Equestrian Rehab
Rehab is not a word equestrians want to hear.
Most horseback riders know what pain is. There are a ton of injuries that you can have happen to you when you ride a horse. Just today, my heel got clipped by my horse while hand walking around the barn; ouch! He started to trot up behind me and he just happened to throw his hoof into my heel. It stung! But this little heel strike is nothing compared to most injuries suffered from a lifestyle of horses. It’s easy to have regular heel strikes but when something major happens to you when riding, you need rehabilitation.
Chances are if you’ve been riding for any length of time, you’ve suffered from some sort of injury, sprain or broken bone! To do rehab right, one has to understand the equestrian’s mindset and work ethic! We don’t rest easily and when you are told not to ride, an equestrian wants back in the saddle.
The trick to writing the workouts for equestrians during any rehab process is to focus on the athletes mobility and movement range of motion.
Take the time to allow your body to heal and relearn movements. Some exercises seem like they are easy but these are the ones that help you move better with your horse.
I don’t have to rehab, I’ll do that on the horse!
Equestrians rarely like to be told what to do by a doctor or any one else. They will judge to severity of their injury and decide at what point is a good time to get back on. I am not sure if these riders are ignoring their bodies or if they can’t stand not being on their horses.
Just the other day I saw a video of a rider getting on her horse with a whole boot, cast on their lower leg. She must have broken or torn something major to have that had thing on her leg. This is what she was saying when riding her horse, ” back on the horse and feeling great.”
That’s who we are and I get that, but you’re not staying off the horse as long as your doctor or therapist would recommend. That being said, there’s huge value in doing mobility exercises to ensure imbalances don’t develop and that is by doing a rehab program.
Bronze Members have the most rehabilitation workouts!
Stay the course and end up stronger than before. When your body has little imbalances,(it’s nearly impossible to be muscularly symmetrical over the entire body) you can increase muscular density and sensitivity at a faster rate.
Compensations develop into habits causing physical communication issues with horses. Symmetry is hard enough to do on the ground, at the gym with just ones self. When you’re on a horse, that plays a role into how your body forms. In Bronze, the training plan has more balance, flexibility and mobility exercises. Sign up today and start getting more mobile for rehab or just insurance of imbalances in your body, view the bronze membership here.
