5 tips to improve your riding skills outside the stable

Photo Shoot: fei.org

If you are serious about equestrian sports, then you will agree that a rider is, first of all, an athlete. And to improve your professional level, you need an integrated approach.

Just as a tennis player or swimmer spends time working on their form outside the tennis court or pool, riders can do the same to improve their riding skills.

This is especially true right now, when the summer season is still ahead, and there is an opportunity to focus on self-improvement without looking back at a busy competitive schedule.

Gym visit

There’s nothing surprising in the fact that being leaner and stronger will improve your riding. We all know that riding in itself is a great exercise and that we don’t “just sit there”. However, visiting the gym will not be superfluous.

Photo: fei.org

Do cardio and strength exercises. Running is great cardio, but it puts a lot of strain on your joints, so swimming is a great alternative.

Also try not to overdo it with strength exercises, because the main goal is to maintain fitness.

If you find it difficult to combine cardio and strength training in time, try kickboxing, because it combines these two aspects.

Another great option would be yoga or Pilates, because flexibility in no way interferes with the rider 😉

Food

We know it’s very hard! Getting up early, coming home late and spending all your money on horse ammunition. Due to the lack of time, you will not refuse a chocolate bar on the way to training or takeaway food. It is clear that with such a schedule, it is very difficult to cook for yourself every day.

It is important to take care of your body and health in order to perform well. The right balance of nutrients and vitamins will help you fight fatigue and disease.

Eating healthy is the key to maintaining your health and weight, and when you cook at home, you can be sure that your food is free of harmful additives.

A quality diet is an integral part of good physical shape and productive work.

Book an appointment with a sports psychologist

Maintaining mental health is important for any rider. This will help you improve your performance in competitions and help you focus on your home workouts. What problems can a visit to a sports psychologist solve?

1. Excessive nervousness and lack of confidence when driving
2. Fear of competition
3. “Excellent Syndrome”
4. Dealing with failures and mistakes
5. Working on the ability to focus on the presentation
6. Development of strategies and competitive plan

Photo Shoot: fei.org

Reading specialized literature, studying research

You can draw knowledge not only from practical exercises and training, but also from specialized literature.

Of course, reading one or two articles will not suddenly make you a professional athlete, but it will certainly help you.

However, the study of theory should not be limited to books on riding technique. You must learn to understand the anatomical structure of the horse, because this will help you better understand the features of the movement of each horse.

All sorts of reading materials are useful here, from magazines and online publications to blogs and forums.

Attending workshops and seminars

You can learn a lot by watching other athletes ride. If there is a person you admire that you want to be like, find a master class, go to it and learn something new.

If you are riding as a competitor, don’t neglect feedback, focus on how your horse is running. The same applies to attending master classes and seminars as a spectator, especially when they are led by experienced judges, coaches or athletes.

Photo: fei.org

Consider attending a dressage class if you are into show jumping and vice versa. This exchange of knowledge has a good effect on training, your horse will not get bored from performing the same type of tasks, and it will also be interesting for you to try something new, you remember our #DisciplineChallenge by Prokoni?=)

And of course, if possible, visit competitions abroad and watch the best athletes in the world, it is very inspiring to work on yourself and become better every day!