Welcome to Rider Bootcamp

As a runner, I am fully aware of the importance of being fit enough to complete your race without injury. You log countless hours into your training and do your best to ensure that your nutritional needs are met along with any cross-training necessary to improve your race performance. For riding, on the other hand, I’ve tended to say “oh I’m a runner and I do all my own barn chores, I’m fit enough”. When I would read about other bloggers dedicating time to their own fitness I would laugh and ignore them preaching “fitness is everything”. I’m a half marathon runner, that has to be good enough. Well folks, after my first event, let me tell you that it is not enough. 

Rider fitness is a theme commonly discussed by various bloggers and equestrian magazines but sometimes I don’t think we take it seriously enough. My first event went fairly well in terms of I stayed on the horse, didn’t die, and finished on a number, not a letter. But my personal fitness left a lot to be desired. 

The day before my little group and I went cross country schooling. We spent several hours on the XC course schooling every jump and working through Cupid’s water issues. During this schooling session, I found myself collapsing at the shoulders, swinging my leg back, and letting my leg off as I got more exhausted. My jumps got sloppier and I could seriously feel the ride in my hips and back. I chalked this up to spending 3+ hours out on course, while Cupid was conditioned to 3+ hour rides I was used to those rides being simple trail rides. 

The next morning, I woke up feeling the overuse from the day before. Walking was a bit stiff, tacking up made me alert to some tension in my shoulders and back, and I was utterly exhausted. The high point of dressage is that we stayed in the arena and did something resembling the Beginner Novice Test A. The low point is that we entered the arena spooking, and I managed to completely forget how to ride from my leg. Show Jump was completed but had a super fun rider error in which I lost my leg on a combination. Cross Country was where I started to feel the impact of my lack of fitness. We started fairly solid and picked up a decent pace, but after the 3rd fence, I could feel my lack of core strength and my lower leg being completely ineffective. If Cupid wasn’t such a game partner who truly likes cross country then we never would have made it through the course with no refusals. I walked away from this event feeling extremely proud of Cupid and extremely let down by myself. I had expected my partner to be fit and ready to go, yet invested virtually no time into my own fitness. 

As riders, we spend hours working on our mounts and their needs. We ensure they have a properly balanced diet, we invest in all the latest and greatest therapy items, we spend hours building their fitness the right way, yet we spend virtually no time on ourselves. For us, we decide that a breakfast of Diet Coke and Pop Tarts is enough, we pop Tylenol to battle our aches and pains, and we assume our barn chores have us covered for our fitness levels.

Well, folks, I’m here to say that enough is enough. Your mounts deserve better. 

By preparing Cupid but not myself I ended up expecting her to carry us through the day as opposed to being a 50/50 partnership. As riders, we can spend hours preparing in the saddle trying to emulate top riders and wishing we could have half the success that they do. But the biggest factor, outside of finances, that sets the top riders on top is their dedication to the sport. Top riders will spend hours in the saddle, riding multiple horses each day, but also turn around and put in hours in the gym. Their focus is not only on their horses but also on themselves bringing themselves to a 50/50 partnership. 

Since that event, I have logged more hours than before on my own fitness. I’ve gone back to focusing on building my base fitness through running. I’ve been utilizing a 5k training program designed to improve my speed and dedicating more time to hill repeats. No, not trotting or cantering up a hill, I’m talking full-on jogging up the hill propelled by my own two feet. I’ve also 

begun using several strength training programs designed specifically for equestrians. One of the programs I have completed was a two-week boot camp designed to provide a full-body workout for equestrians. I’ve also begun completing focused upper body, core, and lower body workouts. All designed to focus on muscles used by equestrians. 

After several weeks of daily workouts, I’ve noticed a rapid improvement in my equitation. My lower leg is far more stable over fences, my upper body is far more relaxed with less collapsing of my shoulders, and I’m actually able to support my ride through my core. When you’re able to sit the trot without feeling like popcorn you know that your fitness program is beginning to work. 

Now, I’m not trying to shame anyone into working out. But take a look at your fitness and just consider how much focusing on yourself could help your ride. I know it’s made me feel like a much better rider!