Back
in the Saddle
Back in the Saddle - Part Two
Improvement
New Tack Shop Items
This
newsletter is a personal letter from me to you,
a fellow horse owner and
enthusiast.
My goal is to answer some of your questions and send you interesting
stories
and helpful tips for your horse care, training, and riding.
I've
got spring fever. How about you?
Back
in the Saddle - Part Two
Improvement
Whether
you’re returning to riding after time off or first learning to ride, get
in shape before you get in the saddle. This will minimize injury and maximize
enjoyment. When you evaluated your rider readiness in last month's newsletter,
perhaps you found a few areas that could use improvement. Here you'll find exercises
and tips specifically tailored for riders to help with those trouble spots.
To
read the rest of this section, go here: exercises
Choosing an Instructor
There
is no substitute for a good instructor and a poor instructor is worse than none
at all. So that you learn correctly and you maintain a good opinion of yourself,
your horse, and your work, choose your instructor carefully. An excellent trainer
may be good with horses but ill suited to working with people.
o
read the rest of this section, go here: instructor
RELAXATION Relaxation is the absence of detrimental tension.
To ride safely, you need to know how to turn down your anxiety meter and relax
when things get exciting. Two exercises I've found helpful in this regard are
Max/Relax and Bottom Breathing.
Max/Relax requires you to
exaggerate your tension to a comedic level and then release it. For example, if
you find that you are so tense in the saddle that your thighs squeeze together
and lift you right out of the saddle and pitch your upper body forward, practice
Max/Relax.
To read the rest of this section, go here: relax
FLEXIBILITY Flexibility is the range of motion of a joint.
A rider must be especially flexible in the pelvis and hips. The rhythmic movement
of a horse can improve your flexibility because the movement of the horse closely
approximates the movement of your pelvis during walking. That is the basis of
hippotherapy, a form of physical therapy that uses a well-trained and balanced
horse to improve a person's posture, balance, muscle tone, mobility, and function.
The
older you are, the more time and attention you will have to spend to ensure that
you are comfortable during riding and after.
To read the rest
of this section, go here: flex
STRENGTH Strength is the ability of your body or a part
of your body to apply a force. You can use isometric exercises to increase strength
of various muscles. Isometric exercises consist of muscular contractions performed
in a fixed, non-moving fashion. Isometrics can be performed in almost any place
for short periods of time, wearing everyday street clothing. You can perform isometrics
as you drive your car, work at a desk, or wash dishes. An observer will probably
not detect that you are exercising.
To read the rest of this
section, go here: strength
COMPANION SPORTS So that you can keep in shape year round,
even during the non-riding season, continue walking, stretching exercises and
strength training. In addition, try to find other activities that will keep you
ready to ride. Companion sports will help you minimize weight gain, prevent muscle
atrophy, and reduce chance of injury when you do return to active riding. Even
if you ride all year, it is a good idea to participate in other sports or activities
to make you a well-rounded person mentally and physically.
To
read the rest of this section, go here: sports
New Additions to the Tack Shop
We've added some winter turnout blankets, Dressage/Eventing snaffle bridles with
flash nosebands, English reins, and some more western cinches to our tack shop.
Remember there is only one of each item, so first come, first served.
tack
***********
That's it for this
month.
Don't forget, when you
ride, keep your mind in the middle and a leg on each side.
Have
a great time getting back in the saddle!
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