Fit For The Bit – Training Schedules?
How much time goes in to planning your own training schedule and how does it compare to what you have planned for your horse?
EXERCISE NUTRITION SLEEP
I have a client that has told me every night when she turns her horse’s out she closes the gate with a plea of… “Now please make good choices!”
We can all relate to that! But do we make good choices for ourselves? I would hope that you are spending as much time and giving as much thought to your own training program as you do your horses’ and please keep in mind, it too will benefit the horse you are riding tremendously!
Riding your horses should not be your workout. That is not fair to them!
Your should be physically and emotionally ready to ride them as soon as your foot goes in the stirrup! That takes preparation!
Just before you get on…
Did you get enough sleep?
Have you eaten properly so you have the energy?
Have you warmed up your body so you’re not stiff when you get
on theirs?Can you be focused on them? How are your emotions?
Planning your ongoing training program should be a process and you must trust it. You will then be easily ready for those 4 steps I just highlighted.
It will become routine but you have to practice first and that can sometimes be difficult, feel awkward or you might just not know where to begin. (Or maybe you have a routine but it just needs a little update!)
Keep it simple and start smart! Pick one action you could take that would improve each of the 4 items I listed.
For example, the night before you ride go to bed 30 minutes earlier, an hour before you ride have a smart snack & drink water (duh), march in place, do some squats and lunges (reach out to me for more mounting block warm up ideas) and take 10 deep breaths as deep as you can possibly go and think about how kind our horses are to even let us get up on their backs. Bring your focus to their spine and how you can take care of it with your spine! That is where the connection begins! Now step on the mounting block and with confidence and ease take the reins!
Have a great ride… rinse and repeat! Expand, improve, listen and learn!
If you would like to go a little deeper with these ideas, learn some of the concepts and develop a personalized training program for yourself please email me robin@rockinghorsefitness.com, call or text 703-582-1022!