Are riders athletes or do they just sit there? Honestly I think it varies but I also think that all horses deserve to have an athlete on their back (especially if they are competing). It helps them perform better, keeps them sounder and makes life a lot easier for them. For a rider to be an athlete they have to train like one. What’s missing from your off horse training? Are you genuinely the easiest load for your horse to carry? Are you straight and symmetrical, strong and balanced? If you want help becoming an athlete then don’t forget to follow to find out how. #showjumping #eventing #equestrianfitness #riderfitness
How good is your balance and stability in the saddle over a jump? (Grids are a great place to really test this).
Does your horse find you easy to carry or do they have to work harder than necessary because you’re not as still as you could be?
While there is so much technique and skill required when riding horses, if you find you’re not making as much progress now as you were even though you’re having regular lessons, then skill may not be the limiting factor at the moment. You may be limited by what your body is physically capable of, strength, balance, coordination and endurance wise.
The best way to build those things up? Do some strength training.
As a rider you probably have limited time and energy. I work with my clients to make sure that we’re not wasting time. After assessments I plan your sessions to work on exactly what you need to improve your riding performance and become the rider your horse deserves.
Grid
How good is your balance and stability in the saddle over a jump? (Grids are a great place to really test this). Does your horse find you easy to carry or do they have to work harder than necessary because you’re not as still as you could be?While there is so much technique and skill required when riding horses, if you find you’re not making as much progress now as you were even though you’re having regular lessons, then skill may not be the limiting factor at the moment. You may be limited by what your body is physically capable of, strength, balance, coordination and endurance wise. The best way to build those things up? Do some strength training.As a rider you probably have limited time and energy. I work with my clients to make sure that we’re not wasting time. After assessments I plan your sessions to work on exactly what you need to improve your riding performance and become the rider your horse deserves.
Missing piece
Looking back on my competition days, one thing I’d do differently is add strength training.Even though I was riding 6-10 horses a day, dancing, doing Pilates, and playing basketball, I know a proper strength routine would have made a big difference.Here’s why: 1. Balance comes from strength. Those quick corrections in the saddle rely on strong core and leg muscles. I can think of a few run outs that could’ve been avoided if I’d been stronger and sharper. 2. Control comes from power. Riding is all about technique, but more strength gives you better control over your body, refining your communication with the horse. It’s those tiny missteps in dressage or jumping that cost you marks—or much more! 3. Strength makes you resilient. Riding is tough on the body. Strength training helps prevent injury, builds bone density, and keeps you moving better as you get older—something I appreciate even more now with a family.Is strength training the missing piece for you too?#eventing #showjumping #dressage #equestrianfitness #riderfitness
If you find yourself often losing focus while riding and struggle to concentrate it might be worth checking how much you’re drinking. Hydration affects your brain’s ability to function optimally and we all know how vital making the right decisions when riding can be to make sure you and your horse stay safe. Sometimes it really can be the small, simple things that make the biggest difference to your performance. #equestrianfitness #riderfitness #horseriding #showjumping #dressage #eventing #horse #horsesofinstagram
Canter exercises
6 Exercises to help your strength and mobility for canter transitions.
Most common issues I see that either block the transition or send the horse onto their forehand are…
Riders unable to move their hips and pelvis with their horse Riders getting behind the movement
Rider tipping forward in front of the movementRiders unable to allow enough with the contact, or with a very tight inside rein.
Riders absorbing the movement either through driving with their seat or their upper body moving rather than their pelvis moving.
These exercises will help you stay on top of your horse in the middle with stable upper body and legs, a soft elastic contact and a mobile pelvis that allows the horse to move
Half kneel pelvic tilts for mobility - there is no point in the canter that the horses’s pelvis isn’t moving and therefore yours should always be moving with them!
Glute bridge abduction and banded marches for hip stability - the only way you’ll be able to maintain a mobile pelvis without losing balance or ending moving too much is by having strong muscles around the pelvis that can work together.
Plank hip dips for a strong dynamic core - if you get stuck in a “braced” position your pelvis can’t move and neither can your horse’s. Plus you’ll have to absorb the movement somewhere else (usually the upper body becoming mobile).
Rows to help stabilise your upper back and shoulders. Your upper body should be still and your shoulders and elbows able to move with the horses head movement into the canter.
Kneeling chest press - you must be able to allow with your hand without dropping your upper body forward.Give them a try or save to have a go later. #riderfitness #canter #dressage #equestrianfitness #personaltrainer #equestriancoach
Horse rider’s lunge challenge.
Rider challenge, how good is your balance, stability and core strength? Tag 5 friends in this post that you want to challenge and see who comes out on top. We all know these are key fitness characteristics all horse riders should be working on. Here are some tips. In your lunges keep your feet hip width apart as you step back to help with balance. For full range your knee should very lightly touch the ground before you come up. Start at the beginning and check off each stage before you move to the next. Make sure you do both legs and compare how easy or hard you find each one. Stages 1a - bodyweight lunge 1b- bodyweight lunge balance 1c- bodyweight lunge balance extension. 2a- weighted lunge 2b- weighted lunge balance 2c- weighted lunge balance extension 3a- overhead lunge 3b- overhead lunge balance 3c- overhead lunge balance extension. Comment below which stage you’re at on each leg. (And what discipline you do, I have a sneaking suspicion that eventers may come out on top…). All riders should be aiming to be at 3c on both legs for at least 10-12 reps to show good enough balance, stability, core strength and endurance to stay in control and not hit the deck when things go sideways (in some cases literally). If you’re not there yet, don’t panic. Just keep following this page for more exercises that will help you build that strength! Tests like this are a great start point and can help set your fitness goals. Then you can test again in the future to see if you’ve reached them! #riderfitness #equestrianfitness #eventing #eventer #showjumping #showjumper #dressage #horserider #horseriding
Success in the saddle isn’t just about physical strength or your skill as a rider. A vital component is mental resilience. The one thing that is pretty much guaranteed if you’re going to ride horses is that at some point it’s going to go wrong. You’ll have a stop or make a mistake or worse you’ll fall off or your horse will get an injury just before a big competition. These situations can feel even worse if you’re riding in a team environment where the pressure seems greater. It’s understandable and totally fine to feel disappointment when any of these things happen. The key is how you deal with it once the initial feeling passes. Are you able to put things behind you easily and make a plan to move forward or do you find yourself dwelling on the past a lot and letting it take up too much headspace and affecting how you tackle other things in you life? How do you deal with things going wrong? I used to be a dweller. I look back and wish i had the tools to deal with setbacks then that I have now! If you’re a young rider (or the parent of one) who struggles with this then keep watching this page as I have an exciting new venture coming soon! #horse #horserider #ponyclub #youthrider #showjumping #eventing #mentalstrength #resilience
Rotational strength
A great rider moves with strength and control in all directions.This allows you to help the horse stay straight and balanced (rather than potentially even causing asymmetries) means the horse can move well underneath you and keeps you safely in the saddle if anything does go wrong. Rotation exercises like these that work the deep core muscles and the obliques are so important for riders staying straight in the saddle. The added benefit of a standing rotation with the landmine (or can be done with a dumbbell) is it also develops coordination, balance and stability which I think you’ll agree are all skills riders need. #horserider #riderfitness #equestrianfitness #showjumping #ridertraining
Athleticism
You’ll often hear horses described as being athletic or people talking about exercises to improve their athleticism but how often do you hear about riders working on themselves? Is it in entirely fair to expect a horse to be an athlete if the human on top isn’t? If we consider athleticism in riders to be made up of strength, agility, endurance, balance and coordination, which areas would you say you’re lacking and how are you working on it? #riderfitness #equestrianfitness #horse #horserider #horseriding
Roxy
Currently working on Roxy’s canter quality and ability to carry more weight on her hind quarters while she’s jumping. The last few weeks we’ve had different exercises built each week to help with her balance and her ability to shorten her stride. This highlighted that straightness could also be an issue as she tried to find ways of balancing.I’ve had to work hard to hold my own straightness in the saddle to help her. This is when I can feel the effects of the off horse training I’ve been focussing on for the last few months. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as strong or straight in the saddle as i do at the moment. #horse #showjumping #jumpingexercise #horseriding #riderfitness #equestrianfitness
Simple
If you’re not strength training a couple of times a week either at home or in the gym you’re missing a trick in improving your performance in the saddle. And we all know that a better balanced, more stable rider who can move well with their horse will create a horse who moves and performs better and is more likely to stay sound. If you’d like to know more about how I can help you become the rider your horse deserves DM me for a chat. #equestrian #horse #eventing #horseriding #riderfitness #equestrianfitness
We know having a strong core is important but how should you be training your core? Sadly planks and Pilates aren’t going to it. You need to be strong in every direction and able to move quickly and withstand and absorb huge forces especially when jumping. This is where strength training comes in (as well as adding in exercises that improve your power). You can challenge your core much more and be truly prepared for what riding throws at you. Improve yourself and your horse’s performance and become the rider your horse deserves. Want to know more about how to strengthen your core. DM core and I’ll send you a core strength starter workout.
If you want to be a great rider then you need all 3 of these things and here’s why. 1️⃣ Knowledge of what you need to be doing. What aids should you be applying when, how and where? Why are they the aids and what exactly should the horse be doing in order to perform the movement correctly and comfortably? Why is that the movement or exercise you’ve chosen to do and how will it benefit your horse? 2️⃣ The physical ability (strength, balance, mobility, coordination, fitness) to be in control of your body and move correctly and efficiently so that you are capable of applying the aids correctly and can be a positive influence on your horse. 3️⃣. The skill set to put it all into practice on the horse and the feel to know when you are achieving what you’re aiming for and to be the most effective rider possible. 📕Number 1 can be gained from books, videos, lessons and conversations with more experienced riders and coaches (and even social media nowadays). 🏇Number 3 can only be achieved by actual bum in saddle time and a practical application of the knowledge you’ve gained (some of that time spent with a good riding coach). 🏋️♂️ Without number 2 though (which involves working on yourself off the horse) it’s nearly impossible to link 1 and 3. All the knowledge in the world is great and the chance to sit on a horse to learn how to apply it is even better but if you are not in a physical condition where you can take the knowledge and get your body to do the thing you know it needs to do then there’s always going to be a limiting factor in your riding ability.❓❓Has there ever been a time when you’ve been frustrated because you’ve struggled to achieve something when riding either and you know it’s because you’re not quite strong enough or fit enough in some way? #equestrianfitness #riderfitness #strongrider #equestrian #horse #horsesofinstagram #personaltrainer #training
Be an athlete
If you want to jump a clear round then as a rider you need to take responsibility for your role in the partnership.
I often hear people talking about cavaletti exercises, grid work and using flatwork etc to help improve a horse’s strength, balance and suppleness so they jump better but…
What’s the point of that if the rider doesn’t have those traits as well?
Your horse will just have to be even stronger to make up for the fact that the rider isn’t being the easiest load they can possibly be to carry.
You need to treat yourself as much like an athlete as the horse gets treated (more on that over the coming weeks) and that has to include strength training if you’re serious about improving your performance in the saddle.
It doesn’t need to be complicated. Squats, deadlifts, rows, press ups and some extra core work is going to improve your strength and how your body functions generally in day to day life. Add in some single leg and single arm work and we’ve got the balance and symmetry covered too.
Strength training for just half an hour twice a week would be enough to make a massive difference to any rider’s performance and your horse will appreciate it too!
Get in touch if you have any questions.
