Lesson 3: Warm-up! In Part 1 of the Equestrian Athlete series I asked how often you physically prepare when you are schooling or competing; if you warm-up or go through any flexibility or mobility exercises before you get on your horse; and if you perform a cool-down to prevent excessive muscular soreness and stiffness after a long day of showing? The typical response is no to all of the above. Generally, we tack up our horses, mount, and get on with our ride. I am going

Lesson 2: Key Muscle Strength & Flexibility Requirements for Riding Whether you are a showjumper, barrel racer, dressage rider, eventer, or polo player the ability to control a 1200+ pound horse requires a great deal of strength, endurance, mobility, and flexibility. As you learn to ride you will develop the movement patterns required for your particular discipline, and your muscles will start to improve their strength. As an experienced rider you will typically have the s

Chronological aging is inevitable – each year we all celebrate another year of life with a birthday. We also age biologically, which means our bodies undergo physical transformations that decrease the physiological efficiency of many of our systems. These physiological changes affect our respiratory and cardiovascular systems, our musculoskeletal system, and our neurological system. The changes that can occur to our musculoskeletal & neurological systems can have a signifi