Horse Health & Rider Fitness – Page 5

Getting out of your comfort zone… Training the brain!

January 4th, 2017
Rebecca Ashton has spent the last few months working on making your body more efficient for riding, now she gets to the tricky bit – your brain… So far most of the exercises I’ve given you have been to really hone in on your riding muscles so that you can better access these areas while […] Read Article Comments Off

How I learned to saddle-up with my nerves and become a better competitor

October 4th, 2016
I remember my first Grand Prix test. It was at Showpark in Del Mar, California. My friends and family were so supportive and came along to cheer me on. I have no idea if it was hot or cold but I know that, either way, I was dripping with sweat! Read Article 2 Comments »

Developing a Super Seat: LEGS

September 28th, 2016
Now that we have brought awareness to our torso, this month we are going to look at leg stability. The torso has a big influence on the legs and how we control them, that is why it was addressed first… Guérinière recommends lunging novice riders without stirrups so that they focus more on the seat […] Read Article Comments Off

How do you develop a super seat…

Rebecca Ashton continues on her journey to teach us how to develop the super seat... Read Article Comments Off

Feeding challenges of the geriatric equine athlete…

There are lots and lots of older horses out there, still competing in their prime. Equine nutrition expert, Liz Owens looks at how you can prolong the competitive career of your favourite equine… Like humans, horses are remaining sounder and more active later in life due to a variety of factors including genetics, more targeted […] Read Article Comments Off

Developing a Super Seat: continued with Rebecca Ashton

The last two months we looked at the front and the back of the torso. To complete the “circle”, this month we’ll be looking at the sides. When we ride, we need good stability in our waist. If good control of this area of your body is lacking, it is hard to provide a framework […] Read Article Comments Off

Developing a Super Seat: REACTION

September 23rd, 2016
The precision of dressage demands good reaction from the rider. There is no point in feeling the stimulus from the horse, but not being able to react quickly enough. Udo Bürger tells us that riders must be, “bold, agile and relaxed.” Obviously knowing your craft well along with a good amount of “match practice” will […] Read Article Comments Off

What’s the latest in parasite control?

September 6th, 2016
We asked Dr Elizabeth Tee, Registered Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine, University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Camden Parasite control in horses has changed a lot, this extract is from the Animals’ Treatment First Aid Book which was in it’s seventh edition over 50 years ago. Wonder how the horses survived the treatment… “The best treatment appears […] Read Article 1 Comment »

Developing a super seat… continued

July 27th, 2016
with Rebecca Ashton This month we look at how to achieve a soft, independent hand whilst keeping control of our upper body and not letting the horse “run through” us. La Gueriniere tells the story, “Pignatelli, convinced by his own experience that the function of the bit is rather to let the horse know what […] Read Article 1 Comment »

Rider Exercise: Spinal and Pelvic Mobility

July 22nd, 2016
Pilates instructor, and riding coach, Rebecca Ashton has some exercises that will help any rider... Read Article 1 Comment »