Consistancy

If I had to explain in a few words how my winter in Florida so far has helped my riding, it is all about the consistancy.   And that is not just referring to being able to ride most every day in sunshine, but sticking with a dressage focus and not getting off track.    Whether your interest is polo, jumping or dressage, you can immerse yourself in watching good riding and listening to good instruction virtually every day.   This being an Olympic year the big shows with many big name riders happen almost every weekend.   And generally all this education is free or low cost and nearby.

There is also a conctant focus of training which is easier for me to maintain in this atmosphere.  Each day I can build on what happened the day before, pushing thru resistance or hesitancy in a firm but gentle way.   I have been cultivating the attitude of You will do this for me when dealing with my horse.   So often in the recent past even, my phrase was would you please do this or at least try it.   I think the happy medium I search for involves requesting in an insisting manner, if that makes sense.   I do not wish to be a dictator but a firm leader - directing and always encouraging for more.

Cross Training

Thanks to people who responded to my last posting.   You have all given me much to think on and new ideas to process.   Perhaps the differences between disabled from birth and born able bodied play a bigger role than I realize.

Cross training is important for humans and animals alike.   We try to change our horses and perhaps dogs routines to avoid boredom and challenge new muscles and balance skills, and I would suggest must challenge those same principles in ourselves.    Some riders find yoga to help them with both concentration and balance as well as limberness and strength.    I have not had much success with yoga (and that may have been instructor driven) but have found all I was looking for in Pilates.   Because of my rather obvious physical challenges I did not try a group class, but did some research first.   I was able to find an ocupational therapist with pilates training locally.    I started with private classes (eek - expensive) until she became used to my strong and weak points and how to modify exercises for me.   Then I was able to switch to a semi=private and work along with someone else.   This cut the cost and has kept me more task oriented in many ways.

In the past I worked one on one with a professional body builder as a personal trainer.  He was able to instill a love of perfect practice over much practice to weightlifting which really has carryover to dressage training.   He insisted on the so called principle of muscle confusion which had you quickly alternate muscles used and the way in which they were challenged.   This, while not perhaps the best way to grow BIG muscles, certainly hepled me gain strength throughout the muscles range of motion.   Sadly as my hands have continued to deteriorate those exercises have all had to be modified and many watered down.   I do remain in Peter's debt for the habits he instilled, such as doing all your work at such a pace as to make you slightly breathless.   That way grooming and tacking adds to aerobic workout!   Think of the possibilities........

For Sake of Appearance

Today I struggled once again with the issue of trying my best to look like everyone else and ride just like all the other capable riders in our barn.   In particular, the issue which came up was using a piece of equipment which as a para rider I am allowed to use versus struggling away to figure it out and perhaps not achieve such an easy or neat result.   I find it hard to explain my dilema, but In a nutshell, I do not like being labeled as "different", or as though I had special advantages.   I work very hard to minimize my own disabilities when seen in public and that goes for riding as well.   To me the best complement is when someone notices my mount and I riding really well together not realizing until later when I am unmounted that I am in fact disabled.    If I felt that my horse's well being was in any way compromised, I would use any legal device without hesitation.    That has not been the case for me so far.    I do wonder how my fellow para riders feel about this issue.

Para Competition Memiors

Two 5 day shows back to back were amazing in the Florida sun.   It was tough on the horses as the setting and stalls did not change, so although easy to settle in for round 2, boring as well.    For riders it tested mental stamina.   I appreciated the chance at a "do over"  and was pleased that I rose to the occasion.   Most riders I saw felt that the second show was there best, but by Sunday for the freestyle there were a few glitches which occurred.    The atmosphere in the Masters arena was lively, and this got some horses tense and overly sensitive to riders aids.  We need to compete in these settings which competitors in europe do all the time.   Our home training and local shows are often quite quiet do to the natural reluctance of most dressage riders to allow distraction.   But perhaps we are making our troubles worse than they need to be by having such a sterile atmosphere at home.   I know that the next time someone comes to work on the arena roof at home my horse will workon the lunge despite the odd noises above.

Overall we had two great horse shows and I hope that my fellow competitors had as much fun as I did and took home many memories and pointers from their test sheets to improve their work.   Onward and upward with our scores and our team!    And remember again to thank those who made it all happen for you.

Horse Shows Are Fun

Our opening CDI of the 2012 Para-equestrian season is now completed.   All the equipment packed up and moved out and horses sent home or to local bording facility.    And just think, as tired as we all are, in 2 days we get ready to do it all again.   The format of a 5 day show, with the jog and a bye day is quite tiring.    Now two shows baack to back will further stress the system.

My USA teammates and I ended up in second place behind Canada's team.   We were off by 1-2 points, per level.    Ultimately we can beat them, but we will al neeed to ride out best.    Although the competition is important  the learning and the friendships and camradery are what I notice most.Each of us dealing with our own less than perfect bodies and trying to ride to the best of our abilities  Para riders want to win as much as anyone else, and we are willing to work for it.  The different nations make for fascinating sounds drifting through the air.   I have made friendships with many people from foreign lands and look forward to each show to renew old acquaiences and make new,

Tired and happy and after some rest, I will want to do it all over again.

Gratitude

I find myself in the middle of a big and important horse show and am noticing how much people take for granted.   I must include myself as I never stop often enough in the day to give heartfelt thanks for what I have and am able to do.   The blue skies above and white sands beneath our feet make most of us riders aware of the suns glare and the heat reflected off the sand, especially when wearing a wool coat to show.   And yet, when I called home to Michigan tonite it was single digit temperatures this morning and snowing when I called.   Where would you rather be?  My horse and I had a short but intense workout and I petted him and put him away, mindful that the horses ideal reward is for the rider to dismount.    How amazing is it that such a beautiful and sensitive creature is willing to tote the likes of me around.    I saw many people angry with their mounts and themselves, but I wonder if the anger is not misplaced.    These horses tolerate a great deal with minimal complaint and generally try very hard to please us.   I doubt that horses adore baths and pedicures and fancy hairdos, or any other things we routinely do pre show to our competitive mounts.   My horse would rather roll in the sand ring that perform, truth be told.   I really owe him/her a tremendous thank you and extra good care for putting up with this business of showing.   Put yourself in anothers shoes and be thankful and appreciative of what you have.

Fitness and Riding

The average person does not realize the effort an equestrian puts into riding.   And for this discussion I am only refering to time in the saddle.    Riders all spend many hours of physical labor un-mounted, as any horse owner can attest.   But why does riding burn calories, after all we are sitting and letting the horse do the work?    This epends on your definition and understanding of work.   Your body does work to keep you alive, with beating heart, breathing and digesting food to name a few.But we each add to this each day.    A minimal activity day might include TV channel surfing, mouse clicking and drinking soda or coffee.    Added activity could include "non-purposefull movement" such as toe tapping, finger popping, fidgeting and other ofter nervous habits.    One of the current theories of why some people stay so thin has to do with these un-purposed movements.   Over time these can and do burn a substansial number of calories.

But I digress.   What seems harder - sitting still and unmoving on a bouncing ball or bouncing the ball?   Well not really a very fair question but it points out that the act of holding your own position atop a moving animal requires substantial muscular coordination and energy expenditure.  This requires calories to be expended.   And quite logically the faster and more jarring the gait and the quieter the rider sits, the more isometric muscle activity is needed.    (Isometric means muscle use without changing length - like holdng thighs down and pelvis erect during a medium trot.)

So riders do need more fitness to ride well than first meets the eye.    Cardiovascular endurance is also important as more dynamically moving horses are ridden and in ever longer tests.   This endurance can be gained in the saddle but more easily in traditional endurance activities such as walking briskly, jogging, biking, swimming and eliptical training.   And do not forget dancing (esp. Zumba) and even Hula Hoop use.    It can be fun and entertaining.   So develop more endurance and let riding develop your muscles, then all you need is stratching and work to keep balance throughout your body and life.   Have fun!