"You arn't fit enough!"

[katiieking]

Last night I had a flatwork lesson with one of my pony club instructors! First lesson I have had this year and will be the first of weekly lessons right through the summer to get us ready for Pony Club competitions!

I rode two horses and by half way through the second lesson I could have passed out I was so exhausted!

Thing is, I'm not very good with judging my fitness/tiredness levels or if they even take part in this?

I ride around 3 days a week schooling & two days competing! Two/Three horses each time. I've never had an issue with fitness before, but could the fact I'm working late nights and early mornings have a play on this or am I just getting older and loosing the "unending energy" you seem to have when under 20? (I'm 21!)

Any tips on whether more sleep would be of benefit, better foods, or more productive riding to get fitter?

 

[Dizzleton]

I've recently been on a big health kick and it's actually paying off. I wasn't overweight, I was just unfit.

I've started running/jogging for around 3 miles every other night and I've cut down my portions of food and staying clear of breads, fizzy drinks, sweets, chocolate etc whilst drinking 2 litres of water a day. If I'm hungry I eat fruit and yoghurts. I've found it's so much easier to do the work round the stables and ride lots of horses in one day.

I remember Carl Hester saying something in Fantastic Elastic along the lines of you shouldn't have a bead of sweat on you, your horse should be doing the work; which is very true. So maybe think of what your instructor is asking of your horse and you, is it too much for your level or is she pushing you too much?

P.S: You should aim for 8 hours of sleep

 

[Gracie21]

Ditto above! I have actually been sleeping TOO much! Now I go to bed at 11, get up at 7 and I'm much better for it! I never used to drink enough so have a bottle of cold water all the time, and top up with mint tea too. I run 3 miles 3 times a week. MAKE SURE you eat enough food!! I used to not eat between lunch and dinner, which found me nearly falling asleep at around 4pm, now I have a snack at about half 2 (normally an apple) and I get through fine! I'm 21 too and totally understand where you're coming from, I used to want to fall asleep on nights out

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

I could just be that you are working harder in the lesson than you do normally, even if you think you are stretching your fitness when you ride outside of the lessons.

I used to ride 4-5 horses a day, mucked out 15 stables, walked miles to fields etc and thought I was pretty fit, but a lesson with one particular instructor or a session on the racing simulator one day proved I was merely just dabbling in being fit