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A Core Training Routine for a Stronger, More Flexible Horse and Rider
If I asked you to guess the age of the horse and rider in the photo above, I'll bet you wouldn't even come close. Give it a try, then find the answer below.
The horse in the photo above is a twenty-five year old, 15.2hh thoroughbred mare. Her owner is seventy-one years old, and has limited back mobility due to back surgery. They both stay fit by engaging in a core strengthening training routine about three times weekly, which you can view in the video below.
The first thing to notice is that although this mare is 25 years old, she looks and moves like a much, much younger horse. Her muscle tone and topline are strong, and she shows no signs of soreness or stiffness in her gaits. That's what a proper training routine will do, and a proper training routine includes a few simple dressage training techniques. Nothing else improves a horse's gaits and strength like dressage training--as both English and Western riders know!
The rider engages his core muscles throughout this training routine. Without abdominal engagement, nothing good would happen. With abdominal engagement, the rider achieves a perfect cardiovascular and toning workout.
He begins with working trot and canter transitions, his horse's natural gaits. The mare is balanced and moves fluidly because her rider makes sure he doesn't interfere with her movement. In trot, his seat is stable and his hands maintain an elastic contact. In canter, his seat and hands follow her movement. He plans where he is going to ask for a transition, then performs a half halt just prior to asking for the transition. For upward transitions, he simply asks with his outside leg. For downward transitions, he stretches up tall, stopping his movement and making a space under his seat to allow the mare's back to rise up and her legs to gather underneath her.
He then lengthens her trot slightly to produce a powerful medium trot. He rise up through her back and reaches forward with her front and back legs. Notice how the gait becomes more rhythmic and powerful by the second time around the circle.
Next, he pushes his hands slightly forward to produce a respectable extended trot. When he pushes his hands forward slightly, that releases his connection with the bit. The mare reaches her neck forward to re-establish that wonderful elastic connection with her rider, and as she does so, she lengthens her entire body and gait.
Time for leg-yielding! He begins in walk. His legs feels the mare's barrel sway from side to side in her natural walk. As the mare's belly begins to swing away from his inside leg (when the inside hind is rising), he applies gentle pressure with his inside leg, nudging the horse's hind under her belly. He makes sure he keeps a firm outside rein so that she doesn't curve around his inside leg and remains straight instead. Then he moves on to leg-yielding in trot, using the same aids.
Finally, he adds shoulder-in, the movement that not only allows the rider to straighten a horse's crooked gait, but also teachers the horse to carry more weight on the hindquarters. Shoulder-in is one of the three collective movements that build a horse's powerful hindquarters.
And there you have it--the perfect core routine to improve your horse's gaits, body condition, and your own riding as well!
The first thing to notice is that although this mare is 25 years old, she looks and moves like a much, much younger horse. Her muscle tone and topline are strong, and she shows no signs of soreness or stiffness in her gaits. That's what a proper training routine will do, and a proper training routine includes a few simple dressage training techniques. Nothing else improves a horse's gaits and strength like dressage training--as both English and Western riders know!
The rider engages his core muscles throughout this training routine. Without abdominal engagement, nothing good would happen. With abdominal engagement, the rider achieves a perfect cardiovascular and toning workout.
He begins with working trot and canter transitions, his horse's natural gaits. The mare is balanced and moves fluidly because her rider makes sure he doesn't interfere with her movement. In trot, his seat is stable and his hands maintain an elastic contact. In canter, his seat and hands follow her movement. He plans where he is going to ask for a transition, then performs a half halt just prior to asking for the transition. For upward transitions, he simply asks with his outside leg. For downward transitions, he stretches up tall, stopping his movement and making a space under his seat to allow the mare's back to rise up and her legs to gather underneath her.
He then lengthens her trot slightly to produce a powerful medium trot. He rise up through her back and reaches forward with her front and back legs. Notice how the gait becomes more rhythmic and powerful by the second time around the circle.
Next, he pushes his hands slightly forward to produce a respectable extended trot. When he pushes his hands forward slightly, that releases his connection with the bit. The mare reaches her neck forward to re-establish that wonderful elastic connection with her rider, and as she does so, she lengthens her entire body and gait.
Time for leg-yielding! He begins in walk. His legs feels the mare's barrel sway from side to side in her natural walk. As the mare's belly begins to swing away from his inside leg (when the inside hind is rising), he applies gentle pressure with his inside leg, nudging the horse's hind under her belly. He makes sure he keeps a firm outside rein so that she doesn't curve around his inside leg and remains straight instead. Then he moves on to leg-yielding in trot, using the same aids.
Finally, he adds shoulder-in, the movement that not only allows the rider to straighten a horse's crooked gait, but also teachers the horse to carry more weight on the hindquarters. Shoulder-in is one of the three collective movements that build a horse's powerful hindquarters.
And there you have it--the perfect core routine to improve your horse's gaits, body condition, and your own riding as well!
Here are articles that will tell you step-by-step how to achieve these gaits:
You can read more about half halts here and here
You can read more about the difference between working, medium, extended, and collected trot and canter here.
You can read more about leg yielding here.
You can read more about collective movements here.
Happy riding!
Copyright Denise Cummins December 5, 2016; Updated May 30, 2024
The Thinking Equestrian
You can read more about half halts here and here
You can read more about the difference between working, medium, extended, and collected trot and canter here.
You can read more about leg yielding here.
You can read more about collective movements here.
Happy riding!
Copyright Denise Cummins December 5, 2016; Updated May 30, 2024
The Thinking Equestrian
