Stretching and Exercising

I highly recommend stretching before you ride. There are a lot of good books and exercises to do while riding also! Start to incorporate a few exercises into each day's ride.

Equestrian sports and exercise. It would seem if you rode a horse, actively... posting, 2 pointing,etc, your legs would be in shape. I have a 10 session Groupon at Cross Fit that I started using yesterday.... oh, I'm feeling the thigh muscles today. The key is to get in shape, then stay in shape! I wonder if I'll do these warm up exercises daily, as its obvious that I need to!  Just the few minutes of lunging (and I think of lunging a horse when I say this, but it's not... leg lunges), 2 days in a row, and my thighs know it.  I think it will be easy to keep this going... If I remember all the variations.

One thing I will always try to remember is to lunge, with say your right foot forward, and turn your body one way, then lunge again with the other leg and your left foot forward, aand turn your body the same way as the first time.  With each motion that you do with your body, you are to do it twice, on each stretched leg. 

Make sense???

That's what I have learned the last 2 days... that and to wear longer gym shorts, maybe capri length, as now my thighs have a rash from the mats!  Yesterday, I did squats, situps, pushups and pull ups with the rings.  No rash this morning, but a rash has developed after I came in from outside.  I'm not on any meds, so no allergic reaction to the sun.  I've put cortisone cream on the rash so hopefully better tomorrow. 

Yesterday's exercises were the leg lunges, about 10 different types, then 40 squats, 30 situps, 20 push ups (which just about did me in) 10 pull ups and 500 meters on the rower.  I did this in 9 min 59 sec.  I was sweating, but I did go at noon yesterday, and no air conditoning at that gym!

Today was same leg lunges, then work with the kettle ball.  I was to swing the kettle ball from between my legs to up and just over my head (I never quite took it that far!)  I was to do 10 groups, and in between groups, i was to run/jog a short distance.  Starting with 10 kettleball thrusts, each group had 1 less kettle ball thrust until I was down to 1.  I did this in just 10 minutes.

I hope my legs survive the next 2 days, then I'm off Fri-Sun from the gym!

Give Yourself Rest Time

January 20-22, 2012

Give Yourself Rest Time

                After a week of exercising, I took last weekend off.  Last week, Hubby and I walked 3 miles each day for 5 days, as well as spending some time on the elliptical and weight machines.  We worked on building up leg muscles, arm and shoulder strength, and overall endurance.  By Friday, our bodies were feeling a little sore.  We knew we were working muscles we haven’t been working during regular chore time.

                It was time to give our muscles rest instead of continually working them. We felt the tightness in our legs and a little stiffness in our shoulders.  Time off allows the muscles to relax without needed to take an aspirin.  I feel if you take a medicine because you are sore, you are feeling better but putting a band-aid on the soreness and not allowing your muscles to heal.

                I think horses go through the same thing.  We ride them too much before they are conditioned and they become sore.  We continue to ride without time off.  Do they have a chance to rest sore muscles?

                I’m sure soreness in our own bodies may have meant that we did a little too much too soon.  This week, I’m doing the same amount of walking and elliptical, but I’ve decreased the amounts on the weight machines by a small amount.  I’ve taken away some of the strain.  My shoulders feel better.

                With horses, slow conditioning is better, adding distance as the horse gets into shape, then adding more speed as each distance level.  I feel that is the way I’m conditioning myself.  Now, I’ll stay at the level that I’m at and slowly add distance on the elliptical and slowly add weights each week on the machines.

                The point is to stay healthy, and keep our horses healthy and sound.  It is amazing how strong you can get with a little time of structured exercise.  I’m thinking the same for our horses.  Develop a structured plan of conditioning to keep your horse moving on down the trail or in the arena.

Burning More Calories

January 17-19, 2012

Burning More Calories

Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012

3 ¼ miles walking

15 min elliptical, 120 calories

4 weight machines with 1 or 2 reps each

Wed, Jan 18, 2012

1 ½ miles walking

15 min elliptical, 130 calories

4 weight machines with 2 or 3 reps each, adding extra weight to each machine today

Thur, Jan 19, 2012

3.35 miles in 1 hr, 20 min

15 min elliptical, 135 calories

Each day, endurance is building. I can go faster on the elliptical, burning more calories.  Strength is building. I can add more weights and do more reps.

I’m starting to see the definition in the arm and calf muscles.

I hope this stamina continues when I get back to riding when the weather warms up!

Walking to build endurance

Monday, Jan. 16, 2012

Walking is good for the horse and also for the rider.  Yesterday, hubby and I walked 3.25 miles in 1 hour 15 min.  Our max speed was 4.3 mph.  Sometimes, it's hard to get a QH to walk out that fast.  But now I know if I can walk that fast, my horse better pick up speed at the walk!

Now, how many calories do you burn while walking?  For the mileage, at a moderate fast pace, I burned 224 calories and hubby burned 345 calories, based on our weights.  It doesn't seem quit fair that I walked the same and burned less calories??? (321 calories at another source that I goggled for both our weights).

From yesterday, it takes burning 3500 calories to lose a pound.  We burned 100 calories in 10 minutes on the eliptical machine.  Today, I worked 15 minutes, burning 150 calories.  I would need to use the machine 50 minutes for 7 days to burn off 1 pound.  I'm also adding in some weight machines, which should burn off some calories.  My goal is to work 30-40 minutes on the elliptical and 20 minutes on the weights, and while watching my food intake, see if I can lost a pound a week. 

I just read where it's not safe to lose more than 2 # a week.  Slow and steady is better.  It sounds like I'm conditioning a horse!

1 Kilocalories is 1000 calorie

Sunday, Jan 15, 2012



1 Kilocalories is 1000 calorie

Yesterday, I started back up on the illeptical machine.  I pedaled for 10 minues, burning .1000 kilocalorie.  At first I thought 1000, then saw the period before it.  I had to google to see how that converted to calories.  I burned 100 calories.

ok, so what does that mean?  How many calories do you need to burn to lose a pound?   I googled that same question, and here is what I found:

From caloriesperhour.com:

What It Takes to Lose a Pound

Diet and Weight Loss Tutorial

Unit of Weight	Approximate Calories	Approximate Kilojoules
Pound	3,500	14,644
Kilogram	7,716	32,284

A pound of body fat equates to approximately 3500 calories. So if you have a calorie deficit of 500 calories (meaning that you burn 500 calories more than you eat each day) you would lose approximately one pound per week:
500 x 7 = 3,500

It's easy to see that a calorie deficit of 1000 calories would mean that you'd lose approximately two pounds per week. And that's a good number to remember, because two pounds a week is commonly accepted as the maximum rate of weight loss that is healthy. Losing weight too quickly has other disadvantages. (from Caloriesperhour.com)

That 10 minutes on the exercise equipment burned 100 calories. I need to up that workout to 500 calories, so 45-50 minutes per day, for 7 days.  That is what it takes to lose just 1 pound!

I'm also adding a few weight machines to build up arm and leg muscle.  That should also burn some calories!

Exercise and Sore Muscles

Oh, yeah, a little bit of something different lets you know where you are not in shape.

Hubby and I went to Snap Fitness today.  I just love their machines.  They have really good equipment that will work every muscle in your body.  Just ask my upper back muscles.  Sorry, don’t have those memorized yet.

            Oh, and the ab machine is going to hurt the body.  That is the area that needs to decrease in size.  Did you know that you are to alternate using the upper body machines (chest and arms) and the lower body machines (legs), but you can use the ab machine every day?  I guess that is a good thing, as I need to lose about 2” of something that happened to my middle.

            I think I’m in shape.  All we did today was 10 reps on each machine, just to get the weight that would be where we would work from.  Then about 3 hours later, my upper back muscles started to tell me that they were stressed.

            My legs are strong.  My arms need some work.  Not my arms, but my pushing power.

            How can that be when we work these horses, lunging these saddles, throwing this hay, and we are at 5# on some of these weights?

Do I need to say… wimpy, wimpy, wimpy?

            It makes me feel good when I can do 50- over 100# on the leg machines!!!

Concentrate on What You Have

As I was watching the video of the Yoga instructor performing the stretches, I thought to myself, “I will never be able to stretch that far”. I saw her poise, and thought, “I’ll never look like her, with those long and graceful, almost ballerina-like, moves”.


But that is not what should matter, I thought instantly. I said the same thing out loud to Hubby, maybe to reinforce my thoughts. He said, that is correct. Anything you do is going to help your body. I know that whatever I do, I’ll be able to stretch further and not have that soreness around my neck and shoulders. I want to do this to improve my balance, which will transfer to my riding. I’ll do this for myself and not for anyone else.


As I stretched last night, (I need to change the time to mornings, but that is on tomorrow’s topic about setting a schedule), I focused on myself. I mirrored the stance of the instructor. I watched, I went in the poise, then I looked to see how she looked. I’m realizing, and she stated this also, that your body will realize when something is right. I’ll go into the pose that is comfortable and right for me now. As I learn, I’ll be able to stretch more.


Towards the end of the session, one comment the Yoga instructor said on the dvd was to let gravity stretch out your body. I came to understand that as I was stretching. Standing, and bending over from the hips, with my head down, I could feel myself relax.


As I relaxed, I could feel my back let go a little and stretched down a little, without me trying to do that. It was an amazing feeling to just totally surrender and relax, with no “holding back” and just let my head and arms hand down. I’m sure by the end of the session, I was ready to relax. In a quiet room, listening to the soft music and soothing tone of the instructions, I could close my eyes and just be there. Go into a position with breathing, stretch, close eyes, breathe, and relax. That sounds soothing just writing this and re-reading this.


I need to think about changing my Yoga time to morning. The instructor said that there is something spiritual about Yoga and stretching first thing in the morning, with the morning sun coming up and the quiet and peacefulness of the mornings. Maybe that is when I’ll do most of the stretching, but I can already tell that I’ll want to end the day with a few stretches, before my shower. I can tell that to relax my muscles at the end of the day will be just as soothing to me as starting my day with Yoga. Yoga allows the body, and the mind, to relax.


Yoga slows you down, lets you concentrate on deep breathing, allows you to slowly stretch out your body, and relax. Yoga is calming and peaceful. Maybe I’ll need to do a few Yoga stretches before riding too.

Back to the Weight Machines

After my first Yoga class yesterday, and waking up with a slightly stiff neck this morning, I thought I better get back to exercising on a regular schedule. I felt pretty good after consistently exercising every day back in January. But then life got busy, and exercising took a back seat.

I can’t get up early to exercise, since I want to stay in bed, to the very last minute that I can, in the morning. I can’t exercise after supper, as I’m ready for a shower and glass of wine. I can’t exercise in the middle of the day, as I better be outside with the horses. When do I exercise? I better find that time, and find it fast, because this body isn’t getting any younger, or any less pudgy in places.

Yesterday, I used the weight machines and walked on an elliptical machine for 12 minutes. 10 minutes forward and 2 minutes backward. You’re not suppose to go backwards, but backward pedaling mimics the movement that you feel when you ride. I love it that my legs are strong and I only had a slight tightening in my calves after using the machines, and none this morning. I don’t love that I have almost zero, zip, nada upper body strength. Oh, I’ll take that back. I have some strength, and I can move the weights, but on the very lowest weights.

Back in January, it didn’t take very long to move the weights from near zero to 3 or 4 levels higher. I could tell the difference, not only in my biceps, but in the movement that I had through my shoulders. I used to struggle with “opening my chest up” when riding Centered Riding. The weights that I did in January reinforced that movement and loosened up my shoulders. By the end of 2 weeks, I could feel my legs toning up and my shoulders ached less.

Now, I’m not quite back to square one, but almost. I think muscle memory is helping. My shoulders don’t hurt. I think my neck hurts, only because of the Yoga stretches yesterday, and possibly doing too much stretching along with just starting weights again. Yesterday I could only walk 12 minutes, today I walked 15 minutes, and I felt like I could do more.

Hand in hand with exercising is eating well. But I love red meat. I’ll compromise with a salad when I eat a steak. No potato. No bread. I’ll eat more fish like we had tonight. Broiled on the grill, lightly seasoned with minimal salt and pepper. I need to learn how to season meat, but I need to season with herbs that don’t bother my stomach. Oh, and I also had a salad tonight. With Italian dressing. I dipped a piece of fish in the Italian dressing and it didn’t taste too bad, but the dressing is tangy, so I would season the fish with it, but with a very small amount.

You are suppose to wait for 2 hours to do Yoga after eating a snack and 4 hours after eating a meal. Hubby said that what I am used to eating, I ate a snack instead of a meal for supper. I think I’m going to be hungry later.

I’ll put in my Yoga dvd now and I’ll try to follow along. Then I plan on soothing my body and soak in a tub filled with very hot water.

Yoga and Horses

Monday, March 28, 2011

I had my first Yoga class today. Yoga and horses? Yes, Sally Swift, of Centered Riding, relied heavily on Alexander Techniques and Tai Chi for stretching and balancing exercises, and to prepare the mind. All good things when it comes to riding.

And Yoga is not easy! The stretching is ok, holding the position maybe ok, getting into position - not so easy! lol

I wasn’t the only new student to Yoga. There were at least 2 other ladies there that hadn‘t had a yoga class before. The instructor was young, but very clear and concise with her directions. She talked through the stretches and gave us time to perform the stretch at our own speed. I really liked her style a lot

The instructor had mats scattered around the room. I positioned one towards the back, and where I could see myself in the mirror. I found myself looking up and watching the instructor to see how she did a stretch and how she looked, then glanced at myself in the mirror. They were not mirror images!

Yoga is a mindset, and brings a peace and calm to your body. As the instructor talked us through the movements, I found it easier and easier to get in position and to hold the position. Breathe deeply, close your eyes, relax, and hold the position as long as you can, without overdoing it or causing strain or soreness to your body. And it became easier to hold the stretch the longer you “allow” your body to relax.

I would glance sideways to look at the instructor. I knew I was to be looking down and relaxing but I wanted to make sure I was doing the stretches properly. I’m sure I didn’t totally relax into the stretch as we were suppose to. But I wanted to make sure I was correct, as she cautioned about having a certain frame, like knee over ankle, I’m sure for balance and support. I’ll learn more as I keep going to lessons and I watching my tape.

My legs and arms were shaky at times. I would hold the stretch as long as I could, and believe me, it was not for very long. As the session continued, my arms, legs and core were being used in ways that they hadn’t been used. The shaky limbs weren’t a bad thing, and they didn’t hurt. But I realized what areas of my body I needed to build up endurance.

When we stood and faced the mirror for some standing exercises, I found that if I concentrated and watched myself in the mirror, I would hold the pose longer. If I glanced to see how someone else looked, I would lose my balance. I found that if I relaxed and just looked straight ahead without staring, I would just “be in position” and “be there in the moment” without trying to “hold“ the position. Every time, I came back to my mind and begin thinking about what I was doing, I would lose my position and my balance a little.

That was my moment of realization of what Yoga is all about for me. I need to let my mind go! I need to be in the “moment”. I need to totally relax, let me body do the position without thinking about it, let my mind go, and be calm. It’s almost like letting your mind go empty, without realizing it, until you come back to your mind and realize that you were actually not thinking about anything.

You are aware of what is around you, and then you’re not. It was like emptying your thinking process and letting go. A total surrender. And when I felt like that, I could feel the tension or tightness leave my shoulders. I only felt my deep breathing. I could close my eyes easier and be content.

As I breathed deep, closed my eyes, I let go. Not concentrating, but just stretching. Not staring, but aware. Not worried about losing my balance, but staying calm.

The breathing came very easy for me, since I’m doing the deep breathing with Centered Riding. Actually, I was breathing longer and deeper and got a little behind in the movements. But that was ok, as the movements are to be done at your own pace, and especially with stretching, should only be done as far as you want to stretch or able to stretch.

Yoga is going to help my riding! Yoga is about balance and breathing and calmness. Yoga is bringing everything that Centered Riding is bringing to my riding. Everything that horses need!

I keep going back to the difference I feel in my balance. In just one session, I know I can find an “inner” balance to rely on. That inner balance is a strange feeling as I’m thinking about it right now. I feel something inside me growing. I feel a strength.

And as I search for that inner peace and calm, I‘m feeling it. With Yoga, I feel it .

Now to put in the disk and continue on my own for a week. I feel a few muscles that need stretching. I’m sure they will be stretching as I ride, too!

Time Away

Time away is always good. Always goes by too fast. Always is relaxing. Always able to catch up on sleep.

You always plan on accomplishing so much when you go away. You think you will have so much free time. How does it end up that you have less time?

And why, since you “plan” on getting some things done, do you take so much stuff to do or to read? Especially when it doesn’t get done! I am packing ½ the clothes next time! I promise!
I did read and write. I outlined 2 riding books. I read 2 romantic novels. I almost finished the Center Riding 2 Book and an Endurance Book.

I did not start my outline from the Centered Riding books. I did notice that I had started an outline from Book 1 on the computer already. But it’s not quite what I’m thinking about now so I’ll have to start over.

I sat and relaxed. I did read and blog and chatted. Sometimes I blogged and chatted to myself, but that is ok. I have thoughts that I just need to get down on paper. It’s important to me. It’s my life, and it’s about my hubby, my kids and grandkids, and my horses. I feel better when I write.

And I did talk through email with a blogger friend about horses and training. That was nice. I hope to begin daily training tips, etc once spring is here and I start riding again!

And I did read other’s blogs.

My daughter Sara, The Power of the Ride, writes from the heart. And she almost made me cry again, writing about JR. The only reason I didn’t cry was because I only read about ½ of what she wrote the first day, and read the rest the next day. She lets Pop and I know what Makenzie is doing through her writings and funny stories.

My daughter-in-law, Amber, The Messick Life, writes about being a stay at home mom and about 2 year old Caden. She loves to bake and always has me hungry with what goodies she is baking. She and hubby, Jacob, are preparing for their new arrival, coming in April.

I always read Tammy from Horsetrailriders. She always has fun stories. Or she’s on fire about something that is aggravating to her, and she picks really good topics to get fired up over.

I love my photography blog, Sunday Stills. I hope and strive to be able to take as many good photos as some of the contributors. I think I’ll take a photography class soon. And a self defense class, but that is another story for another day.

And through Sunday Stills, I read many of the daily blogs from many others. Lisa at Laughing Orca Ranch. Nuzzling Muzzles. Jonni at Trot on Hank. Sarah at Between You, Me, and the Fencepost. Rising Rainbow. And many others. I may not read you daily or weekly, but when I do, you brighten my day with your stories.

I also like reading Ree's stories at The Pioneer Woman. I sure wished I took more time and practice some of her recipes! And I love her photography, too.

Getting back to time away. Vacation was fun, and for the first time, I wanted to stay longer. Even though you always miss home, I will miss the sun and sand. And sun! And will definitely miss the stress-free environment. But I hope to continue that environment at home, and keep reminding my hubby to relax.

Vacation was a time of sunrises at 6:30 in the morning and sunsets at 6:30 in the late afternoons. Vacation was sun, and lounging by the pool.

Of walking the beach and listening to the ocean. Of the warmth you feel from the sand between your toes and the sun on your back. Of feeling the water (once you get used to it) splash against your legs.

This year, hubby and I continued exercising and it felt great to do that! The exercise room was awesome. The weight machines were wonderful. And I love the Stex walking machine. I love the walking and stepping motion, and as I walked and stepped, I made sure to work on my joints, keeping them in motion also.

And most days, we walked at least a mile on the beach. It felt like we went so much further, but we were walking through the mild ocean waves at the same time. But we continued that walking in the exercise room. After spending time on 4 of the weight machines, probably 15-20 minutes of weights, we walked 15 minutes on that step machine. It felt like an hour and I was huffing when we got done.

One thing I did was to walk backwards on the step walking machine. Tom say that I was going backwards the first day, and I realized I did that naturally, as that is the way your body should move when riding, and what I have been practicing over the last 1 ½ years. I started out front ways, but I always ended the stepping with 2-3 minutes of backward stepping. Front ways may tone up the thigh muscles, but backwards get your back of your legs!

We do miss home. We miss the kids and grandkids and horses and dogs. And probably the barn cats too. We had a play date with Caden the day after we got home. We’ll have to go see Makenzie soon so E-ma and Pop can see her swim!

The Beginning Dressage Book, Part 2

I enjoyed the book. “The Beginning Dressage Book” by K. Denby-Wrightson and J. Fry, and reading about the basics of dressage . I thought this book was very precise, yet easy to understand. The beginning rider, as well as the experienced horse person, will learn something from this book. Beginning Dressage, part 2, teaches correct, balanced riding and dressage exercises.

Part 2 begins, at Chapter 11, to teach correct posting and the correct movement of the horse at the trot. The rising trot involves your seat, hips and thighs. The movement of the horse pushes you up and out of your seat. You allow your hips to move towards your hands. Your thighs roll forward as you raise your seat. Your legs and hands stay steady. Your legs remain at the girth and your elbows should be in line with the horse’s mouth. Your shoulders remain back, not leaning forward, as you should have a straight line from the back of your ear through to your shoulders, hips and heel. And, obviously, weight always remains in your heels.

Through my own experience, if you can’t keep your heels down, shorten your irons 2 notches. Remember that you are doubling over the iron leather as you are shortening the leathers, so 1 notch will actually only shorten the irons a ½ notch. You may need to shorten the leathers 2-4 notches. Also remember to keep your thighs relaxed! Instead of holding tight with your thighs, allow your thighs to move forward up and out of the saddle as you are posting. I always tell my lesson people that if you are tight, you will bounce like a ball full of air, and you will bounce hard! If you are relaxed, you will be like a ball ½ full of air and one that will hardly bounce!

I highlighted some interesting notes as I read the book. Some of these I knew and some of these ideas, as I read, I thought, “Huh, that’s right, I never realized that before“. Some of these thoughts are very basic and easy to understand, and some of these thoughts need to be analyzed, and practiced on the horse, to fully understand. I think I will work on 1 or 2 new ideas at a time.

The reason to post on the correct diagonal is so the horse can maintain greater impulsion. Your weight needs to be out of the saddle as the horse moves his inside hind leg. The hind leg will be able to get up and under the horse’s body more, therefore giving the horse more extension at the trot. A great trot is when the inside hind leg reaches up and is in the front hoof print, or even beyond the front hoof print.

Don’t use your feet to post. Don’t grip with your knees. Learn to post out of your seat. A great exercise is to post without irons. Cross the irons in front of you so they don’t sway and bump against your legs as you are trotting.

Another great exercise is to balance in 2-point position. Trot in 2 point position for 10 strides, then post for 10 strides. Do this same exercise while trotting over poles. Trotting poles also teaches a horse to pick up his feet, and trot with cadence.

You can also try posting, with and without irons, with your hands on your hips. Sit the trot and raise your hands over you head. Feel the trot THROUGH YOUR STOMACH and the small of your back. Push your stomach out as your raise and in as you sit. Feel the motion of the trot in your stomach and in your lower back.

Another exercise is to hold the reins in one hand and put your other hand on the pommel. Grip the pommel, straighten that arm, and push your shoulders away from your hand. Keep your seat in the saddle and stretch your body up and back. Feel the trot movement in your stomach and lower back. Move with the horse!

You ask for impulsion with your inside leg!!! Hold with the outside leg behind the girth and bump with your inside leg, at the girth, to ask for the canter. I will need to practice this as I always ask for the canter with my outside leg. I have always pushed with my outside leg to get more extension at the canter. Start by sitting deep in the saddle and use your seat bones to push the horse forward. Do this by doing the pommel exercise talked about in the preceding paragraph. Remember, during the canter, use your stomach and back muscles to follow the 1-2-3 rhythm of the canter.

In my past experience, to canter, I would push the hip to the inside. The horse engages the outside hind leg to push off with and into the correct lead. With the dressage method, your inside leg asks for impulsion, allowing room for the hind legs to step further underneath the horse. You sit more on your inside seat bones. To support the added weight to the inside hind leg, the horse must bring the inside hind leg further under the body.

Dressage allows the horse to use his own balance. The horse needs to be rounded and moving with rhythm. At the canter, the horse needs to bend in the direction that he is moving. The horse needs to be moving forward and straight, but before going forward, the horse needs to be balanced. When you engage the horse’s hindquarters, he lightens his forehand.

I have already been training with many of the dressage riding exercises. Leg yields move the horse diagonally across the arena while keeping the horse straight and parallel to the long wall, both at the walk and the trot. Serpentine the arena while changing the posting diagonal. Figure 8’s allow the horse to change the bend in the body. Ride circles, then spiral the circles in and out.
Teach the horse to travel straight. The hindquarters should travel directly in the same line as the forehand. The horse will be able to engage the hindquarters and use more impulsion. As the horse lengthens his stride, he lengthens his frame. Collection, on the other hand, teaches the horse to move forward with an engaged hindquarter and a lightened forehand, while maintaining cadence. Half halts teach the horse to hesitate during the movement of the gait, and teach the horse to use the hind legs.

The horse is working hard, both mentally and physically. Until the horse is in shape, keep work times to 15-20 minutes. Extend the work time as the horse builds endurance. The horse needs to stay confident while maintaining the form.

I want you to learn to ride through feel and to “get it”. When you have “it”, you will know what the “it” is. I promise! You will ride more comfortably and confidently. Come along on the ride of learning. Remember, move FORWARD and BALANCED, WITH INCREASED ENERGY AND COLLECTION!!! Read this book! I highly recommend “The Beginning Dressage Book”!

" The Beginning Dresssage Book"

I have heard that Dressage principles can be used in any discipline that you ride. I totally agree. A French term, dressage is an equitation term and means training. I have started reading the book, “The Beginning Dressage Book” by Kathryn Denby-Wrightson and Joan Fry. Dressage is a style of training. A kind method. A training method that considers the well-being of the horse foremost. A method of give and take. A method that teaches correct posture. A method that teaches the correct balance between horse and rider. Definitely the kindest of methods.

Dressage teaches the horse to be balanced. With impulsion and forward movement, the horse learns to carry himself correctly. The horse learns to engage his hind legs, bringing them further and further up underneath his body, adding cadence and a springiness to his gaits. The book teaches the art of lunging and the beginning of collection through correct lunging. Lunging develops the horse’s muscles, allowing him to become stronger in his back and leg muscles.

Proper seat position is necessary to maintain the balance between horse and rider. The rider needs to sit on the seat bones, not in front of them and not behind them. The thigh muscle needs to be against the saddle so as to maintain contact with the seat bones.

There are many exercises while lunging to help the horses build confidence and strength while engaging his body. While lunging with side reins, not so much to set the head as to set the poll to aid in muscling and for the horse to begin to learn impulsion. As he slows his speed, the horse learns to extend. This is the fundamental beginning of collection.

There are many exercises that help to maintain contact with the horse while keeping correct posture with the seat bones. Tying off the reins and stretching the arms and legs helps to teach balance in the seat. If you are uncomfortable doing these exercises with no rein contact, have someone attach a lunge line to the horse. You need to be relaxed and comfortable, not tense and unsure. All of the exercises emphasis the correct position of the seat bones. You learn to use very little pressure on the reins to bend the horse, whether into a circle or to change directions.

Maybe I have taken some movements for granted, well… maybe not actually for granted, but I have done them long enough that I do them by feel now. The reading I have done so far has made me analyze each movement. As I read the chapters, I see in my mind what the author is explaining and what the horse or rider should be doing or how they should be reacting. I know and understand what I have read. As you read this book, re-read anything you don’t understand until it makes sense to you. Picture in your brain what the concept is. Sit on the floor or on a chair and try the exercises.

Dressage Prospect? Definately a good riding prostpect as we have ridden some of her brothers and sisters!

I’m sure as I get further into the book, I will read some of what I am already incorporating into my training program. I like how the author has thoroughly discussed the reasons behind her style. I have done some of the same maneuvers as she has outlined in her book, and I have learned more from her about the effects these have on the rider and on the horse. I understand how a movement, either the horse or the rider, changes the balance of the horses. It is interesting to read about what you thought you knew, and now to realize that you understand the concepts better. I’m anxious to read the riding parts now, and to fully understand the movements that we do with our horses. What parts of the horse’s body changes as we ask the horse to do specific exercises. How does the rider change position when you want the horse to move a certain way.

My goal is to apply these principles to increase the muscle and strength of my horses’ back and leg muscles. I will work on his collection. My goal is to apply subtle rein direction, while maintaining contact, to have my horse perform better obstacles.

Keep reading. I will continue this book’s discussion in my next blog. Just give me a few days. I may not get to it before the weekend!

Oh…I’m starting my ride for the year! Even if it is just in my head! Come along for the ride and be prepared when warmer weather finally gets here to stay!