OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 THE RIDER /51 Rider Fitness:


week, someone asked me the million dollar question: so, what’s the best workout for a rider? That question is like get-


By Heather Sansom This summer I had the fan-


tastic opportunity to take a break, and go train with a former Olympian on some of their FEI schoolmasters. In my mid-40’s, this was one of my long-standing bucket-list dreams. There are a couple of things about my expe- rience there which I really wanted to share with Equifitt readers. First, I met a range of


amazing people- many in their 50’s and 60’s who were reaching their bucket-list goals too of rid- ing and competing at the FEI level. Even if you are not a dres- sage rider, you can appreciate what it means to have this elusive goal that you are sometimes tempted to give up on for a vari- ety of reasons. Maybe you didn’t have parents that could afford to get you on the ‘right’ path earlier. Maybe you lost your best horse and couldn’t afford to replace him. Maybe you had an injury or other setback that just makes it seem impossible. What I learned from the coach (herself in her 70’s and still riding 14 horses a day…before starting her 9 hour coaching day) and the other rid- ers, is that it is never too late. Don’t you give up on your goals. When I got there, I was


pretty rusty. I lost my horse the other year, and my own riding has been sporadic. So I was really glad that I have been keeping up my own ‘rider fitness’. Getting back in the saddle was like com- ing to something familiar, and I was able to keep up with the rig- orous lessons and make progress. Towards the end of my amazing


ting asked ‘what’s the best way to train a colt’. Well, it depends on what you want him to do, his age, his con- formation and personality, and a host of other factors. I agreed with my host and the people in the conversation that yes, pilates and yoga are excellent foundations. That is because core strength, symmetry and suppleness are


all critical to the way you carry and use your body, and to avoid- ing long term strain injuries from the repetitive motions we make while riding. But these disci- plines don’t really answer the question completely. Rider fit- ness doesn’t stop there. Usually, I classify all the


clients I’ve ever worked with into two categories: professional rid- ers (trainers, competitive riders, people in the saddle at least 6 days a week, riding multiple horses), and everyone else. The type of training emphasis that I tend to prescribe for each of those two groups is fundamentally dif- ferent, regardless of discipline. For the first group, it’s about restoring or maintaining the body’s ability for a range of movements, beyond what they do while riding. The purpose is to avoid or correct repetitive strain or postural issues. For example, everyone has that little bad habit (such as looking down), that be- comes a semi-permanent way that their body moves. The problem is that over


time it gets less easy for a rider to overcome its impact. Another ex- ample is the classical dressage position: riders arms have very little movement. If they don’t move their arms more widely on a regular basis doing other things, the shoulders get locked down. Then, the arm position which is supposed to LOOK fixed, actu- ally GETS fixed, and that blocks the natural absorption of move- ment from the horse. Professional riders are also


Right Rider Fitness Plan for You


often very tight on time, and tend to forget to do things for them- selves. Consequently, I empha- size rehabilitative, straightening, stretching, or range of motion type work with them. I usually design short routines they can do in 10-15 minute chunks at the barn or home, and recommend at least a couple of sessions a month of more intensive attention to tight areas, such as a yoga class. They need the mental break and social life as well. With everyone else, it’s


different. Most other riders don’t get those critical number of hours in the saddle to boost their per- formance the way they want to. Dryland exercises or cross-train- ing (fitness and other activities) are needed for a different reason. Mainly, their purpose is to pre- pare the rider’s body to be as sharp as possible and as available as possible in the saddle, despite the fact that they don’t have the joy and luxury of riding at least 5 hours a day. Most people fall into this category. Once you identify which


category you fall into, the other questions that help you zone in on the your best next fitness step relate to things like your age, body weight, health goals, riding priorities, riding discipline, any injuries or conditions that you need to recover from or take pre- cautions against, other sports you might be involved in, and logisti- cal things like what you have time for and what you are likely to actually do. You may even have different priorities depend- ing on the season. If you have a competitive season, it’s more im- portant to pay attention to train- ing cycles, ramping up your capacity to your best about a month before the season, and then starting to taper off to factor in all the time you’re going to spend schlepping around to horse shows. If you don’t compete, you can create cycles that make sense for the other responsibilities and seasons in your life. For most people, it’s just


not possible to cover all the fit- ness bases, all the time (flexibil- ity, core, balance, coordination,


CHANGE OF ADDRESS AFFIX OLD ADDRESS HERE


strength, cardio-vascular stamina etc…). So, what I suggest is tackling one priority at a time for roughly 4-8 weeks, and then changing it up. The most impor- tant step to make this RIDER fit- ness instead of just active living, is to identify the issues you are having in the saddle, and letting those drive your choice of fitness activity, or your priorities. Whether you have a lot of


time or a little for fitness, if you are strategic you can still use it to have a positive impact on your riding. In my case, I was so very grateful that I had kept up at least a minimal training schedule that supported my love of dressage. If I hadn’t, I would have had a much harder time in my training week.


The bottom line? I had to


answer that million dollar ques- tion with ‘It depends’. It really doesn’t matter how old you are or what you’re riding- you can always do better, and you can al- ways move closer to a worthy goal.


Not sure where to start, or


Real Estate: Continued from page 48


days and are tied to their properties making the lifestyle harder for the younger generation who are used to more freedom of lifestyle. I have several clients


who tell me that they will sell their family farms rather than stay and work the land as their parents or grandparents did.


Hobby farmers, or peo-


ple just wanting a few acres with a barn are finding it harder and harder to purchase these smaller, 30 acres or less, type properties as they become less available. The


start back again after a break? Most riders can’t go wrong re- committing to a stretching rou- tine, or a core strength routine and then taking it from there. I have both as affordable books you can purchase in print, or download to a device or com- puter (www.equifitt.com/books- resources/ ). You can also find a lot of good material on Youtube or other sources. Do what works for you. Don’t get discouraged if something isn’t working for you. Don’t try to do too much, too fast. Do approach it thought- fully, using your experience of it as simple data to help you make your next choice. Rider fitness planning is


just like riding or horse training: it evolves with circumstances and changing needs. It should evolve. Even the best training routine ever, has to be changed to keep progressing. Need help figuring out


your best next step? Assessment and coaching is available online, from the convenience of your home, office, barn, or wherever


smaller properties are also being bought up either by the developer in a land assembly format and or by the large farm corporation trying to compete and add more acreage to their holdings. This has pushed values


up on small hobby farms in these areas as well. In my opinion, vacant land and small hobby farms as well as the bigger properties are all wonderful investments for the future and I support try- ing to keep our local farmer and young farm entrepre- neurs in business. For the success of our local food market and for a way of life still enjoyed by many we need to support the farm fam-


you can access internet. I cover life coaching and priority setting, specific rider fitness evaluation and needs, coaching you through workouts, riding video analysis, and even mounted instruction if you can get internet where you ride. Many of my clients have had special considerations such as health conditions, pre-hab, re- hab or other challenges. Find out more at www.equifitt.com/coa- chonline/ . Happy riding and train-


ing! You have it in you!


© Heather R. Sansom, PhD. www.equifitt.com


Personal Trainer, Riding Coach, Recreation Therapist Fitness, biomechanics and riding instruction. Personalized Coaching Available online Check out the 9 week rider fit- ness plan book- available in print or as a download!: www.equifitt.com/fit2ride/


ily. Teri Davidson is Broker


Owner of Associate Realty Brantford Inc. Teri has been helping people move for 42 years. She is also the owner of White House farm located in Ancaster, Ontario where she and her family raise and love their dogs and horses. Contact Teri to sell your farm or help you find one to pur- chase at 519-758-7307.


WE SELL REAL ESTATE HERE!” Teri Davidson Broker/Owner


Associate Realty Brantford 519-758-7307


teridavidson@execulink.com


Name: Address: City: Prov.:


Phone Number:


Postal Code: Date:


Send To: The Rider, P.O. Box 378, Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 (905) 387-1900 • email: barry@therider.com


Advertise Your Business Here for as little as $33 per month in print AND online!! Call 905-387-1900 or email


barry@therider.com Identifying the


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