As equestrians, we often spend endless time and effort on our horse’s diet, training, and wellness routines, and neglect our own.
Our horses have strict nutritional plans, a dedicated training schedule, stringent warmups and cool downs, a masseuse, a chiropractor ... while we wolf down breakfast while driving to the barn and count mucking stalls as a cardio workout!
“We never focus on our own training. We only focus on the horse,” said Ingrid Sundqvist, founder of digital training partner Ridely. “I can eat a sandwich for lunch, but my horse gets a very structured feeding program. I don't work out, but my horse has a perfect fitness plan. I think we would really benefit from putting a bit more focus on ourselves, too.”
Taking care of your own health and fitness will not only make you a calmer and happier human being; it will also make you a better rider.
“My riding got a lot better when I started working out,” said Jamie Graham, founder of equestrian fitness company, Haybales & Barbells.
Graham took a hiatus from riding for five years while at college and focused solely on working out, and when she finally got back in the saddle, she felt more secure and was riding better. “It was because I had been working on my strength, flexibility, and mobility,” she said.
Haybales & Barbells’ on-demand workout collections include two-week bootcamps, a professional rider program, and a 30-day core challenge. Riders can also choose options that will directly impact their riding, such as low leg stability or improving their seat.
Most of Graham's workouts are body weight only, while others incorporate kettlebells, dumbbells, exercise bands, or barbells.
“People think that just because a workout is body weight, it’s not as effective,” Graham said. “It's actually harder! For us equestrians, we’re not trying to power lift or be super strong. Body weight for us is adequate and impactful.”
An added advantage of bodyweight workouts is that you can do them anywhere. Do you have 10 minutes to spare between riding and feed time? Make a workout space in your tack room and knock out a 10-minute core routine!
Riders should focus on equal cardio, strength, balance, mobility, and flexibility, according to Graham. She went on to explain that flexibility is how your muscle can stretch, while mobility is how you actively use that muscle. “You can be flexible without being mobile, but you can't be mobile without being flexible,” she clarified.
Sundqvist said the challenge is “to be strong without being stiff, have strength but also movement. It is about flexibility and suppleness. I would never do a strength training workout without doing a warmup and stretches beforehand. So why would you ride a horse without warming yourself up?”
Aside from the need for stretching, one of the most overlooked body parts when it comes to equestrian fitness is the hips.
“The hips are the key to riding, as they connect your lower body, upper body, and core,” Graham said. “A lot of people don’t realize that your leg position and how your toes point all comes from your core. They often think they have tight hips, when they really have weak hips.”
Graham believes that your hips are your foundation, so you should take care of them through strength and mobility exercises.
Another key body area is the core, because that activates before any of your limbs move.
“Your core is not just your abs, it's everything surrounding your trunk from your neck down to the bottom of your spine, including your entire back,” Graham explained.
You cannot just train specific parts of your body, however, as riding is a full body sport using all your muscles at the same time. It also requires body awareness and coordination, which correlates with compound exercises — such as a dumbbell squat through a clean to an overhead press — where you train multiple muscles in one move.
“There is a thing called ‘mind body connection,’ when you think about a specific muscle when you are working it, which translates well to what we do in the saddle,” Graham said. “If my brain is telling me I need to use more inside leg, it is easier to do that if I have trained the muscle connection in the gym and know where it is in my body.”
How often and for how long people work out depends on their riding schedule, lifestyle, and other obligations. You don’t have to do marathon workouts every day — the important thing is you do something consistently to take care of your body (and your mind).
“People often think, ‘if I don't do an hour workout that it's not effective.’ That's not the case. 10-minute or 20-minute workouts can work just as fine if not better,” Graham said. In fact, there have been studies that show if you break workouts into “fitness snacks” throughout the day, then it is equally as effective as a single, longer session.
Mental health, in addition to physical health, is a growing area of concern in our lives, both in and out of the saddle. Mindfulness training not only eases stress and helps with pre-show anxiety, but it also increases focus — which is essential when trying to learn a dressage test or memorize a jumping course.
“Being able to relax on purpose is such an important thing,” said Sundqvist. “Nerves and fear are issues so many people struggle with. Maybe you fell off in a jumping lesson and are afraid to jump, or were unseated on a trail ride and are scared to leave the arena.”
Practicing equestrian-focused yoga and meditation not only benefits your body but also reduces tension and promotes deeper breathing so that you can become a calmer rider and improve communication with your horse.
One of the best things about our sport is the longevity, with icons like 60-year-old Laura Kraut and 70-year-old John Whitaker
still at the top of their game. The key to that durability is listening to your body and moving it every day. The goal is to stay strong enough to be able to not only ride, but to be able to shovel manure, haul feed bags, and carry heavy tack for many years to come!
To learn more about how improving your fitness can benefit your riding, check out the USEF Network Learning Center videos on ClipMyHorse.TV, which are free to access with a USEF fan account or membership.