|
|
Regular
Posts: 65
| I was wondering what kind of exercises you all do to get your balance back after being out of the saddle for a while. I have been riding off & on for the last year but not consistent due to work & need some exercises to get my balance back where it needs to be. Thanks! |
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 596
| I find that the more I ride and consistently ride the better I ride. Just trotting or loping. A lot of fence work, stopping, backing and rollbacks. Just ride whenever you can if only for 20 mins it's got to help.
|
|
| |
|
 No Tune in a Bucket
Posts: 2935
 
Location: Texas | Lack of riding and age has ruined my balance. Losing some weight would not hurt either. I have seen exercises like standing on one foot that is supposed to help. |
|
| |
|
 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| There is a fitness center run by the hospital in Marshall. I just joined this week. My first priority is balance. The trainer is setting up some exercises for me. You might try a fitness center near you that has a trainer that can work with you. |
|
| |
|
 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | Yoga and core strengthening exercises. And as much saddle time as you can get. Ridng itself is a good vestibular therapy. |
|
| |
|
Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | drop your stirrups and ride bareback some.
also, ride in two point for as long as you can (eta at a trot). Better yet, ride in an english saddle for a few rides in two point for as long as you can.
Edited by barrelracr131 2015-01-16 7:40 AM
|
|
| |
|
Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | barrelracr131 - 2015-01-16 7:39 AM drop your stirrups and ride bareback some.
also, ride in two point for as long as you can (eta at a trot). Better yet, ride in an english saddle for a few rides in two point for as long as you can.
A good English saddle is easier to ride without stirrups than a lot of barrel saddles WITH stirrups. ;-) |
|
| |
|
Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | Three 4 Luck - 2015-01-16 8:06 AM barrelracr131 - 2015-01-16 7:39 AM drop your stirrups and ride bareback some.
also, ride in two point for as long as you can (eta at a trot). Better yet, ride in an english saddle for a few rides in two point for as long as you can. A good English saddle is easier to ride without stirrups than a lot of barrel saddles WITH stirrups. ;-)
should have specified a close contact with no knee rolls, lol |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 316
| Core work! Work on it while you are not riding and while you are riding think about engaging your core and really using that to balance yourself. Most of our body's balance comes from our core. |
|
| |
|
Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | barrelracr131 - 2015-01-16 8:30 AM Three 4 Luck - 2015-01-16 8:06 AM barrelracr131 - 2015-01-16 7:39 AM drop your stirrups and ride bareback some.
also, ride in two point for as long as you can (eta at a trot). Better yet, ride in an english saddle for a few rides in two point for as long as you can. A good English saddle is easier to ride without stirrups than a lot of barrel saddles WITH stirrups. ;-)
LOL There ya go! |
|
| |
|
  Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | For balance specifically I have a few exercises that I have my students do with variations and with and without a saddle--
Ride with arms straight out or straight up -- it's amazing how just having anything in our hands impacts our balance.
Arms out or straight up and looking at the sky - the angle of our head impacts balance big time.
Ride with your eyes closed - eventually with arms up- do a lot of circles, transitions. This is hard but it will get feel and balance quick.
Ride bareback without squeezing your legs at all -- lots of circles and transitions. Because you're not using your legs to stay on it gives your seat a chance to develop.
Posting and two point without stirrups at walk, trot, and canter.
As far as strength goes, riding two point for extended periods of time will help a whole lot.
I'm a big fan of kettle bell exercises and planks to build strength too. |
|
| |
|
 Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
Location: Alberta | You can engage your core at any time of the day, as mentioned many exercises are out there.........it takes time to beable to engage for longer periods and gain that strength. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 617
Location: London Ontario | Fairweather - 2015-01-16 10:27 AM
For balance specifically I have a few exercises that I have my students do with variations and with and without a saddle--
Ride with arms straight out or straight up -- it's amazing how just having anything in our hands impacts our balance.
Arms out or straight up and looking at the sky - the angle of our head impacts balance big time.
Ride with your eyes closed - eventually with arms up- do a lot of circles, transitions. This is hard but it will get feel and balance quick.
Ride bareback without squeezing your legs at all -- lots of circles and transitions. Because you're not using your legs to stay on it gives your seat a chance to develop.
Posting and two point without stirrups at walk, trot, and canter.
As far as strength goes, riding two point for extended periods of time will help a whole lot.
I'm a big fan of kettle bell exercises and planks to build strength too.
As someone who grew up riding performance horses English and western I can remember weeks of lessons not being able to use stirrups. We would do pattern after pattern no stirrups.. Hated my coach at the time but love her now! We too do lots of circles at a lope with one hand straight up in the air or out to the side, its really helps with your core and balance. We looks silly as all heck but it helped!!! |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | I am working on balance too. I've tried many of those suggested and they are all great. Bareback has always been the best for me. I have a two year old and I can get away with a little goofiness but she's not ready for full on goofiness or riding with my eyes closed. So I bought her a bareback pad. I think she can handle that well at the walk and the trot for now. Working on doing a lot of posting and two point too. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 1355
| All great advice on here. Yoga is great for core and balance. I also wanted to suggest the bosu ball. I love this thing! Try to use it a couple times a week at the gym and it's so versatile! |
|
| |
|
 Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | After being down most of last year with the twins my muscles and strength are all but gone. I've been having hip and tailbone pain and have started going to a sports medicine rehab facility. They use chiro, deep tissue massage, and strengthening exercises. I've been going for a few weeks, but yesterday was my first actual workout....and I am SO sore!
Excellent exercises though to get my hip, leg, and ab muscles back. I've lost all of the baby weight and had begun to tone up, but I couldn't really get the work done that I wanted to because it was hurting so much. Now that I've been getting adjusted and the knots worked out, it was actually fun to stretch and workout hard and not feel pain (other than the burn in my thighs, lol).
The reason I absolutely didn't want to try to use riding as exercise to get back in shape is I feared that I would be off balance enough that I would create problems with my horses. There are muscles that you need for core strength and balance that you can't technically work out when you're in the saddle. |
|
| |
|
 A Barrel Of Monkeys
Posts: 12972
Location: Texas | I agree with strengthening your core!! |
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 420
| Sumo squats will also help build strength in that very upper most inside thigh area.....the area with will be screaming the first time you have a long ride! I also do yoga. Yoga is the best thing I've done for all over well being and getting limber. |
|
| |
|
Regular
Posts: 65
| Thank you all!! These are all great exercises & I will definitely be using some of these. I really like the no stirrups, bareback & core strengthening exercises. :) I need to start riding more everyday when the weather breaks & I can get back to it more. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 320
Location: Dubuque,IA | Hot yoga!! I started it and am amazed at how it has helped my balance and agility
|
|
| |
Folks on-line