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50/ JUNE 2017 THE RIDER Fitness For Riders: Navigating Rider Fitness for Older Riders


have developed rider- specific programs based on deep understanding of the physical demand on riders. Either way, there is a


By Heather Sansom. Lately people have


been asking me to talk about fitness for older riders. In the sea of information avail- able on the web now, the needs of specific popula- tions can sometimes get lost or forgotten. Since the ‘pioneering’


days of equestrian fitness about 10 years ago when I started Equifitt, rider fitness has been growing in popu- larity. It is gratifying to see many of my own ideas re- peated and built on by oth- ers- helped I’m sure by the hundreds of articles and newsletters I’ve written which are out there to read for free, as well as my 8 books. With the changes in the internet over the last decade, people have access to all kinds of fitness and health information, eques- trian or otherwise. How do you figure out what is right for you? When it comes to


equestrian fitness, busi- nesses providing the infor- mation tend to fall into two groups: business which took an essentially non-eques- trian program and then mar- keted it to equestrians as a niche-market; and practi- tioners who are sport condi- tioning professionals who


lot of information avail- able, as well as several


formats for ‘boxed’ courses or bootcamps you can par- ticipate in from the comfort of your own space with your smart device or computer. DIY training and health that has taken over Western cul- ture, has hit equestrian fit- ness too. As a rider, getting fit,


supple, straight and in better control of your body is al- ways good, no matter what you are doing. What you do to achieve that can change depending on your age and other factors. There are times when a very personal- ized rider fitness workout is the most appropriate and ef- ficient way for a rider to tackle issues and make progress. There are other times when a rider might just need to do something simple and generic like a downloading a workout that appeals to them, or going to a local non-equestrian yoga class once a week. Between live in-person gathering, and internet formats, it’s im- portant to connect to others and not feel like you are all alone in your fitness and health goals. It is much more fun


and motivating to have workout buddies, and ac- countability has been shown to increase success signifi- cantly. That is why coaches


and personal trainers are im- portant. That is why you take riding lessons instead of simply always riding on your own. When you market a


product to a large audience, you do have to standardize it. It’s a little like attending a clinic where the clinician has to get some key points across to all participants re- gardless of their individual needs, vs. private riding les- sons. Even in my own writ- ing, I always have to think about which exercises I se- lect so they are useful to most people with minimal risk for injury. Adapting is an integral


part of individualizing your experience. Sometimes I work with online clients who want to use one of my books as the basis for their training. Even with all the modifications I build into my exercise plans to accom- modate a wider range of fit- ness levels and needs, all the clients I work with individ- ualize them even more to meet their specific needs. In years working with


older riders and riders with medical conditions or in in- jury/surgery recovery,


I


have noticed a few keys to successfully adapting train- ing. If you are an older rider or a rider with some unique needs, there are some ways to navigate the sea of infor- mation, and to adapt your training. First, identify where


you are at and make your training experience start there. Many exercise plans


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are designed to be fun and awesome because that’s what younger, fit people want and need. It doesn’t mean you have to go at the same pace. Actually, smart training is ALWAYS listen- ing to your body and your needs. Participating in an exercise class or routine is not training if you are throwing your body through it regardless of potential damage. It is training when it is developmental. That means that you


need to start where you are at, and progress at the pace that is suitable for the lifes- pan development stage or physical condition of your body. For example, if the routine has you doing lots of squats, but you are 55 with a bad knee, you have mod- ify them (less deep, less fast) or do fewer of them to respect the fact that no amount of ‘mind over mat- ter’ or wishful believing will change the fact that your knee ligaments are tight and more brittle and need gen- tler treatment. Second,


intersperse


your routine with more stretching and recovery mo- ments.


Physiologically,


older people are not sup- posed to reach the same heart rate maximum as younger people, or carry it for the same length of time. I’ve worked with several riders with fibromyalgia, MS, and just a generally older less responsive body.


When they train by inter- spersing dynamic stretching or more recovery moments between more intense exer- cises, they are better able to stay balanced and co-ordi- nated. Also, they have a bet- ter


recovery


experience and mental ma- turity. This means that where you can’t do the in- tensity of a younger person, you can be more strategic with what you DO do. Older riders need to be


time


afterwards, and often avoid pain and inflammation which they had experienced in the past. Athletic pursuits break the body down. That is why few professional ath- letes persist past their 20’s. You’re not there to break your body down. You’re there to build it up, at what- ever pace is right for you. Third, think of your


training more in terms of units of types of tasks, in- stead of big workouts. If you are an older rider, you have an advantage of life


more concerned about joint mobility and fine tuning body responsiveness be- cause these decline with age, and are big contributors to balance and timing in the saddle- which you need for injury prevention as much as for riding well. Instead of the old standby formula of 3 big workouts a week, or a big 45-60 minute training session all at once, your body and neuro-muscular connections benefit from variety and frequency. Breaking up the activities you do into objective-de-


scribed chunks (ie: flexibil- ity, awareness, co-ordina- tion,


strength,


cardio-vascular stamina) al- lows you to fit in helpful ex- ercise in smaller units through your day and week. You are more likely to cover everything you need without pushing yourself too much all at once. You have more poten-


tial than you realise. Happy riding and training!


© Heather R. Sansom Equifitt offers coaching for riders that helps with fitness, posture and biomechanics to help you ride better. Most services including rid- ing instruction are available by Skype. Equifitt: www.equifitt.com


Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame Names Historic Mare ‘Modesty’ as 2017 Legend Honouree


May 17, 2017 - In this the 250th Anniversary of Horse Racing in Canada, the CHRHF Legends Committee unanimously named a mare called Modesty who won the first advertised and reported horse race on Canadian soil, as the 2017 Legend Honouree. The official unveiling of the


Postal Code: Date:


Send To: P.O. Box 10072, 27 Legend Court, Ancaster, ON L9K 1P2 (905) 387-1900


email: barry@therider.com


display panel for Modesty, who won the historic race held on the Plains of Abraham on July 1st, 1767, took place at a reception this evening in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. An advertisement in the June 25, 1767 issue of the Quebec Gazette called for entries for a horse race scheduled to take place July 1 for a purse of $40 to take place at “Five O’clock in the afternoon Precisely: The best of three heats, once around the course each heat.” Results of the race were an-


nounced in the July 9th issue of the same publication as follows: “The purse of $40 was won with


greatest ease by Captain Prescott’s Mare Modesty. It was termed an upset, “much to the discomfiture of those, who purporting to know about such things, had wagered against her and were thereby parted from their money. The con- test did afford much pleasure and there were no accidents save that some few riders were thrown from their mounts, from which circum- stance it appeared that they suf- fered more fright than injury.” It is from this race, held 100


years to the day before Canada’s Confederation that all horse racing in Canada has evolved, bringing us to this tremendous 250th an- niversary and celebration in 2017. The Legends category in the


Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was originally established in 2000 as a millennium project, cre- ated to honour the early pioneers of horse racing in Canada. It has been carried on to help bring atten- tion to those horses and people


dating back at least 50 years be- fore the year of recognition. In addition to the announce-


ment of the 2017 Legend hon- ouree, the reception also included the unveiling of display panels be- longing to those inducted to the CHRHF in 2016 and the public in- troduction of the 2017 Inductees, announced earlier. The CHRHF Class of 2017 includes Thorough- bred horses Quiet Resolve and South Ocean along with Builder Eugene Melnyk, Trainer Harold Barroby and Communicator Curtis Stock. Standardbred honourees include Mach Three, Happy Lady and Elegantimage, as well as Trainer/Driver Blair Burgess, and Builder Dr. Gordon Gilbertson. Induction ceremonies of the


2017 inductees will be held at a Gala scheduled to take place Wednesday, August 9th at the Mis- sissauga Convention Centre. Tickets can be ordered by contact- ing 416-417-9404.


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