep it tight, even when your foot is in the air. Yes, I know it looks ridiculous, but believe me, your legs (and your horse) will thank you for it. If you do this exercise walking pigeon toed (toes turned inwards, ankles out), it works the muscles that help keep your legs correctly aligned when mounted.
Beginner riders should always remember to do some loosening up stretches both before and after their riding lesson. Those who have had a long period of rest and have just returned to riding need to be careful to take things slowly. Although your brain remembers how to do it, keep in mind that your ‘horse muscles’ have been hibernating, and can’t yet take demanding activities such as jumping, frequent cantering, etc.
One should always bear in mind that pain is nature’s way of saying stop. If your horse is uncomfortable or in pain, you stop working him and take care of the problem. Unfortunately, not so many riders give their own bodies the same treatment, preferring instead to keep pushing themselves. Don’t. The saying ‘no pain, no gain’, has no place whatsoever when it comes to the sport of horse riding. If you are reasonably fit and your muscles are well adjusted, yet you still feel pain or discomfort, this can be a sign that your body is out of balance. It could perhaps be that your posture is incorrect or needs improvement. One common problem, for example, is a sore lower back. This comes from sitting on the front of the seat bones and hollowing the back, not from a lack of fitness.
Always remember that riding is a pleasurable activity that should not produce discomfort for either the horse or the rider. Many equestrian activities, especially at a high competition level, can put overwhelming demands on both the horse and the rider’s body. But if you have the motivation and determination to maintain a suitable level of physical fitness, it is sure to benefit the performance of both you and your horse- the team.
Happy Riding!
© Copyright 2004 by SportHorseCM.com
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