All Blog Posts Tagged 'rider fitness' (71)

From Chair to Saddle: Take it slowly

Unlike four-legged mammals that generally move with a horizontal spine, the human spine is uniquely shaped to allow us to move in multitudes of activities while standing or sitting upright. With the muscles and tendons providing structure, the spine can bend and twist and oscillate. It can also relax and allow us to sit for long periods. Unfortunately, our spine also has a good short-term memory about what it has been doing.

The tissues hold on to what we have been doing. What does… Continue

Added by Sit_the_Trot on January 25, 2010 at 3:48pm — No Comments

Tummy Out! Find Your Strong and Supple Core and Release Tension

“Tummy out, tummy out,” I heard in lesson after lesson when I rode in Germany at Etoile International Equestrian Academy under the direction of Stephan Kiesewetter, chief trainer. Tummy out? I’d never heard such a direction from a dressage instructor, yet when I did it, I felt my lower back fill out and hip joints relax, the mobility of my lumbar spine increased while my upper torso stabilized, and I sat deeper. I found it easier to follow each big, bouncy stride—in fact, my horse gave bigger,… Continue

Added by Sit_the_Trot on January 20, 2010 at 4:30pm — 7 Comments

Help become a better rider

This blog is about how to help other riders get stronger legs and core strength. If you have any questions or answers then you can fell like you can add what you think.

Added by Stephanie Good on January 18, 2010 at 1:47pm — 2 Comments

Supple, Balanced Seat + Dissipation of Force

The rider, to ride well must be supple; the body must be filled with shock absorbers at every joint to allow the movement of the horse to go through the legs and up the rider's spine without getting stopped anywhere. For the dressage or western rider the ankles, hips and shoulders must be relaxed, moveable, and independent of the movement of the torso.

This… Continue

Added by Sit_the_Trot on January 14, 2010 at 10:00am — 2 Comments

Ride in Harmony: Half-Halt--Biomechanics of Your Seat, Legs, and Hand

For many riders the half-halt is elusive even though they understand that if done correctly it will rebalance the horse, increasing engagement of his hind end and readying him for the next move. Your seat during the half-halt must be ready to receive the engagement of the hindquarters and increase of energy created by your legs, otherwise you'll lose your balance and be tempted to hold onto the reins or grab with your legs because the change in balance and energy has left you behind the motion… Continue

Added by Sit_the_Trot on January 4, 2010 at 12:43pm — 5 Comments

Ride Fit 1-2-3: Making Sure Your Barn Chores Aren't Causing You Postural Problems in the Saddle

Hello and Happy New Year!

I had a great question recently posted to my page about the effect of barn chores on your body, as a rider. Lorel's question about barn choring is actually quite common, so she gave permission for me to post her question here in the blog so that others could benefit.

Lorel's Question:

Hi Heather, I struggle with a problem which I am sure many other riders have. I am employed working with horses then do farmwork when I get home so I have… Continue

Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on December 28, 2009 at 11:00am — 1 Comment

Ride Fit 1-2-3: Self-carriage & Centered Riding

Since my last blog entry, I decided to follow up the Centered Riding clinic that inspired that blog, with some lessons in the process of becoming a Centered Riding instructor.

It's an interesting journey. If you've never read Sally Swift's book, Centered Riding, I highly recommend that you do: there are great illustrations and visuals in there which can really help you with awareness and posture while you are riding.

The Equifitt work I do most of the time is about building… Continue

Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on November 25, 2009 at 1:30pm — 5 Comments

Fit to Ride 1-2-3: Centered Riding, Balimo and Awareness

Hi, As you know, you can post questions to the Ride Fit blog, along with photos (if you have them and want to) and take advantage of the blog as a free online 'clinic' to help you with specific suggestions for getting more alignment between your riding, and your fitness activities.

Just as with other sports, there is no single workout you can pull out of a box that will make you a better rider. There are some principles: good posture, for example, is essential to good riding whatever… Continue

Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on November 5, 2009 at 4:00pm — 1 Comment

Enjoy the Ride: Confidence at the Faster Gaits

I get questions about going faster without bouncing--trotting, cantering, loping, galloping--and realize that novice riders are often intimidated by faster gaits, not realizing that riding the trot or canter on a calm, well-trained horse is fun and relaxing, even exhilarating.

Part of learning to ride comes from spending time in the saddle but plenty of riders spend hours in the saddle without really learning the one simple thing that will make it enjoyable to ride: moving with the… Continue

Added by Sit_the_Trot on October 1, 2009 at 4:56pm — No Comments

Ride Fit 1-2-3: More on Soft Hands and the Connection with Shoulder Strength

Comments and questions recently posted to my last blog were really excellent. I've copied them here, with some answers. Remember- you can post questions, comments and even photos for analysis to the latest Ride Fit blog. I try and respond in the next blog posting.

QUESTIONS FROM BARNMICE MEMBER, 'SIT_THE_TROT':

OK, I totally agree with this:

"we do look for alignment from the elbow through the forearm to the bit, regardless of discipline. A rider should also have softness… Continue

Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on October 1, 2009 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Ride Fit 1-2-3: Fitting up for Cross Country

Hi, I had an excellent question about suitable training schedules for getting fit for Eventing in my inbox in response to one of the recent Ride Fit blogs. The question and response are below.

Question:

Hi Heather

Thanks for responding to my blog post about neck stretches. As my neck and back have been causing me problems lately I've decided to start up my clinical pilates again which I'd let slide when life got busy. I'd be interested on your opinion about a couple… Continue

Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on September 5, 2009 at 9:30am — No Comments

Can't get your heels down when you ride?

I have been asked a lot recently about why riders have such a hard time keeping their heels down. A heel that is not "down" may not have anything to do with the heel its self, but rather the knee and the calf muscle.

Many times the heel is not down because the calf needs to be stretched. A soft calf allows for the heel to drop below the toe when the foot is resting on the stirrup bar. When the heel is "down" in a rider, it drops just below the stirrup bar. The more important thing,… Continue

Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on August 25, 2009 at 6:54pm — 2 Comments

Ride Fit 1-2-3 More Stretches: Get better shoulders

Hi,

Since the questions and comments to last weeks' lengthy blog on stretching were related to how to get better shoulder mobility, I've uploaded a new video showing some pre and post ride stretches for chest and shoulders.

http://www.barnmice.com/video/chest-stretches-for-riders-aug

You can post comments, questions and even photos to this Ride Fit blog anytime. The… Continue

Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on August 12, 2009 at 8:58am — No Comments

Ride Fit 1-2-3: Stretches for Riders

Hi,

I'm sitting in my training studio and it seems eerily quiet these days- except anywhere near horse show grounds. For some of you, the show season is in full swing with long days, and long weeks. It seems like the summer daylight hours just give us more time to work: more time to train, more time at the barn—and less time for other things, like off-horse exercise. And with the sun rising later and setting just a little sooner- it's like we're really trying to 'make hay while the sun… Continue

Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on August 5, 2009 at 11:09pm — 1 Comment

Ride in the Middle of Your Horse: Developing Lateral Balance

Ride in the Middle of Your Horse: Developing Lateral Balance

By Michele Morseth, MA, GCFP

See more articles at http://SitTheTrot.com

From Pacific Northwest Endurance Riders Newsletter Spring 2009

“Ask The Experts” column:

Q: When I ride, I notice I am very asymmetrical with the way I distribute my weight, which effects my horse's balance. I've tried yoga and strengthening with some success to fix the problem, but I… Continue

Added by Sit_the_Trot on July 31, 2009 at 6:30pm — No Comments

Ride Fit 1-2-3: Getting a Great Core Workout

Hi, I have to first apologize for being slightly longer with getting this latest blog out to you. This month has been quite busy due to preparing for an interview with Jane Savoie for her 'Interviews with Experts' section of her Dressage Mentor site (great site by the way!), and the launch of my books, Handy Stretching Guide for Riders, and The… Continue

Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on July 28, 2009 at 11:30am — No Comments

Ride Without Fear: Build Confidence & Control in Mind & Body

"Even among experienced riders, fear or anxiety can seem like an insurmountable obstacle in riding or just being around horses. Your horse spooks and you get hurt, you experience pain and lose the ability to be relaxed and supple, you see someone else get thrown. All of these events can cause anxiety and excessive fearful responses. Because horses tune in to our emotional states, our anxiety can cause unwanted behavior like shying or what seems like disobedience. When we are calm and confident… Continue

Added by Sit_the_Trot on July 26, 2009 at 3:22pm — 2 Comments

Riding to fitness

I waited to long and let my body slip, then I had a heart attack. Now a heart surgery and angioplasty later, I have had my wakeup call. It is time to get my body back through exercise and diet. I hope to incorporate riding into my regime as well. It may not burn the most calories, but it is grat stress relief for me. I am dead serious this time, pun… Continue

Added by LincolnB on June 29, 2009 at 10:30pm — 4 Comments

Ride Fit 1-2-3: Rider Question- Rounded Shoulders and Spinal Issues

Hi, The rider that submitted her question for this weeks' blog was so clear, her question is pasted below:

Hi Heather, I have two main problems that I am dealing with right now. The first is that my shoulders are very hunched and rounded forward. I have a hard time keeping them open and back when I'm riding (and in general!). I have some back problems (a rotational scoliosis in my T10/T11 vertebrae and a tendency for my L3/L4 disc to want to herniate), but I do not believe that… Continue

Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on June 25, 2009 at 8:33pm — 2 Comments

Ride Fit 1-2-3: Rider Analysis- Head Forward Problem

Hi, There were some great comments to last weeks' blog on soft hands and the training scale for rider fitness. One rider submitted some detailed information and photos with her question, so we will do an online clinic this week. My mandate with the Barnmice online 'clinic' is to provide three recommendations for off-horse exercises. It's actually hard for me to limit to three, and I often write in a few more bonus suggestions. A few exercises doesn't make a suddenly fitter, better rider.… Continue

Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on June 16, 2009 at 5:00pm — 3 Comments