In Rhythm with Hilltop - Exercises for the Rider

Excercises for the Rider

Experts	Russell Scoop

Questions (For answers, scroll down or click on question)

What is a good source for exercises for riders that I can do at home or at a gym?

Can you reference any recent articles that pertain to how many calories you burn when you ride or anything that states that riding is good for your health?

Are there any exercises to make me grip with my calf instead of my knee when I am riding? What can help me to sit up between jumps?

What exercises can I do to unlock my hips? When I put my right hip forward to ask for a canter depart, I seem to severely overstretch some muscles and experience pain for several days after. I don't have this problem on the left.

Every time I ride over 20 minutes (saddle or style), my ankles get so sore I can hardly walk. The pain will grow from my feet (which are numb by this time) to my knees and eventually to my hips. I have checked with my doctor and he says I am doing fine. Can you recommend some exercises to overcome this pain?

I am a large, 6 foot, 250 lb. woman and have been riding a 9 year old, 15H appendix quarter horse mare for the past few years. I now have a 3 yr old, 15H paint gelding that my daughter started for me. He weighs about 1050 lbs. His knee joints are filled in and although he will grow more in height, his legs are done. I would like to know if it is safe for me to ride him.

Because of a vehicle accident about 9 years ago, my left knee has had 3 surgeries. My left leg is weak and the muscles refuse to rebuild. I have reduced feeling in my whole left leg and foot as opposed to my right side. I am having trouble balancing in the saddle mainly because I don't feel the contact of stirrup and side of the horse properly. This encourages fear in myself and has lowered my confidence, although I am successfully working through this, I am secure in the saddle. Is there any type of equipment I can safely use for helping me balance better and retain my stirrup? Is there any type of exercise that I can employ?

Questions and Answers

Q: Can you reference any recent articles that pertain to how many calories you burn when you ride or anything that states that riding is good for your health?

A: Dressage & CT Magazine has recently run a five part series of articles on getting your body in riding shape that should be very helpful to you.

Q: Are there any exercises to make me grip with my calf instead of my knee when I am riding? What can help me to sit up between jumps?

A: I suggest that you work on the lunge line. Practice your balance on the horse without reins and without gripping anywhere. The leg should be around the horse with a light touch but never gripping. Practice with short stirrups for jumping (without stirrups for dressage). Work on getting strength in your legs and an elastic "springy" feeling into the stirrups. You also need to do stretching when off the horse. Work your hamstrings and inner thighs and open your hips. Do stretches for shoulders and work on your posture when you're walking around off the horse. This will help you get more strength to sit up on the horse. I recommend beginning yoga classes or purchase a beginning stretching yoga video.

Q: What exercises can I do to unlock my hips? When I put my right hip forward to ask for a canter depart, I seem to severely overstretch some muscles and experience pain for several days after. I don't have this problem on the left.

A: It sounds as though the muscles that run from your right hip to right leg are, for whatever reason, in a hypertone and sensitive state. I would presume that if you apply pressure on the muscles on the inside of your thigh, they are sore or at least more sensitive than the left side. I suggest you see a good massage therapist, who can apply heat and suppling treatments. There should be much improvement after about three treatments. If there is no improvement, you should see a chiropractor.

Q: Every time I ride over 20 minutes (saddle or style), my ankles get so sore I can hardly walk. The pain will grow from my feet (which are numb by this time) to my knees and eventually to my hips. I have checked with my doctor and he says I am doing fine. Can you recommend some exercises to overcome this pain?

A: First, make sure your stirrups are not too short and you are not jamming your heels down while you are riding. Feel your leg with a light touch into the horse's side. You should have a straight line from the shoulder, through the hip, to the heel. Keep a light feeling of the weight into the heel with spring in your ankle. To work on your ankles and legs, stand with your legs apart, hip distance between your feet, toes forward, and from a standing position, go down into a squat. If you have trouble keeping your balance, hold onto something. Work on being able to lower your heels towards the floor. A second exercise is a half squat against the wall. Put your head, shoulders, and buttocks against the wall, while squatting with feet flat on the floor. Keep a steady, deep, even breath as you are in the squat. Work with squat 3 times a day. Start with 20 seconds and work up to 3 minutes per time.

Q: I am a large, 6 foot, 250 lb. woman and have been riding a 9 year old, 15H appendix quarter horse mare for the past few years. I now have a 3 yr old, 15H paint gelding that my daughter started for me. He weighs about 1050 lbs. His knee joints are filled in and although he will grow more in height, his legs are done. I would like to know if it is safe for me to ride him.

A: Please let your trainer advise you on this subject. I do not know what kind of riding you will be doing on your horse. The weight limit here on our farm for a horse of that size would be about 165 lbs.

Q: Because of a vehicle accident about 9 years ago, my left knee has had 3 surgeries. My left leg is weak and the muscles refuse to rebuild. I have reduced feeling in my whole left leg and foot as opposed to my right side. I am having trouble balancing in the saddle mainly because I don't feel the contact of stirrup and side of the horse properly. This encourages fear in myself and has lowered my confidence, although I am successfully working through this, I am secure in the saddle. Is there any type of equipment I can safely use for helping me balance better and retain my stirrup? Is there any type of exercise that I can employ?

A: Check with your physician or a physical therapist to see if Yoga or Tai Chi would be the proper exercise for you. Both disciplines will build strength and flexibility, improve balance, and give you the awareness of your body that you need. You need to find a good Yoga or Tai Chi teacher that can help you with your specific problems. Feel free to call me if you would like to get more information.

Q: What is a good source for exercises for riders that I can do at home or at a gym?

A: Yoga and T'ai Chi are good exercise programs that can easily be done at home or at a gym. Yoga promotes strength, flexibility, relaxation, and body awareness. T'ai Chi engages the whole body as a single unit, integrating energy from head to toe for coordinated, fluid movement, supple body, and quickens the mind. Other good cross training options are Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique, pilates, swimming, skiing. Equestrian Instruction, Jill K. Hassler-Scoop's new book, has some good ideas about a cross training program.