Are you fit to ride?

By Phillipa

It’s January and that means many of us, for varied reasons, will want to increase fitness.

The indulgences of Christmas are now showing on our waistlines, making us question why we really had to eat quite so much. We may have made New Year resolutions because we want to lose weight and increase fitness. It might be to generally feel a little better or maybe because you have a holiday in the sun coming up or a ski trip which requires you to be in better shape.

For many equestrians it will be so that we can ride better, and get the best out of our horses.

Whatever your discipline, there are certain things that you need to focus on, including improving your own flexibility, your strength and stamina and of course your balance.  Even if you are generally in great shape, many riding coaches will tell you that there is’ fit’, and then there is ‘riding fit’.

There are numerous resources available on line that suggest different types of exercise and lifestyle changes which can bring about the changes that are necessary.  I’m not about to tell you what you should and shouldn’t do – I am hardly an expert on the subject – but I do want to remind you that there WILL be plenty of other self-proclaimed ‘experts’ happily giving advice which may in some cases be ineffective or could even be damaging.

I would however recommend that you find yourself a real expert.

There are qualified people who have an intricate understanding of human and horse biomechanics and have worked in the industry for years. They have far more to offer than the generalist advice which populates the web.

I attended a two hour workshop a few years ago with Jon Pitts, a high performance coach with a pretty impressive pedigree. He’s worked with some of the world’s top athletes including Olympian equestrians from Britain and Australia.

Jon is an engaging speaker – one of those people whose natural enthusiasm is infectious. Mostly, I remember it becoming clear from the outset that he had the ability to communicate with the audience and express himself in a way we all understood even though it was a hugely complex subject which he has studied for years to gain knowledge of.

Serious stuff, but we had fun too. A room full of riders of completely different ages and abilities trying to balance on exercise balls in various ways produced plenty of laughs. We also spent some time open mouthed in disbelief as Jon stood perfectly still and upright on an exercise ball while he spoke to us. What kind of balance does the man have to do that? Most of us couldn’t SIT on a ball for more than a few minutes before toppling over!

So if you are serious about working on your body so that you get the very best out of it and can ride in harmony with your horse, it’s definitely worth finding someone who knows the subject inside out.

My google search to find a governing body for biomechanic coaches in the UK was unsuccessful, but please let us know if you are aware of such an organisation.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to discover more about Jon Pitts or participate in one of his programs, please check out the website, Fit to Ride