EveryRider

Fit to Ride?

   

As the new years resolutions fade, and the winter blues set in, I've been doing a lot of thinking about getting back into shape. Since horses are my "real job” I spend most of my time in the barn. I muck, I feed, and groom, turn in and out, I ride, I train, and teach. Running my own horse business is a dream come true for me, but it can also be physically demanding and mentally draining. You would think being that active all day long would be enough to keep you in top riding shape. No such luck... Don't get me wrong, I do benefit from the physical work. With the way I've been eating since thanksgiving only needing to lose 10 pounds is a blessing.

The combination of cold, stress and exhaustion can make it difficult to muster the motivation to do what I know I should. I've been procrastinating, I admit it... Even now as I compile my latest research on rider fitness, I am sipping on a warm cup of coffee with plenty of cream and sugar with a slight taste of chocolate from the dipping of my delicious fudge covered toaster pastry. The good news is most of what I've read says admitting the problem is the first step. So, with that last indulgence out of the way let’s get started. 

Riding is an athletic sport involving two partners: a horse and its rider, each dependent upon the other. To do well, both need to be physically fit. But too often riders spend most of their time conditioning their horse and neglect their own fitness. One of my favorite mantras while teaching is  "You have to control yourself before you can control your horse." This could be interpreted as meaning to keep your temper or emotional state under control, but the actual meaning is somewhat different. If you are fully in control of your own body - if you are strong, flexible and balanced, then you will be able to sit correctly, stay out of your horse's way, tell him quietly and clearly what you want.
 
To "ride," therefore, requires muscle strength in all parts of your body so that you can apply the appropriate aids effectively to your horse. You have to have enough control over those muscles so that you can use some at one time and others a few seconds later. How can you expect your horse to be balanced underneath you, if you aren't strong enough to stay quiet, steady and balanced on top? While it is true that excess weight can interfere with self carriage, but being a fit rider is not strictly a weight issue.

That being said it is important that we take our own conformation into consideration.  At my fittest I weighed in at just under 135 pounds. I was toned and defined, strong and supple. I am not a little girl, I never have been. I have curves. Thanks  J-Lo for making it popular to have a little junk in the trunk, but unfortunately its not the “ideal rider’s body”. I know at least a few of you out there know what I'm talking about. You have an instructor that keeps shouting out to “pull your backside underneath you” to “straighten your lower back” to which you reply “I am.” Try as you may your body betrays you.

 Our own conformation is also in part determined by genetics and heredity. Our athletic aspirations can be limited by these factors as well as our present health and physical condition, previous history, injuries past and present, current fitness level and nutritional status. We don’t all have legs sprouting out of our ears that wrap around the horses barrel. We are not all natural born athletes. It can be frustrating to watch so called “natural riders” seem to progress with such ease, while some of us have to really work at achieving proper body alignment. Try not to get too hung up on comparing your self with the ideal physique.  The difficulties in obtaining the position of a balanced seat can be over come with a conscious effort.  I have seen mediocre and “overweight” riders become extraordinary riders as they learn to to supple, strengthen, and balance their own bodies.

There are several forms of exercise that compliment riding. Some are programs in and of themselves and require lessons. Other simpler forms such as walking, hiking or swimming certainly will help you stay fit.  If you pick a structured form of exercise to support your riding, please be sure to pick a sport that covers flexibility/stretching, strength training, balance, and most importantly equal use and development of both the left and right sides of the body ( ambidextrous ).

If I had to pick one form of cross training to help you get fit to ride it would definitely be Pilates. I noticed a difference in my riding after 5 workouts, and I saw changes in my body within 10 workouts. Pilate's - focuses on strengthening the 'core' of your body, which is very important in riding. Pilate’s is the only form of exercise I have ever found that truly worked my lower abdominal muscles. It attacks the dreaded pouch below the belly button that we all love to hate. Pilates not only makes you stronger and more flexible but it also allows you to work up a sweat, which I never achieved through yoga. If you can afford it, enlisting the services of a professional trainer is an excellent way to get on the right path. Consider having your barn bring in a trainer specific to equestrian riders' needs and train in a group.

This series on Pilates in The Horse Magazine for Rider is full of great exercises with detailed instructions and pictures. There are also several books written with the equestrian athlete in mind.

As riders, we all have different goals and aspirations and our fitness programs should reflect them! There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to riders or rider fitness, therefore we each need to assess our individual needs and that of our horses in order to build sound fitness programs that are as unique as we all are!

Suggested Reading:
Less than Perfect Rider
Fitness, Performance, and the Female Equestrian
Equestrian Pilates

 

Close Your Eyes and Ride

How much does the mind have to do with becoming a good rider?  What is the connection between what we think and what we do?  Is it possible to change our mental programming, allowing us to enhance our awareness, learn new skills, become confident riders, all without leaving the comforts of home? 

When you are hungry driving home from work, you begin to imagine what you might have for dinner. As you review the menu in your mind, your mouth begins to water. Perhaps you visualized the ingredients you would need for your meal. You picture going through the motions of slicing the fruit, grating the cheese, opening the can or even pulling up to the drive thru. Chances are the more you thought about it, the more hungry you became.

In contrast, imagining the sights and sounds of a tension-packed meeting may make your head pound and your blood pressure rise. You may wake up from a night mare in a sweat or screaming, frightened and disoriented. You have to calm down and remind yourself that it was only a bad dream. These are just a few examples of the powerful effect that mental images can have on the body.

The mind cannot differentiate between reality and what is imagined. When you visualize something, your body responds as if you were actually doing it. Visualization is the ability to create mental images that simulate experience. The mind doesn't care whether or not something is imagined or something we actually do. Our muscles can actually learn new skills and refine the mind-body connection through visualization. Obviously you can't increase muscle tone daydreaming in your bedroom, you can however, use the power of imagination as an aid to create what you want to accomplish in your riding.

One researcher became fascinated with sports psychology after working with the NASA program, watching the astronauts rehearse everything on earth, again and again in a  simulated  environment before they went to space. He then decided to study the characteristics of peak performers. One of the main things his research showed was that almost all of the world-class athletes and other peak performers are visualizers. They see it; they feel it; they experience it before they actually do it. They begin with the end in mind.

That sounds great, think positive, imagine the perfect ride... blah blah blah... but how can I put it into use in a practical way. Can I imagine my self riding the perfect dressage test, do an I dream of Jeanie folded arm wink and ride in to reality? No, not exactly, at least not that simply or that quickly. Successful visualization and mental practice still takes practice. Start a little smaller. Let's say a 20 meter circle.

The night before, or morning of your next ride give this a try...

1.Clear your mind - I usually do this in bed, when its quiet and there are no distractions. Use    whatever works for you to clear the clutter. Some people like to mentally rehearse after relaxing exercise - yoga, tai chi, or even just stretching. Its not important how you relax, but relaxation and ability to focus are absolutely essential.

2. Bring forward what you want to Learn - Overcome - Prepare for. Employ all your senses. Visualize every detail. The clothes you’re wearing, your tack, the weather outside, the footing in the arena. Imagine your state of mind (positive and relaxed). Imagine your body being free from tension, whatever vices or tension completely vanished.

3. Now begin to imagine your ride. Sally Swift the author of Centered Riding, refers to this as playing your inner video tape. Recall how your horse feels, this rhythm and cadence. Each step around the arena. Picture yourself in perfect posture, executing each maneuver correctly. If you are envisioning a circle, ride through the entire circle in your mind. Repeat it as though you were actually doing it. No detail is too small. Visualize the end of your perfect ride in just as much detail including putting the horse away

Remember to imagine every movement in a positive way. This requires practice for many of us, as we all employ a lot of negative self talk when we ride. “This horse never listens to my leg”, “My transitions are never right” “I always mess this up”

An open mind and the ability to eliminate negative thoughts about your ride are the keys to successful mental rehearsal. Whether your practicing for a competition, practicing when your unable to ride, or working on resolving fear issues visualizing yourself and your horse performing these movements in your mind you will improve your physical performance. 

So the next time you hit a brick wall, don't ride an endless circle.  Take a little time to gain control of your mind as well as your body. Contrary to accepted belief the conscious mind does not ultimately determine our actions. Will power and determination can help you reach goals for the short term, but it is the subconscious mind that creates the permanent change in behavior you need to ride like a natural.   

 

When Fear Strikes

"Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyways" - John Wayne

I don't know, at times I've wondered is it courage or insanity?  I'm not entirely sure.  I do know that great riders and fearlessness seem to be synonymous. 

It's not a secret that horses are inherently dangerous.  In fact that is the exact wording in the waivers we make each of our students sign.  The same waivers we signed ourselves.  It's not that we enjoy being bucked off, stepped on, kicked or bitten. Its more of a decision.  We know what its like to eat dirt.  It just happens that to most of us, it is worth it for that one perfect moment on the back of a horse.   When everything comes together, and this powerful creature begins moving willingly and effortlessly beneath you at  your slightest touch.  Equestrian Ecstasy... like a drug we constantly crave from the first moment we feel it... trying to get the same fix from every horse we ride from that point on. 

It's been about 2 years  since I had the displeasure of winding up beneath the beloved, voluptuous school horse "Miss Kitty".  It wasn't  her fault or mine. It just happened. She had been on stall rest for a week and needed to be ridden.  I was a graduate assistant, working to extend my education as long as possible, and riding all the school horses is one of the "perks"

In true Miss Kitty fashion, the microphone in the arena squealed and we were off.  Then another squeal trying to turn it off and she did a spontaneous slam on the brakes.  I tried to save it, losing my balance, and my foot got caught in the process.  Bummer...  I wound up caught beneath her, trying to pull my foot from the stirrup.  She was frantic, and just as frightened as I was. As I tried to maneuver myself out from under her she actually appeared to be trying to tip toe off of me.  At 1100 pounds she wasn't tip toeing anywhere.  She took the closest path, running up my leg, with the majority of her weight landing on my knee.

I was lucky, I damaged my knee, but I was able to continue on to teach and train within 6 months. It didn't necessarily make me afraid to ride, but my confidence was shaken.  I no longer felt invincible.  When Horses  are the way you make your living you can't afford to not be able to ride.  Sustaining injuries while training isn't just possible its probable.

There is a hesitation that isn't easy to rid yourself of once your become concerned for your well being. In the process of trying to save ourselves we put ourselves more at risk. As a trainer you must be able to make the decision to ride through the problem in the instant it occurs or else it's pointless. In order to continue training effectively, I had to rehabilitate my confidence, as much, if not more than my physical wounds.

So what do we do when a horse gets the best of us?  Maybe you took a bad spill, or sustained an injury, or perhaps you just rode a horse you've ridden before that for the first time just wouldn't stop. The most important lesson I ever learned as a trainer (and in life) is that control is an illusion.  There is a moment of awareness that you are riding a thousand pound animal with a mind of its own.

Whether you are professional trainer or a backyard warrior you have inevitably experienced fear of some sort in your riding career.  Fear, is a natural response intended to protect us from making errors of judgment. While anxiety is normal after a negative experience, not addressing the issue can make a bad situation much worse.

Don't be persuaded to "get over it" or "face your fears" alone.  It is essential to find a qualified instructor to help you get back on track.  Its important to work with someone who acknowledges your fear,  with patience and understanding, while not catering to it. There is a difference.  A good teacher knows when and how much to push.  In riding the best way to conquer fear is to acquire skill.  The stronger our foundation, the less likely you will be to repeat history.  Don't have expectations for yourself that you wouldn't put on your horses.  Learning takes place in the small space between what we know and what we don't.  If a horse is not ready physically or mentally to perform a task, we take a step back, and focus on the basics.

There are extreme cases in which conventional methods of dealing with riding anxieties may not be enough.  A new technique used to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

 

With a trained therapist, patients talk over the trauma while following a rapid movement of a light or moving object before their eyes.  This allows the patient to release disturbing emotions through stimulated eye movements available in REM sleep.  EMDR combines several therapeutic methods, psycho-dynamic, cognitive, behavioral, etc. with eye movements or other forms of rhythmical stimulation, such as hand taps or sounds. It involves recalling a stressful past event and reprogramming the memory in the light of a positive, self-chosen belief. While the effectiveness of EMDR remains controversial amongst medical professionals, many patients have experienced quick, long lasting results in as few as 3 sessions.

I also suggest reading Overcoming the Fear of Riding: Featuring Interviews with 12 Top Riders, a book by Theresa J. Jordan, Ph.D. and Peter De Michele, M.Ed.  The book is full of advice from riding's greatest stars, who reveal their own histories of overcoming fears. The experts discuss fear of injury, embarrassment, failure, and performance anxiety. These interviews and the author's professional approach provide the insight you need to deal effectively with many different manifestations of fear that relate to riding. 

Coping with fear is just another part of learning to ride.  If you are facing this issue, there is hope and help available.  Achieving our goals often requires a determined spirit, sweat, and energy well beyond what we think is possible.  Be patient with yourself and acknowledge your successes along the way. It may not happen over night, but commitment combined with action will eventually achieve results. You just have to take the first step.

 "You don't have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great." Les Brown

The Perfect School Horse?

Whether you are a student of riding or an Instructor you know that good consistent school horses are invaluable.   A school horse must be patient, willing, cooperative and alert yet calm. He must be physically responsive to the aids and balanced and rhythmic in all of his gaits.  The "spirited" horse has plenty to teach a seasoned rider, but when dealing with new riders it helps to have a trustworthy mount.

Imagine a horse that never has an off day, never spooks,tires,or refuses.  He also needs no hay, grain or bedding and never needs a vet or a farrier.  He can build your confidence, perfect your position, and get you in top riding shape.  Sound to good to be true?

Meet my latest dream horse from Racewood Simulators. The first WALK, TROT AND CANTERING SIMULATOR in the world. This is the first time a simulator has automatically changed from a trot to a canter by kick of the leg, just like the real horse it goes faster with applied pressure from the heels, the first kick will make the horse walk a second a trot and kick again to get the cantering action.

This Robohorse could be an awesome teaching tool for riders wanting to develop skills, confidence and stamina.  I wouldn't even mind having one in my living room for exercise or a sweet party attraction.  The only catch is they cost about as much as a new Lexus, and the nearest manufacturer is in Canada.  For now I'll have to wait.  Unless they come out with a less expensive version for those of us on a Hyundai budget...