Rider fitness

[saskia295]

I was just thinking earlier this morning.... How many of us actually do other sports or do exercises that will be beneficial for us as riders?

Do you think there are people in the competition world that aren't fit enough for the job?

I think we get so caught up in horse fitness, we often forget about our own...

What do you think?

 

[ldlp111]

im def not very fit was knackered after about 30 min scholling this morn

 

[jess_asterix]

i could ride all day, working them properly and not be nackered.

Ask me to go for a run and i would die haha

 

[tricksibell85]

I run 3-5 days a week.

Do you think there are people in the competition world that aren't fit enough for the job
Yes most definately, see some top showumpers with massive bellies - eh thats not riding fit is it?

 

[Rafferoo]

My husband is a cyclist and races fairly regularly. He does training off the bike specifically designed to help improve on the bike and reckons that the same would help a lot of riders improve. From what he has observed he definitely thinks that a lot of riders could improve their performance by concentrating more on nutrition, hydration, strength & fitness.

Having said that think that those who ride more than one and compete several horses regularly are probably pretty damn fit - especially the pro's. As a (very) amateur person with one horse I absolutely think that I need to put some work in to be fit enough to ride well, especially XC. My horse is an ex-racehorse and gets fit very easily but the same can't be said for his rider!

I have entered a 10K run in May just to make myself get my arse out running and will try and do some interval training to improve my cardio performance for XC. I also try to eat well before I compete so that I have plenty of energy reserves and try to make sure I drink plenty (dehydration slows your reactions and frankly I need all the help I can get!!!).

 

[gloster_image]

I never used to worry about my own fitness until I started training with a top rider who said how can we expect our horses to go properly, if as riders we can't keep up with them. I went to an event with her (and not a small one either) and the amount of riders that were literally knackered by the 10th jump on the XC course - the horses were literally carrying them round, was a real eye opener.

So now I make sure I have a major work out 3times a week followed by thermaband muscle building exercise at least 3times a week if not more - they're really easy coz you can just work them into your daily lie (eg if I sit down in the evening infront of the tele, I will always do thermaband exercise) and I can really see the difference in my daily life as well as my riding life (now i sound like a thermaband advert!).
I am lucky though because my fiance used to be a fitness freak, so always works with me, and his brother was a qualified fitness instructor so that helps too!

 

[only_me]

well, the best year i ever had xc on my old pony was when i was tetrathlon fit (run 1600m in 5/6 mins on hills, swim constantly for 3/4 mins (cant remember specifically

) and ride xc.
I was able to get after him better and more quickly!

remembering that, i swim before school 3 days a week, so i am at a goodish level of fittness.
I am starting to notice xc now as i find it easier to ride him!

But i only have one horse, so i need to work harder at keeping fit rather than those who have 6/7 horses are going to be more naturally fit than me!
But id say mucking out an entire yard and pulling hay out of big bales is as good as a gym workout!

some top sjers dont seem to be in the best of shape, but imagine the results they would get if they were fit!!

 

[CrazyMare]

Interestingly this is the basis for my final year research project at Uni - weather riders physiology changes if they are jumping or riding on the flat.

I'm expecting to find elevated lactate levels when jumping, as breathing rate is increased compared to riding on the flat, but we shall see....

 

[ecrozier]

I have recently decided I need to get fitter and loose some weight to help my horse out eventing this year - only at Intro but he is only little so any extra weight is going to make a difference! Started running 3 days a week with a friend, at the moment can only manage about 10 mins in one go but hoping to double that by the time we go to MK3day! Also going to my first yoga class tonight, if any good will try and do that 3 days a week too and then have one day off....whether it will carry on is another question but I am quite motivated at the moment!

 

[hedgehog1]

I ride alot of horses a day so I dont find that keeping up with them a problem but I have to do a lot of pilates and core strength exercises as I tend to collapse and no amount of riding can fix that side of things!
I think horses are the only sport I know where you can get away with being out of shape and still ride professionally !

 

[ChocoCornflake]

Rider fitness is the one key area that is so often neglected!! All the emphasis is put on 'will my horse be fit enough?' But in the majority of cases the riders own fitness is below par. I think it is important (if not essential) to do other exercise than riding - after all when riding, even several horses a day, you are using the same muscle groups, thereby conditioning them in strength and stamina and allowing the remaining muscles which are not used so much in riding to waste. Cardiovascular fitness is often overlooked - I cant imagine many riders who think they are fit would be able to complete a 5km run comfortably! Improvement in stamina will obviously reap rewards in competition, meaning your horse has less of a job to do by not lugging an unfit rider around, and improve concentration and reactions.
Another key element is core strength. Many riders also lack this - leading to an inability to absorb the horses movement and being one sided. Obviously this will affect posture on and off the horse - if you are riding crookedly for an hour a day over a length of time then changes are going to occur in the muscles and ligaments. This ultimately leads to back pain! I wonder how many of the riders we have coming into our clinic would not be there had they not improved their core strength?!
And don't forget the horse in all of this - he is often blamed for being one sided and crooked, worse on one rein, when alot of the time the rider is at fault. Unfortunately, if you are crooked yourself you can rarely tell as it feels normal to you. But the horse obviously has to compensate for the imbalance and move himself accordingly. Pilates and yoga are excellent, and so are the big gym balls which you can roll about on in front of the telly and work that core!
God sorry for the rambling on!