The Notebook

Hey there, Horse Nation.  T'is the season for self-improvement and goal setting on a grand scale. Millions of people will pledge to be healthier and many of us equestrian type will resolve to up our game in the saddle.  I know I will be doing both of those things.  Up until a couple years ago I had this habit of buying a new notebook each time I set a new goal.

In these notebooks I would track my progress as I pursued my goal.  The first few pages were always filled with meticulous records, detailed notes, and often, inspirational doodles of happy ponies.

These entries would quickly devolve into hurried scrawlings as life got in the way of my ambitions...

and then... they'd stop all together.

I recently stumbled across my last notebook. A plain and simple journal.  This notebook was obviously purchased when I was in a bit of a dark place.  I was in the process of finishing my thesis, and was dealing with a major professor that took immense joy in demoralizing her students. Despite the fact I got this notebook with the sole intention of recording my thoughts and feelings, the topic of "goals" crept quite conspicuously into the very first entry. I guess my brain is jus very goal-oriented.

**Read in my best goth kid voice**

"I bought this new notebook because there is something so rejuvenating about a real, physical blank slate. Blank slates are something I seem to need a lot in my life.  As a result, I have a house filled with half-filled notebooks with the scrawlings of goals never achieved. Souvenirs from the place where dreams go to die."

Ugh.  I promise.  I'm typically not such a drama queen. At the time, I saw these notebooks as evidence of my failures, and looking back I still believe that to be the truth, but in a much less depressing way.  The difference is I now understand that my successes in life are built on the backs of my failures.  Each time I falter when reaching for a goal, I learn valuable lessons on what not to do which aid me in my next attempt.  The only true failure comes with not trying again. So as I look forward to 2014, I will still reach for the sky. What I won't do is allow myself to be crippled by the fear of failing, because hey.  That's just part of the game. With that being said, I'm off to buy a new notebook! Happy New Year, Horse Nation!

Go Riding!!

Un-tooching your booty

Hey, Horse Nation.  I have something I need to admit to you. I love to watch "America's Next Top Model."  I love the awesome clothes, great locations, and artistic photo shoots.  What?! That's a load of BS you say? Yeah.  You're right.  I really just enjoy watching beautiful people act like complete idiots.  Anyway, those of you that watch the show will be familiar with the "booty tooch."  For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term, a booty tooch involves tilting your pelvis forward, creating a little extra arch in your low back and accentuating your money maker.  Here, Tyra Banks shows Jimmy Fallon how it's done.

From Buzzfeed.com

Some of us ladies are born with a natural tooch.  I am one of those people. X-rays showed that my pelvis was tilted a whopping 61 degrees forward! Women do tend to have a natural tilt to their pelvis, but I was way beyond normal. Unfortunately I make my living in the saddle and not looking fierce in front of the flash bulbs. Unlike in the modeling world, a tooched booty in saddle can be quite problematic.  It can make it difficult to achieve a deep and fluid seat.  Also, attempting to sit the trot with an overly forward-angled pelvis is a sure recipe for both human and equine back pain.

My former seat.  Great for a photo shoot.  Less good for riding.

After acknowledging my tooch, I immediately went about correcting it and will now share my process in hopes that I can help those others who are similarly afflicted.

I started off by stretching my low back. One of my favorite stretches for the low back and glutes involves sitting cross-legged, and then extending the arms and upper body forward.  Aside from being incredibly effective, this stretch is comfortable enough to hold for long periods of time making it an ideal position for meditation or visualization exercises.

I then went on to strengthen my lower abdominals in an attempt to correct the tilt of my pelvis. Leg lifts are great for increasing lower abdominal strength.  Lay on the floor and place your hands under your butt to keep your back from arching.  Then raise your legs about two feet off the ground.  Lower your legs until they are an inch or two from the ground.  Hold for fives seconds, and repeat.

Lastly, to avoid going from riding with an arched, hollow back to riding with a rounded back, it is important to strengthen your mid-back and shoulders. You can do this by performing a variation of the "superman" exercise.  Lay on your belly with your arms extended in front of you. Raise your head and shoulders off the floor.  Then alternately lift diagonal arm and leg pairs.  Think of trotting, but you know, on your belly.

Because of my conformation, I will always have to be aware that a lack of vigilance could easily cause my position to revert back to complete toochitude, but for now, these exercises have really helped me reshape my seat.

Untooched seat!

Go riding!

Fit to ride

Generally, buying your wife a piece of exercise equipment is something done by the oblivious or suicidal, but last year for my birthday I asked for a kettle-bell and my husband nervously delivered.  For those not familiar with what a kettle-bell is, it's essentially a cannonball with a handle, and is a great tool for getting strong and toned.  The reason I love my kettle-bell so much is because it builds functional strength, and by that I mean it engages several muscle groups at a time, giving you strength you can use instead of tone that just looks pretty.  After using my kettle-bell for awhile, I started to feel stronger in the saddle, so today I'm going to share some of the exercises that helped my riding the most.

Two-handed swing:  Do you have issues engaging your hamstrings to get your leg back and underneath yourself?  This exercise is for you!  Start with your feet slightly wider apart than shoulder-width. Hold the kettle-bell with both hands and then push up from your heels and quickly contract your hamstrings and glutes to pop your hips forward.  Aside from being great for your low back, hamstrings, and glutes, 2-5 mins of two-handed swings will really get your heart pumping!

Around the world:  One of the more difficult things we do as riders is to stabilize our bodies so that we are able to stay still despite the fact we have a bouncing horse underneath us.  In this exercise we swing the kettle-bell around our bodies, passing it from hand to hand, and use virtually every muscle in our body to stabilize against the centrifugal force.

Abdominal twists: Those of us familiar with the sitting trot know that our core can NEVER be too strong.  This is one of my all time favorite abdominal exercises, and I guarantee you will feel the burn!  Sit with your feet flat on the floor and hold the kettle-bell with both hands. Lean back until you feel your abdominals begin to tighten, and then twist from side to side.

Why wait for your New Year's resolution  to start exercising when you can ring in the holidays, kettle-bell style!  I know. I know.  That pun was terrible, but I can't help myself.

Be sure to check out the Fit to Ride Facebook page to get our weekly workout challenges and submit your health and fitness questions (#askarabbit).

Go riding!