Mounted exercises for the rider
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2018 9:41 pm
MM managed to get a cut at the base of her ear last week. It's nothing serious, thankfully, but she's very sensitive around the area and unfortunately it's right where a headstall would sit, so bridles and even halters are a no-go right now.
I gave her the weekend off hoping for some miraculous healing, but alas it is still very much there. So, I figured I could try to make the most of the situation. So, today I rode her bridle-less and without stirrups so I could focus on torturing myself some. So, given that I'm looking at a few more rides ahead without her bridle, I wanted to reach out to see if folks had ideas for mounted exercises to do to focus on rider fitness/strength and position. In particular, I'd love to focus on core strength (MM is a leg mover and very smooth, so just sitting/influencing the trot or canter isn't much of a core workout).
I'll have my hands free, so I'm open to exercises that require hands/arms to do things other than holding reins. I can also do walk, trot, canter, and transitions bridless and some turning, but smaller circles and lateral work are not so easy.
Any ideas of how to torture myself while MM heals?
I gave her the weekend off hoping for some miraculous healing, but alas it is still very much there. So, I figured I could try to make the most of the situation. So, today I rode her bridle-less and without stirrups so I could focus on torturing myself some. So, given that I'm looking at a few more rides ahead without her bridle, I wanted to reach out to see if folks had ideas for mounted exercises to do to focus on rider fitness/strength and position. In particular, I'd love to focus on core strength (MM is a leg mover and very smooth, so just sitting/influencing the trot or canter isn't much of a core workout).
I'll have my hands free, so I'm open to exercises that require hands/arms to do things other than holding reins. I can also do walk, trot, canter, and transitions bridless and some turning, but smaller circles and lateral work are not so easy.
Any ideas of how to torture myself while MM heals?