Dressage riding

FREESTYLER

FREESTYLER

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ok, just wondered how many of you are pooped after a schooling session?
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Should you be absolutely knackered or not?!!!Only ask because when I began "serious dressage" riding (if you could call it that!!) I was pooped after sitting trot for 10 mins but now it is getting easier. My friend said that I should always be pooped but surely as your muscles tone, your horse gets more responsive it becomes a little easier and you get off your horse without falling down on your knees and walking like John Wayne!
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I know that when I have a lesson obviously it is more intense but I do not ache as much and how do all the pros manage to ride 7 - 10 horses a day??? I only have one! Surely dressage is not as exhausting as say x/c ?? Thoughts??
 
Different muscles etc. I think xc certainly does more for my cardiovascular fitness, and I know I'm more likely to wrench a particular muscle if we have an awkward jump or something, but I know when I've done proper dressage as I feel it in my abs! And yes, the more you do whatever exercise the easier it should get.

Totally off the point, take it that was a picture I saw of you in C&T Mag? If so, nice! Striking hair...
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Depends on the horse, if I'm riding a green horse or a badly schooled horse then I'm more pooped than if I ride a more establised one...
 
Depends a lot on the horse, the fitness of the rider (obviously) and what exactly you're doing.

One day last week I was doing one time tempis (which my boy finds easy as pie and enjoys) and I felt fine when I got off despite working him for close to an hour. Yet the day after we were doing some canter pirouttes (which we both find much harder) and I was absolutly shattered after about 20 minutes :|

Some days we'll both be working well together and i'm fine even after an hour schooling. Other days one of us or both of us arent quite on form and everything becomes much harder work :P

Equally a relatively short session on the lunge will tire me out very very quickly :/

Sitting trot is also notoriously difficult when you first start it, but it will get easier.

You will find it easier as you get fitter and tone the relevant muscles, but there will still be days / exercises that will tire you out very quickly. It all depends on what you and the horse find easy and how either of you are feeling / working on a particular day
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while i was riding at college when i first started riding i found from doing dressage for an hour i could barely walk but as we got used to it over 6months we were fine and it didnt hurt. My best mate does dressage 24/7 and shes never in any pain
 
Hi
Your fitness will improve but yes, a lot of lessons are quite tiring but it is not ideal that the riding makes you tired, that said as long as you progress and are learning then it is fine, you must push yourself!!
 
tigers-eye, yes it was me!! LOL!!
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I have had red hair for years now...was blonde (not my own of course!) but fed up with paying for roots!!
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More to the point... it was either lessons or hair!! Ha!! has stayed ever since and makes a good talking point at shows!! Red nose day is normally funny... kids at Sainsburys think I am wearing a wig for charity.
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..as long as I make them smile!!
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Tierra, yup same thoughts, if I am doing something I have not done before and my boy hasn't I do feel more "pain" after!
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Just my friend employs a lot of Mary Wanless riding and I have thought and ridden along her ways of training but found it very mentally and physically hard. I then look at the riders who train via the parelli system and they do not seem pooped. I suppose what I am trying to say is surely we should train the horse to be light off the aids without having to "push push push"??
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Dutch, I will push myself... no pain no gain eh??!!
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Praincing 1, love that reach for the ball... I always fancied doing that but my boy is 17.2 and me a mere 5.6 dont think I could reach that far!!
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Ive watched a number of instructional videos of parelli training methods (riding methods this is) and thought the riding was absolutly appaling and fundamentally incorrect. But I wont get started on that here :P

Yes, you should be working towards the horse responding to the lightest aids possible imo and there should be no need for "push push push" at all. Im more classically trained and work precisely against the kick kick kick, pull pull pull mentality.

You should be able to apply your leg and the horse continues at the same pace until you tell it to do otherwise. However this means also learning to take you leg OFF which is something people actually often struggle with and trainers neglect to mention. Until you learn to take the legs back off again, the horse will never quicken to your aids because there is no reward.

If, on the other hand you ask and immediatly release upon the correct reaction from the horse, you're making it very clear to him / her that the response was correct and he / she is being rewarded by you no longer applying the leg.

Eventually, you're horse will respond to the lightest aids and your riding will become invisible and effortless to people watching
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Who is training you? Their school of thoughts will be very influential towards the type of training you are getting and its worth making sure you're all on the same wave length before you spend too much on lessons.
 
Tierra, yes I am being taught along the lines of your same thought.
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. it was just my friend... she who knows best... ummm!!!
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But Dan Sheriff and David Hunt, I believe their training methods are simple but effective, leg means go and yes release, as a form of reward because if I kept my leg on all the time surely he would become numb to this... and I hate to think nag nag nag..how can the horse learn from this!
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Well An hour of riding a very long, lazy 15.3hh warmblood am I totally exhausted with a bright red face. My stomach muscles seriously kill trying to prevent my horse from tipping me forward. Jumping I find much easier
 
rule of thumb I've always been told is as long as the horse is more tired than you are then you got it right. If your nackered and the horse is still full of energy things have gone very wrong!
 
when i got my second horse i was totally knackered for about a month, riding two competition horses (one quite green, the other well schooled) was/is hard work!! Lukily now archie is becoming alot fitter and better schooled its a lot easier for me. Blossy is easy anyways (well i think so) so its nice to get on her and have a quiet ride, after Archie has been b*ggering about or arguing with me! Im not really tired anymore tho, ive got used to it!
 
I dont really get tired very often when I do dressage although when warming up at comps its only when I stop that I realise I am actually slightly out of breath. I think 'cos im concentrating I dont really notice it. I do have times in my lessons when I think 'please let me stop!' but its more because my muscles find it hard.
After riding I never normally feel tired but I can feel I have a good workout!
 
ahhh good. I feel better now!!
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When I had my first lesson I thought I was going to be sick but as I was paying a lot for the lesson and I suppose I had my "am I not giving up" head on I kept on trucking.. although I am sure not a pretty sight!!!my boy is a big lad 17.2 and a big "bounce". I did ache that day and for a good couple of months at least but I think I was "trying too hard?" I know they tell you to relax and "feel the rhythm" but I believe you are still using muscles but they are more toned and used to the work, until of course you progress and do more intense movements... suppose the horse feels the same way too!!!
 
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