the last word
Fitness is a pre-requisite for competition isn’t it? And just like your horse, you can be too fat to be fit. It’s obvious though, whatever type of competition you’re at, that some people still don’t take it all seriously enough. As a competitor and trainer, with extensive experience of every fitness – or otherwise - scenario imaginable, John Collier BHSI is well qualified to have.....
... the last word Fitness and Finesse
I’m running head to head lately with most of the sport’s lead bodies.....
I’ve a canny Geordie
lass coming for lessons towards her BHS exams at the moment and having been for training in the Midlands, she has been told that elocution lessons are needed. What to speak like Lenny Henry? I think not; more a case folk in the Midlands need to sit down and watch the episodes of Vera, so then they can speak right proper. I’ve been rather taken with this latest trend of having bits of fake fur attached to equestrian outfits. I’m not sure that buying this gear will serve to improve performance, but it has caused amusement. I said to a client today how I approved of fur, which she picked up as me approving affairs (!), which took some explaining; I said I couldn’t cope with more than one, and bigamists I could never understand.
I think it is very important that if you compete, both you and your horse are properly trained and at the risk of offending tree huggers, I have yet to discover how ‘joining up’ with my horse will produce that magic ‘below twenty’ dressage score. I’m staying very old fashioned and sticking with traditional training methods; it works for the German team, but I’m not averse to taking bits out from the current coaching trends where they fit in. I quite like a side salad with my chips. Fitness is taking a responsible attitude to how I train, my level of fitness, and that of my horse. Both me and the horse need to lose a bit of belly, I’m hoping the fitness training will do that, although he is struggling to balance on the pilates ball! I’ve been doing some mental training alongside the physical training, using the Peak brain training app on the boy’s ipad. I’ve got high
hopes, but deep down I think I am kidding myself. On a serious note, if you use an inhaler, keep up to date with the asthma clinic and make sure your inhaler is legal. At the indoor eventing we had a competitor stop and get her breath back three times. The mental training can help with asthma by reducing stress, but it can still be fatal. I had to tell a client today who felt taking her inhaler would lead to addiction and that despite gasping for breath she could do without it, that the worst case scenario would be me giving her CPR and that, she really didn’t want - the last one still hasn’t forgiven me! The biggest factor this time of year towards fitness is motivation, I did think of joining the gym to improve my fitness but I find mucking out a good workout and that comes free every day. I have taken to goal setting s and a reward
system. Recognising that I am overweight and unfit I have set targets, When I feel hungry and need a sugar fix I now go for fruit and therefore achieve my target, As a reward I am then allowed a piece of chocolate or a biscuit, somehow for me it doesn’t seem to work. I’ve got all the gear, a cross trainer and a rowing machine; I really should cash them in on ebay, there’s such a strong market pre season. I’ve taken a feather out of my horse’s cap and taken to grazing just like him, little and often, but I’m not struck on the pony nuts! Anyway there’s still time to mend my ways. All we need is a bit of dry weather and I’ll start my road work. Like I say to my horse, put your best foot forward and he’s lucky having got four to choose from!
Even when both horse and rider are properly fit, things can still go wrong
Equine Page 22
www.theequinesite.co.uk
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