Rider fitness: what do we really mean by ‘core’ and how does it work?
Sports therapist Debbie Rolmanis explains the importance of a rider’s core — and busts some misconceptions about it
Rider fitness
While our horses’ fitness is a high priority for most riders, not all of us take our own fitness so seriously. But times are changing and riders at every level are realising that rider fitness plays a major role if you want to be successful. Being fit for the task in hand also helps to prevent injuries, with back pain being a common problem that can often be helped with regular exercises off your horse.
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Riding with unlevel stirrups can affect horse’s movement, research finds *H&H Plus*
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Lockdown fitness – week five: plank exercises for riders of all levels *H&H Plus*
In the last of this five-part fitness series, chartered physio Sarah Claridge suggests a variety-packed fitness routine, with a demanding plank exercise to round it off...
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Why focusing on your breathing could transform your riding
Sports therapist Debbie Rolmanis explains the importance of breathing properly for riders, and offers a useful exercise to help you improve your technique
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Lockdown fitness – week four: strength and conditioning exercises for riders *H&H Plus*
Whether you’re doing yard chores or gearing up to compete again, chartered physio Sarah Claridge recommends these strength and conditioning exercises to improve your fitness levels
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How racing and eventing training techniques can benefit each other *H&H Plus*
Each equestrian sport can benefit from the specialist expertise of another. Catherine Austen investigates the advantages of interaction between eventing and racing
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Lockdown fitness – week three: Hone your riding muscles through dynamic power *H&H Plus*
Dynamic power is the focus of this fitness session with chartered physio Sarah Claridge – to hone your muscles for rising trot, the two-point canter and landing after a fence
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New studies highlight the importance of biomechanics for horse and rider *H&H Plus*
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Lockdown fitness – week two: improve flexibility plus hip and pelvis control *H&H Plus*
In the second of this five-part fitness series, chartered physio Sarah Claridge targets flexibility to help you bend with your horse on a circle, and build control of your hips and pelvis
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Lockdown fitness – week one: Three targeted exercises for riders *H&H Plus*
There are a myriad of exercise videos currently circulating, but riders require a certain type of fitness and flexibility. In the first part of this new series, chartered physio Sarah Claridge suggests three rider-focused exercises
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4 fitness exercises to do in isolation that could improve your riding
We have teamed up with Phoebe Parkinson, a human and equine osteopath who specialises in rider strength and conditioning, to bring you some easy exercises you can do in isolation to benefit your riding once you can get back in the saddle
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Why you feel 90 years old when you stand up from picking out your horse’s hooves (and what to do about it)
Looking after horses is physical work — and whatever age you are, aches and pains are all too familiar. Physiotherapist Nikki Robinson gives her expert advice on how to reduce any tension and pain
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5 top tips for improving your riding fitness (while you’re in the office)
If you work full time in an office and can’t ride before or after work in the week, there are ways to exercise at your desk to help with your riding fitness. H&H finds out how
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Joanna Thurman-Baker’s dressage blog: some riders should go to the gym less — this is dancing with your horse, not SAS Who Dares Wins
Joanna shares her opinion on rider fitness
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How many calories do you burn riding and looking after horses? Find out...
Thanks to a fitness tracker and its workout setting, H&H has been able to calculate approximate values for the number of calories burned carrying out various horsey tasks, perfect to give you an idea of how you can burn off any Christmas excess around the yard
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Why top riders have caught the CrossFit bug
Riders have cranked up their own fitness regimes to get the best results in the saddle, and the latest craze is the American import CrossFit
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Convenience and a healthy diet — how to manage it as a busy rider
How to eat well without compromising taste and time
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No time? No problem: the 4-minute workout to help riders stay on top of their game
In the second part of a new series, Connor Clennan (pictured), a qualified nutritionist and a strength and conditioning coach to professional sportspeople and private clients explains why time is our biggest enemy
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6 obstacles riders think stop them from improving their fitness and nutrition
In the first of a new series, Connor Clennan, a qualified nutritionist and a strength and conditioning coach to professional sportspeople and private clients maps out what he believes prevents riders from treating themselves as athletes
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Pain-Free Horse Riding — how to treat current problems and help prevent new ones from occurring
If you suffer from pain while riding, or are looking for ways to avoid getting in pain in the first place, you need to check out this book
