Do you ever think about the amount of times you’ve been bashed about, stood on or fallen off your horse and just carried on regardless. You may have self medicated with some ibuprofen and a glass of wine but you didn’t fully assess the situation to decide if it may have a long term impact.
I imagine if your horse fell, had an injury etc he’d have the vet, possibly physio, he may have some time off and a rehab plan………
Can you spot the difference there?
I can’t emphasise enough how much you are a vital part of the performance of you and your horse together. If you aren’t functioning correctly then you aren’t pulling your weight in the team.
I see riders every week that have muscular injuries whether from a recent event or something that has been long term. Now these riders are dealing with the issue as obviously they are coming to me but what about the rest of you?
If one of my clients has had a recent injury I give them initial management advice-heat/ice, relevant stretches etc. If necessary I’ll book them in for a sports massage and we’ll review it in the weeks following in their 121’s or in class.
I think this is why riders should regularly be having massage or physio alongside regular off horse training. Issues that you may initially brush off may have a lasting impact if not picked up on quickly.
Building a stronger body makes it more resilient to injury and easing out knots and tightness in the early stages stops them from becoming a long term issue.
So use this as your cue to start taking your own injuries and minor niggles as seriously as you would take those things in your horse.
Do you want access to an online workout site that will help you build strength and stability for riding and guide you through some stretching to eek out those aches and pains at the end of the week? My online programme is just £5 per month for access to a weekly body weight Pilates style strength workout and a yoga based stretch session all in a Private Facebook group & direct to your inbox.
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