The Athletic Equestrian: Over 40 Exercises for Good Hands, Power Legs, and Superior Seat Awareness

Whether you're a competitive rider or a casual rider, this guide will help you develop your athleticism on horseback and overcome common rider problems. It includes exercises to improve your balance, strength, and mechanics, as well as creative training hacks to get you on your way to greater levels of riding proficiency.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 184 pages
Publication date: 14 June 2022
Publisher: Trafalgar Square

Whether competing in the show ring or riding at home on the trail, every rider wants to be more secure and balanced in the saddle and effective with their aids. This innovative guide uses highly effective exercises to develop your athleticism on horseback so you can say goodbye to common rider problems, such as:
Swinging lower legs.
Stiff arms.
Trouble balancing over the horse's center of gravity.
Half-halts that go unanswered.
Incorrect mechanics, on the flat and in the jumping position.
And more.

Division I collegiate riding coach Sally Batton has spent over 30 years perfecting her methods specifically designed to refine and polish riders, whatever their level. In her work with hundreds of varsity team athletes, she found that trouble with position and lack of specific horsemanship skills happens for two reasons: First, riders may not have an understanding of the biomechanics required to maintain the correct position. Second, they may not have attained the suppleness and strength required to maintain a fluid, elastic position on the horse.

Her secret to combatting these difficulties won her teams dozens of championships and awards through the years. Here, you learn both her time-proven warm-up and her exciting "Equicize" routine: a series of progressive exercises similar to aerobics on horseback. Batton's recommendations help you build and strengthen the major muscle groups used by equestrian athletes, and all exercises can be customized so you can raise or lower the intensity as needed to suit your age, level, and riding style. Plus, readers find dozens of creative training "hacks" that will get them on their way to greater levels of riding proficiency in no time at all.

Weight: 604g
Dimension: 209 x 260 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781646010516