Rider Health & Welfare

Spring Is In The Air... RETURNING TO FITNESS

How are you feeling after a period of ongoing Covid-19 restrictions? Have you eaten, drunk and been merry more or less than you might normally would? After such a strange 2020 we can be forgiven for wanting to dive headfirst into a tin of Quality Street but now, as the seasons change, it might be high time to start undoing some of that damage. We’re all hoping that as we go further into 2021, we will be able to socialise, compete and just get out and about again, so why not put in the work on your fitness now?

Rider fitness has a huge impact on horse wellbeing and the efficacy of your partnership, so it will be time well spent. In the second article in this series, Clare Gangadeen from RiderCise focuses on three exercises designed to improve rider fitness and aid those of us who may have indulged a little too much during the mostrecent lockdown. These three exercises will help you give clearer aids and increase your stability in the saddle.

1. Single Leg Swing –Abduction / Adduction This exercise is deceiving. It looks simple enough, but it gives us excellent insight into how our body produces movement. Often, we collapse laterally to produce this movement, dropping the shoulder to meet the hip, which is a compensatory action we do subconsciously, instead of activating the glutes to move the leg. By performing this exercise correctly, you will be able to provide clear effective leg aids whilst sitting straight and neutrally.

Main Muscles used: Adductor Muscles: Tensor Fasciae Latae (TFL), Gluteus – Medius and Minimus (bum)

1. Stand with your feet together and resting one leg. Keep your standing knee soft, not locked out and your hips facing forward 2. Keep your chest high and look straight ahead 3. Bring your resting leg to the side of your body by squeezing your bum and keeping the leg as straight as possible and without dropping your shoulder to meet your hip 4. Return the leg back towards your body in a controlled manner, squeezing your bum throughout the whole movement 5. This is one repetition Perform: 10 times on each leg and repeat. Notes: • Keep the movement small when

lifting your leg to the side (abducting) making sure that you are not bringing your shoulders towards your hips, creating a small C - shape • Hold the ‘squeeze’ in the bum muscles throughout the whole movement, they should be aching after 2-3 repetitions.

2. Squats Squats are one of the best exercises that you can do because they use a whole range of muscles and joints to perform, what we call a compound exercise in the fitness world. It doesn’t matter how low you can go as long as you really focus on maintaining your posture throughout. It really is a simple but very effective exercise when performed correctly.

Main Muscles used: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Abdominals, Calves

1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart 2. Hips facing forward 3. Chest high and looking straight ahead 4. Push your bottom backwards and downwards as far as you can comfortably go in a slow controlled manner without

Clare Gangadeen is the founder of RiderCise, where she has combined her two passions, equestrianism and fitness (she’s a qualified PT and soft tissue therapist), to develop fitness programmes to help riders. The RiderCise programmes have been designed to develop a rider’s coordination, balance, control, strength, stamina and confidence unlocking your potential to work in harmony with your horse. www.ridercise.co.uk

Stationary Lateral Lunge 1 Stationary Lateral Lunge 2 Stationary Lateral Lunge 3

collapsing your torso and rounding your upper back and with your feet remaining flat on the floor. 5. Push your weight through both feet and stand up in one smooth move, squeezing your bum at the top. Keep feet flat and don’t collapse through your torso! 6. Keep the movement slow and controlled – count 4, 3, 2, 1 (slowly) and then stand to the count of 1. This is one repetition. 3. Stationary Lateral Lunge and Leg Lift What a combination! The lateral lunge is and exercise in itself but adding in the leg lift really throws you a challenge. The lateral lunge will help lengthen AND strengthen the adductors, which is a must for riders! It will also show any weaknesses in your glute medius (pelvis stabiliser) on a single side. The transition into leg lift demonstrates how balanced and in control you are as you go into leg lift which engages the Psoas muscle. Can you do it without wobbling? It really helps improve your body awareness and motor control.

Main Muscles targeted: Lateral Lunge: Adductor muscles, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes Leg Lift: Psoas, Abdominals, opposite Glute Medius

1. Stand with your feet together, chest high and facing forwards. 2. Lift one leg and step out to the side, shifting your body weight over the moving leg

and push your bottom backwards as you squat as low as you can comfortably go. 3. With power, push yourself back to the standing position and lift the leg so that the knee is bent at 90 degrees and in front of your body. 4. Keep the movement slow and controlled and the lateral lunge small to begin with.

This is one repetition on one side. Perform: 10 on each side.

www.ridercise.co.uk

Suggested Products...

New nutrition brand Tribal Sports Nutrition has launched two vegan and organic energy smoothies, to challenge traditional gels and energy drinks, that make the perfect boost for whether you are competing or out for a hack. The smoothies, which come in on-the-go pouches that easily fit into a saddle or bum bag, utilise the energising and revitalising properties of baobab fruit to create a natural and effective fuel. The smoothies are also less concentrated than more conventional energy products and are easier on the stomach. RRP: £2.49. www.tribalsportsnutrition.com It’s spring and with all the trees out in blossom, it’s that time of year when many riders with hay fever will be maxing out on pollen. And it’s not a trivial matter if you’re a sufferer – in some cases it can be so debilitating and can seriously affect your riding enjoyment. HayMax organic allergen barrier balm helps to trap all types of tree pollen. RRP: £6.99. www.haymax.biz

ASK A Masterminder...

Small & Supercharged Mastermind is an online group supporting small equestrian and rural businesses and, as such, is bursting with amazingly knowledgeable people with lots to share. Each month we’ll be asking them a question and members will be sharing their top tips. This issue, we’re focusing on lessons learned…

WHAT'S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST LIFE/BUSINESS LESSON OVER THE LAST YEAR (SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC)?

Kelly Baddeley – Knights of Middle England “The biggest business lesson I have learned through this last year is that you need to be willing and able to adapt to survive! We had to create new products and services that worked within restrictions and we got online as much as we could! Without adapting there is no way we would still be going and feeding our horses throughout this winter!” www.knightsofmiddleengland.com

Tracey Cole - Tracey Cole NLP “Being able to run my coaching and trainings 100% remotely has been an eye-opener. It’s been super convenient for everyone. Clients and trainees have mentioned that having greater flexibility in scheduling sessions, no travel to think about and no need to leave their horses has helped them immensely.” www.traceycolenlp.com Carly O’Brien – COB’s Equine Shop and Services “Bring a freelance groom and instructor, my business has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Being furloughed from the riding school and some of my holiday freelance work cancelled, I found I had spare time on my hands. “With this I spent time doing some online training. I completed mini courses on the British Groom Association website, an online horse management course and attended webinars about growing social media. “It has made me realise that I don’t need to be running around trying to get to all clients and being in a rush. I can work successfully without the hectic schedule. Work smarter, not harder.” www.facebook.com/cobsequineshopservices

Emma Halliday- Paddock Apparel “Seize the moment, life is short! Quite quickly into the pandemic I realised that this would be like nothing I had ever experienced and that the world as we know it would be changed forever. So, after years of deliberation I launched Paddock Apparel, an equestrian clothing brand with a conscious.” www.paddockapparel.co.uk

Jane Brindley - Horse Riding With Confidence Scotland “My biggest lesson during this period has been the need to be on my guard for any self limiting beliefs and to challenge them in order to fully thrive in challenging circumstances. Continue to develop, seek help and support where needed and then get on and give it a go!” www.horseridingwithconfidencescottland.co.uk

Amy Pridige – Muddy Mare Clothing “Personally this year has taught me, like many others, to appreciate the small things in life. Business wise launching my brand five months before the pandemic started has meant I do not know my full potential and so it has made me more determined to succeed.” www.muddymare.co.uk Find out more about the Small & Supercharged Mastermind group: www.rhea freemanpr.co.uk