So Just How Fit Do You Have to be to Ride?

IMO, riding fittness is a whole different ball game to normal fittness!

In spring I was fitter than Ive ever been, I was running 3 miles everyday in the gym and playing netball every weekend. but no riding - and I struggled to ride when i did! found it very hard on my muscles and core etc.

Now, I am not so fit, but I ride everyday up to 3 hours -and I am now riding fit.
I have my Balance back, my waist back (complete with toned core!) and my leg muscles back and my position is much more correct :)

It depends on your body shape IMO
 
MrsMozart said:
Y - can't ride for three months... Take your point though :D
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MrsM, I do think that as long as you can keep up your energy levels, then getting fit again, for whatever you want to do, it actually pretty easy. I've stopped and started doing things over the years, and there seems to be a certain 'muscle memory'. If you are walking every day, then that's great, just carry on, three months down the line I'm sure you'll be fine and get back into riding without too much bother. Losing the energy was what really did for me. Everything is just so much effort. Sounds like laziness, but it isn't - I just now have to make a huge effort, for everything, and feel somehow weary.... don't know how to describe it, but it does get me down mentally as well. But you have inspired me about something....... *runs off to post new thread* :D
 
My main riding discipline is endurance. You need to be fairly fit in order to suceed at that (not just the horse). 3 hours in the saddle at speeds of 10kph plus (i.e. 20 miles of nearly all trot/canter) wouldn't affect me at all. I start to ache after double that (40 miles) - which means even then I'm not as fit as I should be.

Having said that, depending on the horse I'm schooling, I can be knackered in 10 minutes - one of my endurance horses absolutely detests schooling (although I see it as completely necessary) and is such hard work to school that, as per last night, I can school for half an hour and get off him feeling completely knackered.

As for non-ridden fitness, I walk as much as possible at a good, brisk pace. Even a short walk is better than nothing - for example where I work, there is a steep hill to walk up to get to the post box. Yours truly makes sure there is post to go out every single day, so that she has the excuse for a brisk walk up the hill. When I first started working here that hill was terrifying, now it's nothing!

Running on the other hand - I get totally out of wind just trotting a horse up for the vet check at an endurance ride! I don't do running!
 
Crazydancer said:
MrsM, I do think that as long as you can keep up your energy levels, then getting fit again, for whatever you want to do, it actually pretty easy. I've stopped and started doing things over the years, and there seems to be a certain 'muscle memory'. If you are walking every day, then that's great, just carry on, three months down the line I'm sure you'll be fine and get back into riding without too much bother. Losing the energy was what really did for me. Everything is just so much effort. Sounds like laziness, but it isn't - I just now have to make a huge effort, for everything, and feel somehow weary.... don't know how to describe it, but it does get me down mentally as well. But you have inspired me about something....... *runs off to post new thread* :D
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Spot on! :D
My legs are looking like a rugby players again now,shouldnt be-only walking a little jogging but the muscle "knows" what it should be from the years when I was very fit(5k cycle each way for work,ride 1 being made to really work and another 10 hours on feet for yard work).
Building muscle and gaining fitness for the first time is bloody hard work,getting it back after a let down period is pretty simple(been nearly 7 years for me :o Damn child! :D ).

Anything you can do is good,don;t worry if it's not as much as you think you could/should be doing just enjoy it-more likely to keep it up then!
I can't stand gym work,so have opted for long walks(about 10 miles each) joggin bits as I feel up to it,and the hills are evil but worth it :p
 
Step-ups? Absolutely! They get the heart and the legs working: I hate them personally (my trainer calls them Russian step-ups, so they're officially recommended) so I have cut them out, but they're very efficient at toning and strengthening legs. Adding weights helps too, so grab two things that weigh the same (baked beans, bottles of water, whatever) and step away 'til your heart's content! You can also do dips off stairs: feet on the floor, weight on both hands and lowering yourself down and back-up. It's a great tricep toner/bingo-wing buster to boot!
 
Still lamenting my cesarean 12 years ago,my core muscles will never be what they once were and it does make a huge difference to your riding ability.
OK also loosing 4 stone would help a lot to :rolleyes:
 
only_me said:
IMO, riding fittness is a whole different ball game to normal fittness!
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Ooh definitely! But you can mimic some riding exercises I think! When I lived abroad for a year and didn't get any riding in, before I came home I started watching tv in a riding position, practising rising trot and everything :eek:

Not sure if it helped, but when I came back and started riding I never ached at all :)

I think for xc especially running CV fitness does help though, esp if you're a one horse rider and can't get fit by riding 5 times a day :)
 
Not sure really...

However I'm 28, 5ft5 and weigh 8 stone and I found I was struggling fitness wise riding my one horse. I could get tired doing an hour of schooling and would be puffing after a showjumping round!

I now go to the gym 3 times a week as well, not to lose weight but purely to get my fitness levels up. When I had my gym induction I was pleasantly surprised by how fit I was and I could sustain a fairly hard work out easily. I was much fitter than my sister who is a similar age but who does not have a horse.
However I want to be able to help my horse when we are competing and really ride him, not be out of breath! So hopefully the gym will help me.

I don't think riding one horse a day is enough to keep me fit enough to be a truely effective rider :)
 
Faro said:
My main riding discipline is endurance. You need to be fairly fit in order to suceed at that (not just the horse). 3 hours in the saddle at speeds of 10kph plus (i.e. 20 miles of nearly all trot/canter) wouldn't affect me at all. I start to ache after double that (40 miles) - which means even then I'm not as fit as I should be.

Having said that, depending on the horse I'm schooling, I can be knackered in 10 minutes - one of my endurance horses absolutely detests schooling (although I see it as completely necessary) and is such hard work to school that, as per last night, I can school for half an hour and get off him feeling completely knackered.

Running on the other hand - I get totally out of wind just trotting a horse up for the vet check at an endurance ride! I don't do running!
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This is very similar to me. I don't do endurance riding, but a 3 hour hack would be considered "normal" including several prolonged trots and faster work where possible. I can do this without any trouble apart from posibly a numb bum for the last 15 mins.

Schooling, I can't get through a 45min lesson without dripping with sweat and struggling with my leg muscles. When I got off last night I ached all over and although I wasn't exhausted by any stretch of the imagination, there was no WAY I could have done it again later in the day! Then again I ride an incredibly stubborn pony who detests being schooled and fights all the time I school her... plus I have only really discovered schooling in the last few months meaning many muscles are not developed in that way but have improved since I started.

My CV fitness is nothing, my flexibility is good, my core is OK, my leg muscles are acceptable. I make no attempt to hide the fact I would not be fit enough to do much more than what I do currently. But what I do currently is what I am happy doing and when I start to push myself further I will become fitter to accommodate that :) Oh, and I can't run to save my life ;)
 
EdensideEnthusiast said:
Step-ups? Absolutely! They get the heart and the legs working: I hate them personally (my trainer calls them Russian step-ups, so they're officially recommended) so I have cut them out, but they're very efficient at toning and strengthening legs. Adding weights helps too, so grab two things that weigh the same (baked beans, bottles of water, whatever) and step away 'til your heart's content! You can also do dips off stairs: feet on the floor, weight on both hands and lowering yourself down and back-up. It's a great tricep toner/bingo-wing buster to boot!
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I'll do the steps, but the weights will have to wait (lol), as will the dips, at least 'till my back is healed :D

Hopefully lots of ideas for peeps to try :D
 
When I returned to riding after a very long absence I was in good shape. Did martial arts for several years and was generally fit, toned and flexible but I found riding pretty strenuous at first. Could only trot very short distances without muscles complaining and would end up a bit stiff/sore the following day. So I don't think I was particularly fit for riding at the time. Didn't last for long though and within perhaps a couple of months I was going off on vigorous 3 hour hacks. I think perhaps that you need a different kind of fitness for riding as you're using different muscles in different ways and this fitness can only come from riding itself.

I no longer do martial arts because I don't have the time but find exercising with a gym ball/swiss ball and weights beneficial for fitness particularly as you're engaging your core muscles all the time. I try and do 3 sessions a week for 20/30 minutes and I do think this helps with riding. I used to use a cross trainer for cardiovascular fitness which was very good and nice for getting weight off but I now walk instead. I'd like to be more flexible for riding but I now have mild arthritis so it's not so easy.

I find schooling quite hard going...I can be dripping with sweat in no time. (I generally avoid the sand school where possible!) This week I've hacked 6 days in a row for a couple of hours and don't feel any bad effects at all and this was after 2 weeks of not being in the saddle.

Be interesting to find out what fitness routines (if any) the pro riders do.
 
Chavhorse said:
Interesting thread Mrs M.

Had this discussion with my trainers daughter who is in the process of finishing her professional examinations to allow her to be qualifed to teach riding. She is also near to finsihing her qualifications to teach Yoga and Pilates and she is already an instructor in Thai Boxing.

Her feeling is that we expect our horses to be athletes to enable them to work at the right levels but we tend not to think that we as riders also need to be fit with a strong core to help them out.

She is intending to offer an all round service, training the rider and horse in ground and ridden work but also offering the riders a fitness programme written for them and their current level of fitness, and giving Yoga, Pilates, Thai Boxing Classes for riders which concentrate on getting the correct muscles for riding.

She is finished in December and has written a test programme and I am going to be her crash test Dummy.

I personally think it is a great idea wonder what you all think?
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This is brilliant! I have also felt for sometime that there is a gap in the market for this sort of fitness training for horse and rider. As a marathon runner and 3 horse a day rider I really do feel a difference in my riding the fitter I am! Sadly I have to pay for it (and eventing bug) with a full-time office job where I am sitting on my bum surrounded by chocolate digestives, so all my hard work doesn't show :P Anyway, I really do believe that a lot of riders would be surprised by the benefit they would feel if they put as much effort into improving their own fitness and 'topline' as they do into that of their horse!

I am currently training as a personal trainer and to teach riding, and like your friend's daughter, Chavhorse, am hoping to offer a sort of personal training service to the horse and rider partnership. I am hoping that there will be a market for this - would anyone be interested in this kind of thing?

I know that horse-people in general have very little spare time or money (damn horses!) to go hiring personal trainers, but I am hoping to run classes, and to build up a small business with private clients.
 
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scatty_mare said:
This is brilliant! I have also felt for sometime that there is a gap in the market for this sort of fitness training for horse and rider. As a marathon runner and 3 horse a day rider I really do feel a difference in my riding the fitter I am! Sadly I have to pay for it (and eventing bug) with a full-time office job where I am sitting on my bum surrounded by chocolate digestives, so all my hard work doesn't show :P Anyway, I really do believe that a lot of riders would be surprised by the benefit they would feel if they put as much effort into improving their own fitness and 'topline' as they do into that of their horse!

I am currently training as a personal trainer and to teach riding, and like your friend's daughter, Chavhorse, am hoping to offer a sort of personal training service to the horse and rider partnership. I am hoping that there will be a market for this - would anyone be interested in this kind of thing?

I know that horse-people in general have very little spare time or money (damn horses!) to go hiring personal trainers, but I am hoping to run classes, and to build up a small business with private clients.
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Whereabouts are you? Id definitely be interested :)
 
scatty_mare said:
This is brilliant! I have also felt for sometime that there is a gap in the market for this sort of fitness training for horse and rider. As a marathon runner and 3 horse a day rider I really do feel a difference in my riding the fitter I am! Sadly I have to pay for it (and eventing bug) with a full-time office job where I am sitting on my bum surrounded by chocolate digestives, so all my hard work doesn't show :P Anyway, I really do believe that a lot of riders would be surprised by the benefit they would feel if they put as much effort into improving their own fitness and 'topline' as they do into that of their horse!

I am currently training as a personal trainer and to teach riding, and like your friend's daughter, Chavhorse, am hoping to offer a sort of personal training service to the horse and rider partnership. I am hoping that there will be a market for this - would anyone be interested in this kind of thing?

I know that horse-people in general have very little spare time or money (damn horses!) to go hiring personal trainers, but I am hoping to run classes, and to build up a small business with private clients.
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Would that be dietary and mentally as well as physically? I know Baggybreeches has a personal trainer and she has lost loads of weight but I'm not sure it's strictly in tandem with the riding thing. BB is a P2P nutter and hunts and generally hoons about in a very stylish and capable fashion already.
 
Thelwell girl, I am based in East Sussex. Won't be qualified until December but very excited about getting going! I could probably travel to London if you got a group together... But if you are interested there is a guy already doing this kind of thing, stumbled across his website the other day - www.fittoride.org

Brighteyes, yes I would be looking at the whole shabang including everything to improve physical performance for the rider (namely diet and exercise), and then the mental and emotional side as well, kind of sports psychology, confidence building and motivational stuff. Then the same for the horse - basically making sure he is in the best physical condition and is properly trained mentally for the job in hand - then look at the partnership of horse and rider and address any other issues this may throw up both on the ground and in the saddle. There are so many factors to consider when working with horses and people and it is my aim to gain the best allround knowledge I can to gain the most holistic and accurate view. I basically want to be a professional know-it-all!

This is a very interesting thread and I'm sorry to have hijack it further, but another related point which I find interesting is how we attribute all sorts of horse behaviour (spooking, lack of energy) to their diet - but how many of us really consider our own and tailor it so carefully to our energy needs? I know exactly what my horse eats, and adjust it carefully according to her workload - I know I don't do the same for myself! All comes down to self control I guess - and that food is much more than just fuel for us. Chocolate digestives are my friends :D
 
This is indeed an iteresting question.
Defining 'fit' is a bit like defining a novice rider (flipping difficult & different to everyone you ask!)

Firstly, I think this may have been said already, but if we expect our horses to be athletes then WE should also consider ourselves in the equation.

Secondly, and this is going to sound contrite but the best thing to do to get fit for riding, is - wait for it... more riding! :-)

If you do an hour a day then you will be reasonably fit - BUT how long do you trot without stopping? (realisitically) and are you doing a similar routine every day. If you do the same thing then you are not going to get any fitter unless you do more of it or increase the intensity.

I am fit(ish), I am a triathlete and I swim 3/4 times a week, cycle up to 150miles a week & run a fair bit too. But I COULD be fitter. I am fit for my purpose at the moment, but say if I wanted to get better (eg be placed more often) or do a longer distance then I would have to put in more training.

Same is true for riding - you can be fit for purpose, (say, riding an hour a day) but if you want to get better and compete regularly then you have to get fitter to be stronger and have more stamina.

With fitness comes more all round strength & also a keener knowledge for where your muscles are (priopreception I think it is called) which helps massively with riding.
I have always ridden but I find I am more focused, I can work through issues more easily and I improve faster when I am really fit.

With regard to what exercise is good for horseriding, I think that running actually shortens your hamstrings which could be counter productive (so if you think your thigh needs to be relaxed).

Cycling is good & swimming is phenomenal for all round conditioning. (plus you don't get any impact injury).
 
scatty_mare said:
Brighteyes, yes I would be looking at the whole shabang including everything to improve physical performance for the rider (namely diet and exercise), and then the mental and emotional side as well, kind of sports psychology, confidence building and motivational stuff. Then the same for the horse - basically making sure he is in the best physical condition and is properly trained mentally for the job in hand - then look at the partnership of horse and rider and address any other issues this may throw up both on the ground and in the saddle. There are so many factors to consider when working with horses and people and it is my aim to gain the best allround knowledge I can to gain the most holistic and accurate view. I basically want to be a professional know-it-all!
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*chuckles* You really think you could help THIS...

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I had a break from riding for a few years, and don't really do much excercise anyway. So I booked my very first lesson - first time even sitting on a horse for years - and after the hour I was absolutly knackered. I couldn't rise to the trot for more than about three goes round the arena. I was in a group and was actually at the point of physically having to stop because my legs just couldn't take it anymore! When I dismounted I nearly fell over and I walked proper John Wayne stylee back to the car. So embarassing.

Now, I jog occasionally as general fitness obviously helps a hell of alot, but I do think riding gets you fitter than you might think. So that's my knowledge on the subject!
 
I had a similar time of it when returning, had some lessons after a few years break and felt it then but all they put me on was med/large ponies, now taken on a 16.2 horse that well lets say needs to lose a bit of weight after a lack of rider, and my legs and bum are feeling it again....all worth it in the end!
 
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