Winter Fitness

NEWSLETTER Volume 2, Number 2, February 2005

February is the time of year where I feel as if I’ve sunk into deep winter (although the days are getting a little longer, I’ve noticed recently). My horses are enjoying a relatively snow-free winter and taking advantage of extra turnout to run and play, but riding and structured exercise opportunities are limited. The same seems to apply for most horsewomen. There are still the same workout opportunities at the barn – weight lifting, squats, twists, etc. but I find that this is the perfect time of year to concentrate on groundwork for riders.

This weekend I taught an Equiyoga or (yoga for equestrians) workshop at a local stables. We had a great group of horsemen and women and plan to make this a regular event. For this particular workshop we focused on hip openers, and on releasing tight lower backs, which seem to plague many riders. It was fun and a good workout, but it was more than that too; it was good information about how our bodies work, and how those strengths and weaknesses affect our horses when we ride. Among the trends in horsemanship today, I would argue,the acknowledgement of how strongly the rider influences her horse is perhaps one of the most significant. It is not a new concept of course, but it is being articulated in a more explicit way. There is Pat Parelli’s admonition that riders be “mentally, emotionally, and physically” fit for their horses. Klaus Ferdinand Hempling’s Dancing With Horses, Sally Swift’s classic Centered Riding techniques, Susan Harrison’s Anatomy in Motion (“The Visible Horse” and “The Visible Rider”), my current favorite, Wendy Murdock’s new book Simplify your Riding, plus numerous dressage books and videos which address this area of concern. More specifically there are exercises programs for riders: Mary Midkiff’s Fitness, Performance, and the Female Equestrian; Betsy Steiner’s Equliates program, Julie Leiken’s Equibalance sequence (which is currently featured in “Eclectic Horseman” magazine); and Linda Benedik and Veronia Wirth’s Yoga for Equestrians to list a few. (Check out our Books and Videos page in the next couple of weeks for new reviews of these and other books). Several of these program include exercises to practice on a large “fitness ball,” which is much more forgiving and less sensitive than our horses. Although at least one friend has demonstrated that it is definitely possible to get bucked off one of these balls – try posting trot on a fitness ball!

All of these programs are useful not only for improving our physical and, in some cases, emotional fitness, but also in giving us information about our own bodies. Likewise, bodywork such as massages can give us much needed information about tightness, unevenness, and restrictions in our bodies, information we can be aware of in our riding. So I remind myself on some of these dark winter nights that even if I can’t ride my horses, at least I can ride the fitness ball and do some stretching which will be of great benefit to me and my horses come spring.

Anna Banks
editor@womentalkhorses.com
Moon Hill Ranch, Idaho