EQUESTRIAN YOGA FOR CORE STRENGTH

Text: Rhiannon Cecil

Equestrians are naturally very passionate about our sport and always looking for ways to improve our strength and effectiveness in the saddle. Balance and core strength are two key factors to successful riding, and while we get plenty of time to practice these skills in the high-pressure environment of being on the horse, we must also look for supplementary training we can do on the ground.

HQ caught up with qualified yoga instructor Aiden Colling to go through some essential yoga poses that can benefit our riding.

Why yoga?

Yoga — through its physical postures, breathing practices, and focus on mindfulness — teaches us to ‘be in the moment.’ It improves our strength, flexibility, and mind/body awareness. This is especially important when we’re on horseback. It takes immense physical strength and mental focus to stay balanced and in the correct alignment on a moving horse. The ability to calm ourselves and focus on our thought patterns and what our body is doing is vital for successful riding.

To ride effectively, we need to be fit and strong yet supple and relaxed. If we are too stiff, we won’t be able to move with the horse. If we can’t stabilise or are too loose, it will likely feel (and look) like we are flopping around like a sack of potatoes. Old injuries and postural difficulties will further impede our ability to perform.

Do you tend to arch your back or slump your shoulders? This will likely be more prevalent when riding. “Alignment is a lot to consider when there are so many other things you need to focus on during lessons and competing,” says Colling. “Once you improve your core strength, posture, flexibility, and mindfulness, you will definitely see an overall improvement in your riding.”

“Your greatness is revealed not by the lights that shine upon you, but by the light that shines within you.”― Ray A. Davis

Let’s get posing

Are you ready to better your riding experience, strengthen your core and practice the many other benefits of yoga? Here is the first of five equestrian poses you can do at home. You don’t need to be a yoga pro to reap the benefits. In fact, you can give this a try if you’ve never done yoga before. All you will need is an open mind, a willingness to improve and possibly a yoga mat.

Warm-up

Like any form of exercise, jumping right in can cause injury. Instead, prepare for your workout by doing breathwork, known as Pranayama. It will warm the body up from the inside and focus the mind for the exercises ahead.

Your warm-up for session one includes the following:

• Holding a soft gaze, focus on your breath and breathe in deeply through the nose for a count of four. Allow your stomach to expand, followed by the ribs, and finally, your chest. Hold your breath for a count of four and exhale through your mouth for a count of four.
• Challenge yourself to get to ten breaths without losing focus. Don’t worry if the mind begins to wander; it’s totally normal. Just recognise it, reset your focus, and start again.
• Start adding spinal movements and linking them with your breath:
  • Roll your head back so you’re looking at the ceiling by dropping your shoulders on the inhale. Roll your head forward again on the exhale.
  • Stretch your sides by dropping your right hand to your knee on the inhale and bringing it back to the centre on the exhale. Switch sides.
  • Add some spinal twists — rotate your upper body on the inhale so your shoulders are at a 45-degree angle to your hips. Return to the centre on the exhale; repeat on both sides.

Goddess pose

Goddess pose — known in Sanskrit as Utkata Konsana — is a pose that targets the ankles, legs, glutes, hips, chest and spine. Goddess Pose is also known as Horse Pose because you will end up with strong and sculpted legs like a horse! This is a fierce pose, meaning it invites warmth into the body and is great for strengthening your lower body. It’s excellent for calming the mind, to gain focus and concentration.

• Remember to breathe!
• Standing on your mat, stand nice and tall, with your feet together and your arms at your sides with your palms facing forwards. This is called Mountain Pose.
• Spread your legs apart, with a soft bend in the knees, so that your feet are underneath your wrists at a 45-degree angle, pointing towards the corners or your mat.
• Place your hands on your hips, breathe in and squat down.
• When you squat down, you want your knees to align with your ankles, ideally making a 90-degree angle at the knee. You will know that your feet are too close together if your knees go over your ankles or too far apart if they don’t reach.
• Make sure to press down on all four corners of your feet.
• Your knees might tend to fall forward, so concentrate on pulling them towards the back of your mat.
• Tuck your tailbone in and remain tall through the spine. You want to ensure that your spine is long and erect rather than curved inwards.
• In the pose, your ribs are stacked over your hips, and your shoulders over your ribs; your chin is tucked in slightly, and the crown of the head is reaching towards the sky.
• Now spread your arms out to the sides, palms facing forward.
• Inhale and bend the elbows to a 90-degree so that your fingers are facing the sky. Ensure that your shoulders and elbows are in alignment. Exhale.
• Breathe in deeply and hold the pose, staying connected from the soles of your feet to the crown of your head.
• Take one more deep breath.
• Release your knees coming back up.
• Repeat three times to get the full benefit of this pose.

Next issue

We hope you enjoy exploring these yoga poses over the next few issues and take what you experience with you into the saddle. These poses are meant to be challenging — they will test your physical and mental capacity, but the strength and focus you gain far outweigh the effort. Keep calm, and yoga on.