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| Photo by Rick Hustead |
“A
fit horse needs a fit rider.”
When
my trainer said that to me this summer her words had the effect of a medieval
knight of yore dropping the gauntlet to encourage me to step up my dressage
training. My gelding, Galahad, has been in full training with her for five
years and their hard work really shows. He is much more muscular and flexible
than the horse I first sat on in August of 2011. There is more suspension in his
trot and canter strides, and when he gets in frame his movement is, well, it
feels like flying (to me). So, to be able to comfortably sit those gaits I
needed to do some work, too.
My
trainer is a former professional ballet dancer, so the first thing she did was
develop a more intensive warm-up regimen for me to do before each ride. In
addition to Pilates roll-ups and a sequence of hip-opening exercises ballet
stretches like demi- and grand pliés, she incorporated a series of side lunges
and sprints up and down her (very long and moderately steep) driveway.
Meanwhile,
I continue to take at least five yoga classes each week, including classes
devoted to deep stretches and restorative/therapeutic yoga for greater
flexibility, and Vinyasa flow sessions to practice smooth transitions between
various positions. As I explained in my blog titled Me,
Dressage and Yoga, these classes are a perfect complement for my riding
because the positions emphasize balance, increase strength and teach
independent movement of specific areas of the body.
I
am also paying close attention to my diet (nutrition) and quantity and quality
of sleep, especially before I ride. As I have mentioned in many of my blogs, fluctuations
in blood-sugar levels can increase anxiety and frustration levels as well
as potential moodiness. To prevent these effects, I make sure to eat a light
meal with some form of protein about an hour before I ride. I also avoid
caffeine, which can cause a similar response. The last thing I want is the
negative physiological effects of a sudden drop or spike in my blood-sugar
level to trigger anxiety in me and that spirals into to a fight/flight reaction
in Galahad.
The
final component of this physical-fitness program entails a lot of training on
the lunge-line—bareback, without a bridle or reins and my hands resting on top
of my head (helmet)—to work on my balance, improve my seat and perfect my aids
(leg and seat). My trainer often likens Galahad to a fine German sports-car in
that he has a very powerful engine in the back (his hindquarters) and he has a
manual transmission. In other words, my gelding is not a kick-and-go horse; he
is very sensitive to every aid, including inhalation and exhalation of breath. So,
if I take my legs off him or shift my balance even slightly he will do
something I didn’t (intentionally) ask for.
I
still have a lot more work to do until I get to ride with a saddle again, but
that is actually fine with me. There is something so freeing about this
training, and I can feel what Galahad is doing and thinking about doing so much
better than when there is a big leather saddle between us. It is also great for
bolstering my confidence knowing that I can ask my horse to move forward,
backward, halt and transition between gaits completely “hands-free.” Finally, these
past few months I have learned how to trust myself to ride my horse with such
subtle aids. More important, I realized that I can and do trust him when
we work together. Every ride, I am re-writing and creating a new subconscious mental script about riding and, specifically, riding this (my) horse.
There
is truly no greater feeling than this, and all the training I do on and off
Galahad is helping me increase my strength and improve my skills as a dressage
rider.
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified
hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors
from the Hypnosis Motivation
Institute in 2005. For more information
about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
© 2016
