Horse&Rider Magazine – December 2014

Horse R der Uk’s best-selling equestrian monthly

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horseandrideruk.com december 2014

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your nerves

Self-coaching guide

Winter management advice All you need to know

23

horses in crisis!

essential

How you can help

Rugging tips

➤ Tried and tested: base layers to keep you warm this winter

➤ How to manage your horse on box rest

➤ Transform your riding position with pilates

➤ WIN! Gorgeous WOW saddle worth £1,500

Horse

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world

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here’s something so peaceful about a frosty winter’s day. It’s the perfect time to bundle up and take a walk in the countryside. Listen to the crunch of the crisp grass under your boots and watch the horses as they graze in their winter fields.

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PART TWO In this feature... ➤ Start your youngster jumping fillers

As told to Céleste Wilkins. Photos: Bob Atkins. Yazmin is a Dodson&Horrell Brand Ambassador. Visit dodsonandhorrell.com

Our trainer

Yazmin Pinchen is a young British showjumper who has represented her country on numerous occasions, including a senior Nations Cup class in Abu Dhabi.

Yazmin has produced all of her top-level showjumpers herself, from youngsters all the way up to placing at some of the most prestigious competitions in the world.

Jump

start Make your youngster confident over courses and fillers with Yazmin Pinchen

L

ast month, Yazmin Pinchen explained how she gets her horses jumping and develops their rhythm over fences with exercises using small jumps. This month, she tackles jumps with fillers and courses of fences, all in preparation for your youngster’s first competitions. Yazmin continues...

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In the saddle

➤ Be competition-ready with a course ➤ Troubleshoot jumping problems

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PART THREE In this feature... ➤ Improve your posture in the saddle Our expert Clare Hoddinott has been teaching Pilates for 13 years and is an experienced horse rider who has four horses of her own.

Recently, she established Move Well Ride Well, a Pilates-based approach that helps riders improve their posture, flexibility and body awareness in the saddle.

Make a

connection Whether your bad posture is the result of a lack of practice or a medical condition, Pilates can help improve your riding.

We find out how...

Our rider

Photos: Bob Atkins

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‘

As a rider, you can take the Pilates principles into the saddle and develop a more effective way of riding

‘

Nicola Coles is a novice rider who enjoys hacking. In this feature, she rides 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood Teresa.

“I have a condition called ankylosing spondylitis (a type of inflammatory arthritis) in my pelvis, which makes my lower back less mobile and, therefore, makes riding more difficult,” says Nicola.

“Unfortunately, on the day of the lesson, Teresa’s bridle had been stolen so I had to ride her in a double bridle, but she would normally be ridden in a snaffle.”

In the saddle

➤ Become more aware of your body ➤ Four exercises to try at home

I

n the final part of our series, Pilates instructor and rider Clare Hoddinott emphasises the all-round benefits of her approach to riding.

With most forms of exercise – even in your riding lessons sometimes – you may hear the phrase, ‘No pain, no gain’. But this is a rather old-fashioned and outdated approach to exercise, and there are more therapeutic ways to achieve results.

Pilates follows the mantra ‘No pain, plenty of gain’. It is a non-impact form of exercise that provides a refreshing mind and body workout, develops a strong core, and helps with coordination and flexibility, and much more.

Having discovered how effective the application of the Pilates principles are for me and my horse, I urge riders to spend more time off their horses to develop their riding skills.

Practising good posture is self perpetuating – the more you do it, the more automatic it will become. Having pain for any length of time, like Nicola does, changes the neural stimulation and often the joint stabilisers become deactivated, allowing the strong movement muscles to take over. This exacerbates the problem and pain can become worse. At the very least, there may be adaptive posture changes as the person ‘copes’ with their daily activities.

However, you can have poor posture without being in pain. Many riders will have adapted their bodies in a way that feels comfortable to them, but in reality failing to address the postural issues can lead to pain in the long term. This pain is likely to manifest itself in the horse and lead to resistance in your training.

Clare’s top tip ➤ Put yourself in

your horse’s shoes and decide what kind of rider you would want to carry if you were a horse.

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Words: Kelly McCarthy-Maine. Photos: Bob Atkins

In this feature... ➤ Focus on accuracy ➤ Build your horse’s confidence

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In the saddle

➤ Get more from your schooling ➤ Prepare for riding at competitions

Group practice Is there an after-work traffic jam in your arena?

Try working in pairs or groups with these brilliant exercises from Wellington Riding’s Chief Instructor, David Sheerin Our instructor David Sheerin began his career at Wellington Riding as a working pupil in 1995. David is training for his BHS Fellowship and is still keenly involved in eventing, organising British Eventing’s Wellington Horse Trials and securing his place on the British Riding Club CIC** team for 2015.

Y

ou’ve made it through a long day at work and arrived at the yard to find the arena lights on, and enough horsey comingsand-goings in the school to warrant traffic control. With everyone going in different directions, it can be intimidating and make it difficult to feel like you are getting anywhere with your own horse.

Trying to ride an inexperienced, young or nervous horse in this kind of situation is definitely not the way to wind down after a day at work – or progress your training! So why not get everyone moving together with these schooling exercises – perfect for pairs and groups – and see your results improve!

Why work in a group?

“Most of the horses I have known throughout my career, from competition horses to happy hackers, benefit from learning to work well in a group,” explains David Sheerin, Chief Instructor at Wellington Riding.

“Riding with other horses can settle a young or inexperienced horse, and help to inspire and switch on a more laid-back type. Just as importantly, I find that riders are more intuitive and natural with their aids when riding in a group – the brain worries about riding co-operatively, and the body sorts out what the arms and legs are doing to best ride the horse,” David explains.

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