Kelly van den Berg is a professional accredited riding coach, dressage competitor and horse educator. She has been riding and around horses for most of her life and has tried almost every type of discipline that involves a horse from track riding, cutting, showjumping to eventing and now dressage. Along the way Kelly has accumulated injures that have made her more aware of the need for complete riding fitness suited to the tasks that you are asking your horses to perform. In 2010 Kelly fell from a horse resulting in a break in a lower vertebrae and two prolapsed discs in her back. Health professionals told her she would not ride again but through making lifestyle adjustments and paying more attention to core strength and fitness Kelly was able to return to training and riding horses in her full time business as well as competing on her own horses at professional level. Kelly shares some tips with us on how to look after yourself off the horse.
There are many articles surrounding the care, fitness and training of the dressage horse…..but what about the rider?
There is an old saying; The Horse is Your Mirror. This rings very true when contemplating the riders fitness and suppleness. A stiff one-sided horse is often attributed to a stiff blocking rider. Before we consider our horse’s inabilities or limitations let’s first look to our own. There is a great deal that every rider can do to improve their flexibility and fitness off the horse that will improve your performance and your horses performance and willingness.
Horses are extraordinary animals that speak to us. They give their feedback to you instantly. For example, when a rider holds her own back tensely, the horse cannot be free in his back. Although horses move freely in their natural state, as soon as the weight of a rider is added, they must re-balance themselves. When a rider is not balanced, this re-balancing of the horse is hampered since he must use more muscular effort through his back in his attempt to balance, which hinders his most effective movement. When a horse’s back is tense, his gaits are stiff and he must try harder at everything he is asked to do.
Horses are extremely sensitive to their riders, from weight changes to excess tension, even to the mood of the rider. When a rider learns a more fluid and balanced use of her back, the horse can move freely and becomes more fluid and balanced himself. A dressage rider is required to remain completely balanced, motionless and consistent on the horse to achieve the maximum effectiveness and positively influence the horse. In other words, the rider must sit still with a seat that follows the movement of the horse harmoniously. Any extra movement of the rider if it is not in harmony will go against the horse movement and cause a breakdown in communication. Learning to sit still whilst remaining supple and effective is not about learning on the horse. This requires a high degree of core stabilization and a physical/mental connection to the specific muscle groups engaged in riding.
I have learnt through my own experience that keeping fit and looking after your well being and health off the horse is a huge asset on the horse. Here are some of my tips for improving your riding fitness
Get your alignment checked by a health professional
This should always be the first step. You may be working against a misalignment in your body….know and understand your body before you start with rigorous training routines.
Equally the shoulders and the hips, that are both ball and socket joints, can over-rotate and become tight. The main reason most riders have difficulty getting into the correct position on the horse and staying there is due to the imbalance in both these areas.
Rhythm in a rider, is free-movement that is controlled and given by the rhythm of the horse. The energy that is produced within the core is not seen because the package of the horse and rider absorb the movement.
We all need core support, the area that lies somewhere around your center. Stability is the engagement and elastic control of this area.
Suppleness and Exercise
Pilates and Yoga exercises are extremely productive for developing stability, which leads to better rhythm in the saddle. Not just for a rider’s flexibility training, deep-strengthing benefits the body as a whole.
A great training aid I have found for working core strength off the horse is Pilates. Pilates is abody conditioning routine that helps build flexibility and strength. It puts emphasis on spinaland pelvic alignment, breathing to relieve stress and allow adequate oxygen flow to muscles, developing a strong core or center which tones abdominals while strengthening the back. Pilates greatly improves coordination and balance.
Swimming
Regular swimming keeps your flexibility and cardiovascular fitness levels up in a low impact environment. I try to swim laps at the local heated pool at east 2 times a week. A great fun way to keep fit!
Bike riding
Bike riding is also a good cardiovascular exercise that works the hips joints in a different way to horse riding and keeps your pelvis and hip joints loose and supple.
Remember that dressage is a team effort! It takes training of both horse and the rider.
Happy riding!
Kelly van den Berg