Hello Self Thinking Riders!  Hopefully you enjoyed your holidays and a happy and healthy New Year.  New England has been hit hard with several storms and some very artic air, so getting out to ride has been sporadic at best.  But, although the days are shorter and colder, there are still plenty of things you can be doing to improve yourself and your horse. 

The New Year provides a fresh start to take a look at your horse related goals.  Although the warm, productive days of spring seem so far off, it is never too early to think about what you would like to work towards and accomplish in the coming year.  Just taking a few minutes right now and jotting down a few ideas can motivate and inspire you for the future.   Whether it is something new you would like to learn or perhaps teach your horse to do, getting the process going by simply writing it down can help make it happen.

 
Also since we are stuck in a great deal with storms and cold weather and unable to ride, you can still work on yourself with some easy exercises at home.  I wrote an article for the magazine Holistic Horse (www.holistichorse.com) a few years ago covering exercises you can do to improve your riding muscles and form.  Here are the exercises from the article:

Folding Stretch:  After your stair warm up, stand with feet hip width apart.  Raise your hands over head taking in a long breath and looking up to the sky and then slowly diving down towards your feet and letting the air expel fully from your lungs.  Hang for a minute allowing your hands to just dangle down and feel the stretch in the back of your legs and through your back and neck.  Repeat the sequence 5 times.  This movement helps you focus on your breathing and stretches out the front and back of your body to make you more flexible and relaxed in the saddle.

Calf raises:  Strengthen your lower leg to help get your heels down and be able to wrap your leg around your horse better and give more precise cues.  Stand at the bottom of your stairway (you can also do this on any step in the house).  Hold the railing for support.  Place the balls of your feet on the step with your heels hanging off the edge.  Hold your body tall and stretch up long so you feel balanced and supported.  Slowly lower your heels towards the ground while taking in a long breath.  When you reach the point when you can lower no more, hold for a 2 second count, then slowly raise your heels all the way up as far as they can got while letting out the long breath till you fully deflate your lungs.  Do as many as you can slowly and work up to 3 sets of 10 per day.

Pelvic tilts:  Good to do while watching the evening news!  Lay on the floor flat on your back.  Relax for a moment and focus on the natural curve of your spine on the floor.  Bring your attention to your hips and buttocks.  Now allow your body to melt into the floor.  Feel your spine imprint into the floor by letting it expand and flatten and pull your belly button in.  Now bend both knees and place your feet flat on the floor.  Allow your arms and hands to just rest gently by your sides.  Using your butt and hamstrings (back of thigh) push your hips up to the ceiling and hold for a few seconds.  Use your breath as you do this and any exercise.  Push the air out of your diaphragm when you push up allowing your stomach to flatten as your hips are up.  After a second, return your hips slowly to the floor.  Do this exercise slowly for full effect.  Do as many as you can comfortably.  Work up to 3 sets of 10.  To recover, take your knees to your chest and stretch the back of your legs and buttocks.  Strengthens your core muscles.

Belly button pull:  Here is a wonderful exercise that again you can do while watching the news.  Lay flat on your floor again.  Again, as in pelvic thrusts, allow your back to relax and imprint into the floor.  Now bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor.  Focus now on your breathing.  As you breathe in allow your stomach to expand and grow.  As you breathe out, allow your stomach to flatten and push the air out.  Now, stretch your arms over your head as you breathe in.  As you breathe out, pull them back to your sides and just lift your head up off the floor, not your whole upper body.  As you do this focus your attention on your belly button.  You want it to pull in as you breathe out. Flatten your stomach and pull the belly button in towards your spine.  Do as many slowly as possible.  Work up to 3 sets of 10.  This helps strengthen your core and helps during half halts to re-balance your horse.

Also, you can keep riding in your mind’s eye by watching training and riding videos.    I like to watch the experts in action to fill my head with ideas and new concepts to work with my horses on and to teach others. 

Reading training magazines and books can also educate you on things you have been curious about.  Winter is a great time to catch up on your reading you have been putting off!

Lastly, take this time to just relax with your horse.  If you cannot ride, give them a good grooming and some treats.  Play with them, do some ground work or take them for a walk in the snow.  All these things can re-new your relationship and help you two grow closer.    Winter is a time to slow down, take stock and relax for a little while.  We work so hard the rest of the year and so do our horses.  Let’s enjoy some down time but still keep moving ahead by working on ourselves!

Thank you all, happy learning and many blessings for you and your horse!