Balanced Rider Workout

If someone tells you that riding a horse is easy, you know that they
haven’t done much riding themselves. How many times have you heard a
non-rider tell you, “I rode a horse for an hour once and I could hardly walk the next day!” Riding a horse takes a great degree of athleticism. You need powerful core muscles, stomach and back, to support your upper body. You need the ability to simultaneously tighten muscles while keeping others relaxed to give your horse accurate cues. You need to have a good sense of balance to stay in the middle of your horse’s motion. You also need strong legs to maintain stability and for clear communication. If you’ve ever spent any time at all in the saddle, you know that a horse is the ultimate thigh-master!

Being a strong and balanced rider is important because how you ride affects everything your horse does. As a rider you can enhance his ability to have smooth gaits and transitions and be responsive to your cues. On the contrary, you can completely interfere with his ability to perform correctly. For example, if you lean during turns, your horse will lean too. If you’re legs are too far forward, that’ll put you in what I call a “barc-o-lounger” position and you’re riding behind your horse’s center of motion and forcing him to alter his gaits to compensate. To get a feel of how easy it is to throw yourself and your horse off balance, stand on a level surface with both feet shoulder width apart. Lean about an inch to the right, the left, forward, and back. Can you feel your weight shifting? Now try walking and then running while tipped away from center. It’s not going to be comfortable for very long. Now do the same thing while carrying (or imagine carrying) 20% of your body weight on your shoulders that’s out of kilter. Hopefully that will give you a sense of how surprising little it can take to throw your horse off his game. To avoid being a hindrance on your horse’s performance, you need to develop strength, balance, and endurance. A great way to do all three is to stand in the saddle. First at the walk and then at the jog/trot and lope/canter stand as tall as you can while maintaining the proper ear-shoulder-hip-heel alignment. Your body will be inclined forward. If you feel yourself falling backward, it means your legs have slipped too far forward. Grab the saddle or some mane and pull them back. Keep those heels down, too. Hold this position for as long as you can and keep practicing every time you ride until you can easily maintain a stable position at least once around the arena at every gait.

The posting trot is another great way to build strength and endurance. Yes, even you western riders should be extending your horse’s jog (because it increases fluidity and flexibility, strengthens his topline, and improves his balance). Make sure you’re on the correct diagonal by rising as your horse’s outside shoulder reaches forward. That will help him stay balanced when he turns. You should also switch diagonals if you’re on a straight line such as on a trail. Keep your heels down, and allow the natural “bounce” of your horse’s extended stride to bump you out of the saddle. Your seat should come up and slightly forward and it should feel as though only your hips are moving. Maintain a steady rhythm and a sense of control, so that it doesn’t feel as though your entire body is being thrown out of the saddle.

To build your core and develop a solid connection to the saddle through your seat bones, do some isolated leg swings. Stretch up tall in the saddle by lifting your ribcage. Now alternately swing your legs forward and back (similar the way your arms swing when you walk). Do this with or without stirrups, and if you do it right you’ll feel it in your stomach as well as your hips and thighs.

If you are up for a real challenge, try riding without stirrups. It’s a workout, but it will help you find your horse’s center of balance and in mere moments you will feel your muscles burning and building up. Don’t believe anyone who says that a rider isn’t an athlete. Like your horse, you need to be in condition to perform well. It’s too easy to ride poorly and get in the way of your horse’s ability to do his job well. It’s worth taking the time to develop your strength and balance and be a stable and centered rider. It’s a great way to improve your fitness and help your horse perform at his best.

“Performance Through Partnership”™

Dale Rudin
“Performance Through Partnership”
Columbia, TN
For more info: www.dale-rudin-horse-training.com