Fitness

alexa linton posture horse riding, importance posture horse ride, how to sit on a horse

As a rider, it can be tricky to discern exactly how much influence our structural alignment is having on our horse and our riding. The conversation about posture can be a complex and even frustrating one. In part, this is because we innately know that what is happening in our bodies can’t help but influence our horses, given their sensitivity to changes in weight and pressure, and the near impossibility of a rider being posturally “in tune” with their horse at every moment.

Horse rider back support, horse rider fitness, horse rider daily exercises, horse rider upper body strength

Finding time to exercise can be a challenge at this time of year: farm chores, yard work, summer vacations, competition, you name it, it’s on your plate. Unexpected downtime due to back injury or strain would really put a kink in your summer plans.

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You are one of the biggest factors in whether or not your horse can move with balance and relaxation. In this article I’d like to discuss some factors that affect your ability to have that balanced and independent seat, and outline some exercises you can do to help.

horse rider fitness for mature riders, Heather Sansom, Elroy Karius,  adult horse rider fitness

To further explore some of the issues mature riders face, I invited Sue Leffler, a Canadian Level 4 Centered Riding® Instructor and Balimo™ Clinician who works with predominately adult riders, about 45 percent of whom are over 45, to share some of the ideas she has seen work to help mature riders stay fit to ride.

horse rider flexibility, horse rider-specific yoga, equestrian flexibility, yoga Louise Sattler, yoga for horse riders

For this article, I interviewed yoga for riders specialist Louise Sattler of Galloping Yoga. We discussed various concepts and exercises that come from the yoga tradition and align very nicely with sport and conditioning practices for developing flexibility. For a busy rider, the exercises below are accessible and easy to do almost anywhere.

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It’s that time of year again. Whether your show season is starting up again in the next couple of months, or you’re just planning on spending more time in the saddle, some off-horse training can help with stamina, effective aids, posture, and reducing risk of injury when working with your horse.

A strong core is especially important because riders ride mostly with the torso. Whether you realize it or not, your limbs are completely secondary aids to your seat, weight and torso orientation.

Heather Sansom, horse riding fitness, Amy Millar, equine fitness, horse rider fitness, optimal horse riding fitness

In "How the Pros Stay Fit to Ride, Part 1", I interviewed some of our top Canadian dressage riders to see what they did to cross-train for riding. In this article, I am happy to bring you interviews with top Canadian show jumpers Amy Millar and Amanda Hay.

Heather Sansom, horse riding fitness, Ashley Holzer, Danielle Gallagher

You might think that a professional rider can afford to take time to cross-train because they are, after all, a professional athlete. I work with some pros on a weekly basis and I have to tell you, you probably have more personal discretionary time available than they do.

Olympian Gina Smith interview, equestrian gina smith interview, horse rider gina smith interview, horse rider flexibility

I had the privilege of interviewing three-time Olympic dressage team member Gina Smith about her views on equestrians as athletes. Smith and her horse Malte were a part of the Olympic dressage team that won bronze in Seoul, Korea in 1988, with team members Cindy Ishoy, Eva-Maria Pracht, and Ashley Nicoll.

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