Never give up

[Keira 8888]

Darlings!

a little strange I know but at the beginning of the year I decided to stretch every day to see if I could make the splits!

I figured this would make me more supple in the saddle as a 40 year old. Everyone mocked me, my kids, husband literally everyone (probably because they know how lazy I am!)

well! No one is laughing now! I bloody did it!!!

 

[Odyssey]

Well done you, what an achievement! ? You look a natural, like a ballet dancer.

 

[Regandal]

Wow! Well done you!

 

[Pippity]

Holy sh*t, you're forty??? I thought you were early thirties at most.

 

[ponynutz]

Well done!

 

[PurBee]

Well done keira...thats amazing!
How did you work to that, just bit by bit each day?

 

[rextherobber]

Wow! Well done, I will admire, but with respect, not attempt it myself! (Also thought you were a good decade younger!)

 

[vmac66]

Brilliant. Well done.

 

[Ceriann]

That’s impressive! Has it helped the seat and riding - I can see it would.

 

[ycbm]

Go girl!
.

 

[Trouper]

Crikey!!! What an achievement.
Perhaps a daily video online here to help us "not-so-bendy" ones loosen up a bit???

 

[Cloball]

Well done ? sod the nay sayers.

I went to a yoga class once run by a lady in her late 60s who could easily so the splits and had only started yoga when she turned 50. I'm not sure what my excuse is ? ?

 

[Carrottom]

Fantastic!
Please can you share your stretching routine. Does it make a difference with which leg is forward?

 

[HorsesRule2009]

Ahh wow well done!

What stretches /how did you go about achieving this?
I desperately need to stretch my legs/hips as get so painful

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

Amazing! Please share tips!!

 

[mossycup]

Amazing! Yes, please do share what routine you did for this!!

 

[Baywonder]

Well done you!

 

[Steerpike]

Wow, well done!

 

[Berpisc]

Brilliant well done! Ha ha to the naysayers

 

[Lintel]

Now we need a how to guide!! I get halfway there and give up ?

 

[Keira 8888]

Ahh thank you so much guys!

I was quite stiff to begin with so I started off by standing and trying to touch my toes. Then I tried to go a cm further down each day. I worked out that if I held the stretch for longer - eg 30 seconds rather than 10 - it made a big difference! Then I did three stretches each day - 4 times a day. The first was sitting on the floor and stretching forward to touch my toes - I couldn’t even touch them to begin with but I pushed forward by a cm each day and now I can lie my whole chest on my legs. And I was very stiff before I started this! So it shows what you can achieve if you do a little each day. The next stretch was really really good, and very hard! It was just a simple lunge but dropping the back leg down and backwards a little further each day. It really opened my hips out and I can feel the difference so much just in my daily life! The third stretch was putting one leg out in front while kneeling and stretching the hamstring - I would work out where I could get to comfortably and then put a piece of string a cm further each day to try and touch!
So doing all this, every day - I went from not being able to touch my toes to the splits!

Anyone could do it! I feel more confident in the saddle now too!

 

[Cutgrass]

This is amazing, I'm going to try it, thank you!

 

[Frano]

This is something we can all work towards during lockdown. Pictures needed.

 

[Winters100]

Great achievement - well done you!

 

[dixie]

That’s amazing especially seeing you couldn’t touch your toes!
I’ve taken a snapshot of your post and will give it a try when I’ve moved House and am more settled.

 

[muddybay]

Fantastic!
Please can you share your stretching routine. Does it make a difference with which leg is forward?

I dance as well as ride (que years of toes down heals up!) many of us are left legged or right legged just as you are left or right handed! You're more likely to be more flexible with your dominant leg in front and just because you have one does not mean you have the other. Most people are right leg dominant but I'm left leg so just see what feels easier doing stretches on but remember whatever stretches you do on one you NEED to do on the other otherwise you'll get very wonky and won't sit in the saddle straight like me!

 

[Trouper]

Thanks for the programme. A winter-stiff body is in sore need of loosening up!!

 

[racebuddy]

Darlings!

a little strange I know but at the beginning of the year I decided to stretch every day to see if I could make the splits!

I figured this would make me more supple in the saddle as a 40 year old. Everyone mocked me, my kids, husband literally everyone (probably because they know how lazy I am!)

well! No one is laughing now! I bloody did it!!!View attachment 64543

Amazing ? well done

 

[Sprat]

Fabulous, well done! I'm off to do some stretches now.

Slightly off topic, but I purchased a gym ball to do some core exercises on to help ridden work. So far the only thing I have done with said gym ball, is sit on it whilst eating a bit of cake... I feel I need a kick up the backside to get motivated!

 

[milliepops]

Fabulous, well done! I'm off to do some stretches now.

Slightly off topic, but I purchased a gym ball to do some core exercises on to help ridden work. So far the only thing I have done with said gym ball, is sit on it whilst eating a bit of cake... I feel I need a kick up the backside to get motivated!

I'm doing some online classes to give me a bit of direction, might be worth a look?
I just had a bit of a go, i am about 3 inches off the ground and reckon I could go all the way with a leap of faith.... but I'm hypermobile so while the range of movement is super easy I'm also prone to buggering things so I'll quit there I think! i have had to learn to limit what I let my limbs do