The Rider's Fitness Program

The Rider's Fitness Program
Author: Dianna Robin Dennis
Publisher: Storey Publishing
Total Pages: 229
Release: 2004-01-01
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1580175422

Here is the perfect book for beginning riders who are using muscles they never knew they had before, advanced riders who want to stay in top form (especially as they get older), and weather-bound riders who want to be fit when spring arrives. The Rider's Fitness Program details a fun and effective six-week program that strengthens the muscles riders use while improving overall balance, flexibility, and coordination. The book features more than 85 exercises designed to help new riders get over the aches and pains of getting started and experienced riders hone their skills and technique and prevent injuries. The routines are flexible, so you can customize the workout you need for jumping, dressage, reining, endurance, polo, or rodeo. The exercises are accompanied by step-by-step photographs that demonstrate how to perform each action properly (with an emphasis on safety). They progress from basic to advanced and are suitable for riders at all fitness levels. The authors also include fundamental information on diet, general health and safety, and clothing and equipment.

Fit to Ride in 9 Weeks!

Fit to Ride in 9 Weeks!
Author: Heather Sansom
Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books
Total Pages: 489
Release: 2016-09-01
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1570768307

Regardless of discipline, level of expertise, training philosophy, body shape, or fitness level, all riders do better—in horse-related activities on the ground and in the saddle—when they take care of their bodies and maintain their fitness. While riding is a great way to enjoy an active lifestyle, on its own it is not enough to condition and tone the body to the degree we need, and then the horse must make up the fitness gap in our physical partnership. If our reflexes are slow, if our bodies fatigue, if our position collapses, if tension patterns appear, then the horse suffers repetitive asymmetrical strain or develops compensatory movement habits. It is for his good, as well as ours, that certified personal trainer and riding coach Heather Sansom has developed an utterly achievable 9-week plan to give every rider the straightness, suppleness, strength, and stamina she needs to rider her best. With hundreds of one-of-a-kind illustrations depicting accurate musculature on the rider’s body, and dozens of proven exercises organized in a progressive fitness program with easy-to-use schedule charts, Sansom’s book is the key to enjoying the ride, being fair to your horse, and getting into fabulous shape—in nine weeks!

Rider Fitness

Rider Fitness
Author: Eckart Meyners
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2011
Genre: PETS
ISBN: 9781570764820

"Step-by-step instructions for rider exercises off and on the horse to better their performance and ability to communicate functionally with their horse"--

Equine Fitness

Equine Fitness
Author: Jec Aristotle Ballou
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Total Pages: 169
Release: 2009-12-09
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1603426698

Get your horse in shape and maintain his overall fitness, regardless of his age or abilities. Equine Fitness will have your horse looking and feeling his best with a series of fun exercise routines specifically designed to enhance his strength, stamina, and agility. Clear step-by-step instructions and detailed illustrations make the exercises easy to follow, and the book includes a handy set of pocket-sized cards that you can use in the ring. Jec Ballou’s simple conditioning program promises lasting results for healthy horses and satisfied riders.

101 Jumping Exercises for Horse & Rider

101 Jumping Exercises for Horse & Rider
Author: Linda Allen
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2010-06-24
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 160342394X

Get jumping! This collection presents a logical series of fun and rewarding exercises that are designed to develop your horse-jumping skills. With straightforward instructions and clear arena maps, this guide can be hung on a pole and easily referenced from the saddle. In addition to clearly articulated goals and progressively difficult variations, each exercise also includes encouraging advice on what the rider should keep in mind while jumping. Saddle up and get ready to fly through the air with grace and confidence.

Ultimate Exercise Routines for Riders

Ultimate Exercise Routines for Riders
Author: Laura Crump Anderson
Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books
Total Pages: 417
Release: 2023-03-17
Genre: Pets
ISBN: 1646010779

Eight equestrian-specific workouts to suit any rider's body, age, ability, and schedule. It is no secret that riders often neglect their own needs in order to ensure their horses' are met. Countless dollars go toward massages, chiropractic work, and various other therapies that keep our equines comfortable and performing their best. We carefully schedule their training programs to achieve peak fitness at just the right time, and we juggle our personal lives—careers, family, you name it—around it all. But horse sports are a partnership, and if we want our horses to be at their best, then we have to be at ours, and that means paying careful attention to our own athletic bodies. Most riders argue they simply don't have the time to work out and still give their horses the time they need, so certified personal trainer Laura Crump Anderson has written a book that specifically targets the ever-present dilemma of how to fit fitness into a horse-crazy lifestyle. Beginning with explanations of why strength, flexibility, and balance is important to achieve out of the tack, Anderson provides important rules and guidelines for stretching, weight training, and cardio to keep you safe. A lifelong equestrian herself, she then approaches the scheduling issue head-on, helping readers determine where best to fit in the minutes they need in the places they need to be anyway—the tack room, the arena, the barn aisle. Using only basic items you are likely to find around the stable, she keeps equipment needs straightforward, recognizing that the less likely it is you forget something, the more likely it is you'll get that workout in. Readers are then treated to eight original fitness routines and two stretching routines. Full color photographs of top riders, including Jan Byyny, Sloane Coles, Kaitlin Clasing, Lauren Sprieser, and Sharon White, and USEA Groom of the Year Rachael Livermore demonstrate how to perform exercises effectively, and step-by-step instructions ensure you get it right.

Centered Riding

Centered Riding
Author: Sally Swift
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 216
Release: 1985-01-15
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 9780312127343

Widely known for her innovative teaching philosophy stressing body awareness, the value of "soft eyes," proper breathing, centering, and balance, Sally Swift has been a pioneering riding instructor for half a century. In book form for the first time, her methods enable horse and rider to achieve harmony, working together naturally, without pain. Unlike traditional teachers, Sally Swift does not believe in forced training techniques that cause stiff bodies and tense riding. Instead, through the use of vivid, unusual, and highly creative images that transcend mechanics ("Pretend you're a spruce tree; the roots grow down from your center as the trunk grows up"), plus a thorough knowledge of human and equine anatomy, this wise and inspiring teacher enables the conscientious equestrian to reassess habitual responses, in order to ride in natural positions, break through frustrating plateaus, and achieve ever-rising goals with comfort, vitality, and precision. Precise illustrations and photographs never before used in riding books explain anatomy and image work to give mind and body new and relaxed approaches to the inner process of riding. Centered Riding is for those with little experience all the way up to world class.

101 Western Dressage Exercises for Horse & Rider

101 Western Dressage Exercises for Horse & Rider
Author: Jec Aristotle Ballou
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2014-08-09
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1603429212

This series of Western Dressage exercises are designed to improve suppleness, balance in movement, and responsiveness. Each exercise has a specific goal in mind, and they are organized by different areas of focus: softness, looseness, rider development, engagement, adjustability, and ground work. With illustrated step-by-step instructions and full arena diagrams, you’ll quickly be on your way to mastering this exciting discipline.

50 5-Minute Fixes to Improve Your Riding

50 5-Minute Fixes to Improve Your Riding
Author: Wendy Murdoch
Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books
Total Pages: 386
Release: 2010-07-01
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1570766398

5 minutes a day is all the time you need to achieve: • Better balance in the saddle • Improved body control from head to toe • Increased influence with your seat • Flawless leg position and subtle aiding • Quieter, softer hands and contact your horse can trust • Less physical stiffness, tension, and riding-related pain • Confidence in your ability to communicate with your horse! PLUS, in just 5 minutes you can improve a horse that's: • Unwilling to go forward or "dead" to the leg • Hollow-backed, high-headed, or above the bit • Heavy on the forehand and unbalanced • A chronic "puller," "leaner," or "head-tosser"! Start or end your riding sessions with Wendy Murdoch's 5-Minute Fixes, and you'll be amazed how quickly you can replace old habits with new ones, get out of your "riding rut," and transform what you can't do into what you can do…naturally, capably, comfortably, and consistently alongside a happy riding partner—your horse.

Pressure Proof Your Riding

Pressure Proof Your Riding
Author: Daniel Stewart
Publisher: Trafalgar Square
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2013
Genre: Pets
ISBN: 9781570765414

Addressing the psychology of competing in equestrian events, this handbook helps riders confront and alleviate the anxiety that often presents itself in competition. Pressure, stress, nerves, distraction, and anxiety are feelings that go hand-in-hand with participating in such events, forcing riders to deal with the competitive nature of showing. Walking riders through specific tools and tricks that can be used to manage and overcome the panic that can hinder performance, this training manual also offers advice on how to embrace and enjoy every minute of performing with an equine partner. From “Plan the Ride, and Ride the Plan,” to overall mental training, this must-have book is a fantastic tool for any competitor who wants to conquer their show jitters and do their best at every competition, while feeling confident and happy throughout the experience.