For many of us, squeezing in riding time between work, family, home and other commitments means we may have just an hour or two at a time to devote to our horse routine. And some days, we have much less. It’s frustrating, right? We want to continue to improve our horsemanship. But how do we do that with such a limited amount of time to ride? Luckily, there’s good news. By paying attention to the elements of good riding as we navigate our everyday life, we can improve our riding without spending more hours in the saddle. These can include:

◆ Balance
◆ Breathing
◆ Staying in the moment
◆ Relaxation

If you’re ready to leverage your non-riding hours to improve your horsemanship, here are a few ideas to start building daily habits that will translate to your riding.

Because our days are packed, each of these practices takes just a few minutes a day. You can do them anywhere, and all you need is a timer to get started.

Improving Balance

Balance is a key part of being a good rider. When we can balance in the saddle with our body aligned correctly, we can ride without gripping with our legs, shoving our feet forward in the stirrups, or hanging on with the reins.

Better balance means our aids—legs, hands, seat—become independent and precise, and it can help us ride with less pain, too.

Ideas to Try:

◆ Standing yoga poses. Try Mountain, Warrior, Triangle, Tree and Chair poses (visit Yoga Journal for tips).
◆ Stand on a BOSU ball or balance board for a few minutes a couple times a day.
◆ Use a saddle chair or yoga ball instead of a regular desk chair.
◆ Walk or hike on uneven ground.

Improving Breathing

The quality of our breathing impacts our everyday life and significantly affects our riding, and is a key factor to improve. When we hold our breath or our breathing is fast and shallow in our upper chest, it triggers the sympathetic nervous system and the fight or flight response. It also limits the amount of oxygen in our brain and body, which slows down decision making and reaction time.

Not only does shallow breathing create tension and stress in our body, it does the same for your horse. He may respond with tension, bracing, shying, bolting, or being fearful. When you change your breathing to deeper, slower, full breaths, you relax and your horse does, too.

Ideas to Try:

◆ Notice your breathing. Set a timer to ring every hour during the day. When it chimes, simply notice your breathing and how you’re feeling. Are you relaxed and breathing deeply? Are you tense and breathing shallowly? Don’t change anything—just bring awareness.
◆ If you discover your breathing has been shallow or quick, take a few minutes to use one of these tips to deepen your breath.
◆ Try box breathing. Inhale for five counts, hold for five counts, exhale for five counts, hold for five counts. Repeat for five cycles, then return to regular deep breathing.
◆ Try Pilates breathing. Take a long, slow inhale, expanding your lower rib cage as you inhale. Exhale slowly. Repeat three times. It can help to put your hands lightly on your lower ribs and feel the expansion.

Staying in the Moment

Our world doesn’t make it easy to stay present. With social media, games, texts, videos and music as close as our phone, it’s easy to get distracted. Horses, on the other hand, are always in this moment.

A key to good riding is staying present with our horse. If he stumbles, spooks or bucks and our mind is elsewhere—thinking about what to make for dinner, the big meeting tomorrow, our kid’s last report card—that minor blip in our ride can turn into a fall and a major injury for us or our horse. Staying in the moment during your everyday life can help you improve doing the same with your horse.

Ideas to Try:

◆ Practice doing one task a time. Set a timer for 30 minutes. Work only on that task until the timer goes off. Multitasking has been shown to greatly decrease productivity and efficiency.
◆ Take intentional tech breaks. Close email and social media or put your phone in another room for 15 minutes. Start a no-tech-at-dinner challenge.
◆ Go for an awareness walk. Set your timer for 10 minutes. During the walk, bring awareness to one thing, like the sounds you hear, the feeling of your right foot, or looking for the color yellow. When your mind wanders (and it will), come back to your focus area.
◆ Meditate. Focus on your breathing for 10 minutes. Inhale and exhale. When thoughts come up (and they will), notice them and return your focus to your breathing.

Relaxation & Softness

“Relax!” We’ve all heard this from our riding instructors, but forcing yourself to relax often has the opposite effect. Jamming your shoulders down and sitting up straight adds tension, not relaxation. Instead, bring awareness to how your body moves during your everyday to loosen habits of tension and use this to improve your riding.

Ideas to Try:

◆ Use less muscle to do a task. Let’s take driving as an example. Are you holding the steering wheel in a death grip? Are your arms locked, braced or rigid? Practice holding the steering wheel like a baby bird—using just enough pressure to be effective. Take that awareness to other tasks.
◆ Become aware of your posture. Set an hourly timer and notice how your body is positioned. Are you slouched, or are your shoulders raised up to your ears? Take a moment, stand up, move your body, and relax into better posture.
◆ Practice mental softness. Set an hourly timer and notice your inner dialogue. Is it critical, judgmental, stressed or negative, either to yourself or others? If you find this is a frequent mental habit, create a simple phrase to redirect your thoughts. Post it on your computer, bathroom mirror, car dashboard or anywhere else to remind you that you have a choice in how you respond to the day.

Your Turn to Practice in Everyday Life

Take a few minutes and think about which areas are most challenging for you. Pick one to start with and bring focus to it during the day.

Track your practice over several days. A month is even better to build new habits to improve your riding—and maybe everyday daily life!

By spending just a few minutes a day bringing awareness to the elements of good horsemanship, you can deepen your riding skills. No saddle needed.

This article about improving your riding through elements of everyday life appeared in the June 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Improve Your Riding Through Your Everyday Life appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Some pain issues may need to be addressed by a doctor or chiropractor, or even better, a physical therapist who understands the specific injuries of equestrians.

Physical Therapy That Caters to Equestrians

Lindsay Whipple, PT, DPT, and founder of EquiPT, based in Queen Creek, Ariz., offers a local mobile physical therapy service for equestrians that also travels to equine facilities, clinics and shows. Her treatment methods and corrective exercise programs are designed to cater to the unique demands of any level of equestrian.

Whipple starts her assessment in the arena and watches her client ride, concentrating on the problems the rider is feeling while also looking for any minor subtle movements and body carriage that the rider may not even be aware of but that can contribute to discomfort and pain.

“My riders are either in active pain that is making their daily activities rough and harming performance for themselves or their horse, or [they] want to develop an independent seat,” says Whipple. “I love being able to connect all the movements and help riders modify their equitation and body mechanics to support a healthier and safer way of riding.”

Her sessions end with riders on the portable treatment table, where she will evaluate their complaints and injuries.

“I want to find the target areas, trigger points and any surprise discomforts in the exam, which feel like tight denseness in the soft tissue,” Whipple says. “This may be a little uncomfortable for my client, but it helps me identify the extent of the damage and arrange a treatment plan, exercises and stretches that will support healing.”

Body Awareness for Equestrians

Awareness of your own body is just as important as awareness of your horse.

“Taking a longeline lesson will help isolate which body parts are hurting without having to be 100 percent in charge of your horse,” says Whipple. “Make a mental list of what exactly is uncomfortable, and if it’s a new strain or lingering chronic pain. Remember not to leave anything unaddressed, as it usually will build into a worsening problem.”

Everybody responds to pain and injury differently, and each individual tolerates these and compensates in various ways by changing their body mechanics.

“Sometimes riders don’t notice this happening, and this type of overuse can delay recovery, which keeps you out of the saddle,” says Whipple. “Limiting your riding time as your body heals will actually prolong saddle time down the road. This needs to be a motivating process, as staying off your horse can be quite heartbreaking.”

Common Rider Complaints

Lucy Brochynski, PT, DPT, CERP, is owner of Horse and Rider Physical Therapy, a mobile concierge physical therapy service for equestrians based in Northern California. Brochynski’s horse passion started at a young age with showing on the Quarter Horse circuit.

“Two common areas where riders develop pain in are the lower back and hips,” says Brochynski. “We are often bending over, lifting heavy objects and sustaining the impact that riding causes on the lower back. To prevent these injuries, riders need to focus on good body mechanics on and off the horse to improve core strength.”

Riding position can also lead to inflammation and pain in the hips from the way the pelvis is positioned.

“Often I see riders with one tight hip muscle while the opposite side hip muscles are weak,” says Brochynski. “This causes riders to lean to one side or sit more on one seat bone than the other, throwing the rider and horse off balance. The best way to strengthen hip and pelvis muscles is to do correct glute exercises as explained by a doctor or physical therapist.”

Tips for Equestrians Needing Physical Therapy

Danielle Shugard, DPT, owns DCS Physical Therapy in Chesterfield, N.J., where she travels to homes, barns and events helping riders alleviate pain and improve their overall biomechanics.

“Being mindful of how you treat your body is key to maximize time spent in the saddle,” says Shugard. Warming up before you ride increases blood flow to your muscles, raises your heart rate, and mentally prepares you for what’s to come.

“I suggest jumping jacks, marching in place, gentle lunges to the front and side, and little squats,” Shugard continues. “Mentally preparing for how you want your body to work can have a dramatic effect when you’re in the saddle. This is a great time to take a few deep breaths and let go of any stress you don’t want in the saddle with you. It doesn’t have to take a long time, but both warm-up ideas can improve your entire ride.”

Stretching & Strengthening as an Equestrian

These are meant to be general guidelines, but make sure you speak with a medical professional prior to starting any new activities, or if you are having any pain.
The following exercises from Shugard address multiple muscle groups and work in functional patterns.

◆ Squats: Start with a chair behind you at first in case you lose balance and have to sit down. Place your feet hip-width apart and slowly push your hips back into a sitting position while bending your knees to increase activation of your glutes. Continue to lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor. To add difficulty and use more muscle groups, add a loop resistance band just above your knees.

◆ Hamstring stretch: While seated on the floor, place your leg out straight, then lean forward over it, feeling the stretch in the back of your leg, then switch legs.

◆ Single leg circles: Lying on your back, raise one leg up toward the ceiling and make controlled circles. Make as big of a circle as you comfortably can.

◆ External rotator stretches: Lying on your back with your legs bent, cross one leg over the other, then bring them both up toward your chest, feeling the stretch in the glute muscle of the top leg.

◆ Chest opener stretches: Roll up a towel or blanket and lay it on the floor or a bed along the length of your back. Lie face up on the roll—it should feel like a gentle stretch across the front of your chest.

◆ Coordination stretches: Raise one arm out in front of you and the opposite leg. Then raise the same side leg and arm, and switch. Is there one side that’s easier to do than the other?

Don’t let poor posture, weak or overworked muscles, inflamed joints, or the agony of an injury steal riding time unnecessarily. Finding a physical therapist who works with equestrians can make all the difference.

This article about physical therapy for equestrians appeared in the June 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Physical Therapy for Equestrians appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

An honest evaluation gives insight into why the responsibilities of the barn, horse and other life stresses seem unbearable. Thinking about the strenuous duties, both mentally and physically, you can talk yourself out of just visiting your horse—let alone the energy to catch your horse and collect your gear, groom him, tack up, and ride.  

Finding Your Purpose

Mental skills coach, equine sport psychologist, and author Tonya Johnston, M.A., says that if we sit down and ask ourselves “why?”, we should be able to answer that question and find out what drives us to be an equestrian. 

“Your WHY can change depending on what your needs are at the time or perhaps for your future,” says Johnston. “Sometimes you need a more peaceful, less goal-orientated view when it comes to riding. Sometimes the social outlet to be with like-minded barn friends will help redefine your WHY. Answering your WHY will also shed light on other things that may be blurring your barn vision, such as feeling a bit depressed, having new aches and pains that make riding hurt, mental fatigue and trouble focusing during your ride, and problems communicating with your instructor and horse. It should trigger you to ask for help from a medical professional, a mental coach, or friend, or to find a new trainer or boarding facility before the issue becomes too big to handle.” 

She says that setting small, tangible weekly goals that make it easier to see your accomplishments will make your WHY more meaningful.

“I call these performance goals, remembering it’s fine to adjust these as you go through the ebb and flow of your busy life, allowing flexibility and making an effort to bring back the fun in and out of the barn,” says Johnston. “Take a step back and reframe your priorities—if you have family issues, you’re not sleeping well, or you have a big commitment at work—then change your goals to accommodate how horse time fits in best over these times.” 

For example, instead of spending five rushed evenings a week at the barn not being fully present, set the goal to three evenings with quality rides. Setting achievable goals can help make barn time fun rather than stressful.

Delegating Responsibilities 

Janet Sasson Edgette, PsyD, is an equestrian sport psychologist and author. She says that taking accountability for how you prioritize your time is crucial to making barn time fun. 

“It’s important to look at the different facets of riding, horse ownership and life outside the barn separately so you can figure out what’s working and what’s not,” she says. “Going home at the end of a long day of work and riding and finding that you have hungry kids or trash that still needs to go out can make you wonder whether you have room in your life to ride. This would be the time to rally your family members together and hold them accountable for their role in keeping the household running without relying totally on you. It could mean less resentment for you, in addition to more barn time or guilt-free rides, because you know the housework and errands aren’t just sitting there waiting for you.”

People who struggle to set limits, worry about disappointing others, or like being the go-to person need to realize what those habits are costing them, she explains. 

“Not only does this give you unrealistic expectations for yourself, but it invites people to ask you and expect more of you,” says Sasson Edgette. “Boundaries remind you and others that there are limits to how available you are or how generous with your time and energy you want to be. Exercising your right to say ‘no,’ or ‘I’m sorry, I can’t help you this time,’ can be used in all life’s aspects—work, social life, family and the barn.”

Taking a Breather

Feeling depressed about the non-riding aspects of your life can bleed over and make it hard to muster the energy to enjoy barn time. However, concentrating on what you can change and developing a perspective on those things that you can’t may feel impossible. 

Sasson Edgette says finding a therapist and letting people who care about you know you’re struggling will help you with some of these decisions and choices. 

“Being kind and patient with yourself is the way you want to approach this,” she adds.

Performance Pressure

If the loss of the feel-good moments at the barn stems from a training problem, then it’s crucial to ask for help before you lose confidence and create bad habits that will take more time and energy to fix down the road. A fall or accident, a misbehaving horse, setting unrealistic training goals, not seeing eye-to-eye with your trainer, or feeling over-faced with a horse who is above your skill level can make barn time lose its magic.  

“Work with trainers who you and your horse communicate well with,” says Patrick Cohn, Ph.D., a mental game coach and sports psychologist who owns Peak Performance Sports. “Assess your relationship with your horse and how you both enjoy that relationship. Keep in mind that you are a person first and foremost. Riding is what you do, not who you are, and it shouldn’t define your life outside the barn.” 

4 Tips to Get the Fun Back Janet Sasson Edgette, PsyD, an equestrian sport psychologist and author, offers her top four tips for getting you and your horse through whatever’s zapping the fun out of your barn time. 1. If you’re discouraged because your progress has hit a wall, it might be time to speak to your trainer—not to complain or blame your horse, but rather to ask what else you could be doing in order to get back on track. 2. If part of your drop in enthusiasm is the result of a fall or accident, don’t try to push your way through your anxiety or your fears—it will always make it worse. You might need to start back riding again under conditions in which you’re comfortable. If that means riding in the indoor after your horse has been turned out for a full day, and only walking and trotting, then that’s where you start! 3. There are periods of our lives where things don’t work well or feel good or look promising. A break may help, such as leasing your horse out for six months, or hiring someone to keep your horse fit enough, or putting your horse out on pasture for a while. You can also try riding even though you don’t feel great, and it will just be a different kind of riding experience for a little while. 4. Ask yourself these questions and answer honestly: Are you over-faced? Is your barn too fancy or competitive for you? Do you need a different barn social environment with more people your age or skill level?

Pressure to excel will hurt your motivation and love for the animal and the sport, he adds. Getting overwhelmed with demands and putting the rest of life on the back burner can cause riders to get burned out. 

“An important factor for you to manage is the expectations of others, and the ones you put on yourself, to accomplish your horse and life goals,” says Cohn.

Finding your WHY and taking care of it keeps life from stealing your joy, passion, and bonds with those you care about. Having a clear approach to protect your WHY with horses can get you back in the saddle and experiencing more joy than ever.

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