Fit to return

WITH THE GREEN LIGHT TO START COMPETING AGAIN, IT’S ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR GETTING HORSES AND RIDERS IN OPTIMUM SHAPE AND READY FOR THEIR FIRST SHOWS. JOANNA BOWNS GETS SOME TOP ADVICE FROM INTERNATIONAL RIDER BOBBY HAYLER, HERSELF AN AVID FITNESS ENTHUSIAST, TO HELP GET YOU BACK IN THE GAME AFTER A PROLONGED TIME AWAY FROM THE COMPETITION ARENA.

Riders could face a variety of issues when returning to competition. Some may have given their horse a complete break through lockdown; others, access to an arena at home but no lessons. Some may just be short of match practice. With forethought, planning, and a little bit of ingenuity, obby off ers some useful tips on how every rider can optimize their preparation.

RIDER HEALTH AND FITNESS

On top of healthy lifestyle choices such as good diet and getting enough sleep, there are exercises and habits everyone can adopt, points out Bobby. Take a walk at lunchtime, opt for the stairs and if you re an o ce worker, perhaps replace your chair with a fi tness ball. It’s about making those small changes that together can make a big diff erence to your riding.

Always be aware of your posture, and each day take a moment to consider your own balance before getting on the horse. In the yard, try standing on one leg so your brain centralises your body, then stand on the other leg; repeat this with your eyes closed so you are totally relying on feel. obby uses a fi tness ball, which is an excellent tool for improving balance and core strength. “If you sit to the right when riding, your horse will fall out through the left because you are pushing them that way. The same will happen with the ball!” she says.

ABOVE: ONCE ON BOARD, CONSIDER DOING A SPELL IN RISING TROT WITHOUT STIRRUPS AS IT REALLY HELPS IMPROVE YOUR BALANCE. IT IMPROVES THE UNDERSTANDING OF RISING FROM YOUR KNEE AND THIGH AND ALLOWS THE LOWER LEG TO RELAX. IF YOU RELY ON THE STIRRUPS TO RISE, IT MEANS YOU’RE UNSTABLE.

ABOVE, LEFT-RIGHT: 1) IF YOU’VE A FEW MINUTES BEFORE YOU RIDE, CARRY OUT THIS EXERCISE SITTING ON THE BALL: LIFT ONE LEG UP AND HOLD IT THERE; DO THE SAME WITH YOUR OTHER LEG KEEPING ONE FOOT PLACED ON THE GROUND. 2) ON THE BALL, KNEEL ON ALL FOURS. PUT ONE LEG OUT BEHIND YOU THEN THE OTHER THEN DO THE SAME WITH YOUR ARMS. 3) BALANCED IN A KNEELING POSITION, GET SOMEBODY TO THROW YOU A BALL. CATCH IT AND QUICKLY THROW IT BACK. THIS ‘TAKE IT AND GET RID OF IT’ MOTION EMULATES THE ACTION OF THE BODY IN THE HALF HALT. 4) LUNGES ARE BENEFICIAL AS THEY HELP TO OPEN UP THE HIP FLEXOR MUSCLES. THIS IS ESSENTIAL TO ACHIEVING A CORRECT, EFFECTIVE SEAT.

WONDER WORKOUTS

ff the horse e ercise is an excellent way to condition the rider’s body and, with an array of classes available online, it’s never been easier to access. Furthermore, you can do it from the comfort of home and at a time that suits. Zumba is brilliant, says Bobby. It’s fun, good for your stamina and develops coordination as you have to watch and copy. Yoga and Pilates are good for enhancing strength, e ibility and balance. “ ne fi tness app lo e to use is it n. t off ers a broad range of fantastic sessions you can do anywhere, anytime plus dietary advice, and it’s free. It’s a real game changer.” Access to a personal trainer is also recommended, even online if you cannot go in person.

Bobby advocates taking part in any sport that makes you happy and gi es you confi dence. “ especially think it’s important for under 21s to take part in team sport. There are so many lessons to be learnt from it.”

Working with a physio is hugely benefi cial, she adds, to e en out any crookedness, improve awareness and eliminate any tightness. “If you have awareness of your body and understanding of what the horse is supposed to be doing, you’re away.”

EVALUATING YOUR HORSE’S FITNESS

efore you set off for your fi rst competition, the horse must be fi t enough to cope with the work plus the additional demands of tra elling and standing around. If your horse can comfortably do a warm up plan, a test and a cool down, that s a heads up that he s generally getting ready to compete. hether you re building or maintaining the horse s body conditioning, adopt a routine that de elops the horse whilst keeping him mentally fresh and engaged with his work. Example Team Hayler training week: Monday: ymnastic, long and low day. erpentines, easy transitions, getting the horse supple through the ribcage after a day off . oti ating the horse and making it fun. eeping the brain nice and busy. Tuesday: hink about picking the horse up, practise movements from the test, start training more challenging new mo ements. Wednesday: ‘ ut of the arena day lungeing hacking water treadmill canter day. Thursday: tart with suppling work, then pick the horse up again.

RIGHT: WORKING IN COUNTER CANTER IS INVALUABLE. “IT STRENGTHENS YOUR NORMAL CANTER LEAD, LIFTS THE SHOULDER AND DEVELOPS CONFIDENCE FOR THE RIDER BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GAIN BALANCE AND AWARENESS OF THE BODY,” SAYS BOBBY. “IT HELPS WITH COLLECTION, AS IT MAKES THE HORSE SIT, AND IT INCREASES SUPPLENESS.”

Friday: Another more challenging session practising mo ements and training new ones. Saturday: acking fun day Sunday: ay off horsewalker and handgra e turnout

SUPPLENESS, REACTIONS AND ADJUSTABILITY

t all stages of fi ttening, the aim is to foster suppleness, reactions and ad ustability within the paces. irst off , obby says it s important to develop adjustability in the walk as this is the foundation for the other paces. ou must be able to lengthen and collect the walk so bear this in mind at the start of e ery session.

An exercise to help the horse balance himself is to ride a 10 or m circle at e ery marker in trot or canter, then as you return to the marker ride a transition to walk or trot respecti ely depending on the stage of training the horse is at. ake a transition up and repeat at the ne t marker. his e ercise enables you to take ad antage of the wall or fence to help engagement.

Remember there are activities you can do out hacking. f it s safe to do so and there s no tra c, walk down the middle of the lane. his is good practice for riding a centre line. sk yourself “ s the horse between both my legs or is he leaning one way or another ” t s about getting our brains into that fi ne detail and getting the horses back on our aids and becoming sensiti e about leg pressure and seat pressure.

ABOVE LEFT: EVERY DAY, BOBBY INCLUDES THE EQUISSAGE IN PRE-WARM UP AND COOL DOWN FOR ALL HER HORSES. ABOVE RIGHT: BOBBY IS A GREAT BELIEVER IN THE USE OF SERPENTINES TO HELP THE HORSE BALANCE AND BEND THROUGH THE RIBCAGE.

ABOVE: WALKING ON A HARD SURFACE HELPS IMPROVE BONE DENSITY. RIGHT INSET: POLE WORK, CAVALETTI WORK AND JUMPING IS FANTASTIC, SAYS BOBBY, AS IT MAKES THE HORSE THINK ABOUT WHERE THEIR FEET ARE AND STRIDING. “IF THE WEATHER IS BAD ON A ‘HACKING DAY’ WE MIGHT LUNGE THEM OVER POLES WITHOUT A RIDER. IT NATURALLY ENGAGES THE HORSE’S CORE WHICH IS WHAT WE WANT IN DRESSAGE.”

VARIETY FOR HEALTH

The horse needs to move in order to promote good musculoskeletal health so plenty of time spent out of the stable is essential. Exercise your horse on a variety of surfaces, advises Emily Barrett BSc PhD DVM CertAVP MRCVS from Oaklands Equine Hospital, as it’s one of the components vital to maintaining soundness. “It’s really important to incorporate walking on roads or hard surfaces within your training programme as it helps to improve bone density,” she explains. “It’s also valuable time spent out of the stable which is vital for good joint health.

“Walking in-hand and handgrazing are both ways to do this. Hacking is also very good, though I wouldn’t recommend too much trotting on roads due to the additional concussive force it places on the limbs.”

“Give your horse variety, ride in the fi eld when you can and remember that your horse doesn’t always have to be working in a compressed outline. Vary the frame, allowing him long and low often to encourage suppleness and relaxation.”

STRUCTURE, GOAL SETTING AND MOTIVATION

For anyone looking to retrieve their competition mojo after the disruption of the past 12 months, getting structure and motivation as an individual and a rider is essential, advises obby. oal setting, fi ne tuning communication between horse and rider, and preparation are key to you getting competition-ready.

Develop a strategy consisting of goals and mini goals as it’s these achievable steps that motivate, she says. “A mini goal could be building up your horse’s fi tness and ha ing an eff ecti e schooling routine; a middle goal is having your training in place and devising a warm up plan, then a bigger goal could be planning which shows you want to compete at.”

Having a warm up plan is fundamental, she adds. It makes you more secure as an individual as you can then go to a show with a plan. If you haven’t got one, don’t be afraid to ask your trainer for help. “I like to record warm up sessions with my students. Then at a competition, if I’m unable to be there, they can play it through an earpiece.”

Describing a typical part of her warm up, Bobby says, “After 10 or 15 minutes in walk, getting the horse to listen to my cues, I next like to canter as it’s a more natural pace for the horse than trot.”

PLAY IT SAFE OR TAKE A RISK?

Don’t always try to be perfect in training. Enjoy the process and allow yourself to make mistakes as that is how you develop! Push yourself out of your comfort zone a little, then at a competition it will seem easier. “I’d always recommend that you are working a level higher at home. That way, you and your horse can be secure in the work at a competition,” says Bobby.

Once comfortable and confi dent at your current le el, you can think about taking the next step. Each level brings new challenges but the underlying principles remain the same. You have to understand your basics and what the horse’s body is doing underneath you. At all levels, every moment of the training is about suppleness, reactions and adjustability.

MATCH PRACTICE

Hire a local arena if you can before venturing out to your fi rst show. et your horse used to travelling again and being tacked up in the lorry etc. With a young horse that hasn’t been out before, take them for a lesson with someone experienced who’ll suggest methods to give the horse confi dence on the day.

COMPETITION DAY

e confi dent, knowing you e prepared as best as you can, and approach the day with a positive mindset. Be organised, decide what time you want to leave and manage your time eff ecti ely to a oid any stress. “Most importantly,” concludes Bobby, “remember to enjoy the experience and don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t get the scores you want – it’s been a challenging year for everybody.”

To read more about Team Hayler visit teamhaylerdressage.co.uk