Top 3 things you can do to improve your horse riding balance from home.
1. Balance Board
Having a balance board at home is ideal to practice balancing through your core and engaging your muscles.
When standing on the board you need to be aware of your weight distribution and use your stabilising muscles to keep it from wobbling.
You can increase the difficulty by doing squats to mimic the rising trot and jump position
Rotate the board by turning the pelvis as you would when turning the horse.
To help develop your contact with the horse's mouth you can use the balance board alongside the Resistant Band Set with Door Anchor to mimic a rein contact whilst balancing on the board.
Our top tip is to tie it in with an everyday task such as cleaning your teeth so it becomes something you do every day and you will soon see an improvement in your strength balance and position when horse riding.
2. Yoga Ball
Yoga balls are a well-known exercise tool and can be used for a wide range of exercises. Use this yoga ball to help practice the distribution of your weight through your seat bones and how you swing and move the pelvic cage with the horse's movement.
Practice rolling the ball laterally left and right without moving the feet from the floor.
Rotating and swivelling the ball with the pelvis, keeping the belly button and ribcage aligned with the pelvic cage.
Roll the ball forward and back with only the seat and pelvic cage.
You can practice weighting one seat bone, then the other as you would when turning the horse or asking for a lateral movement from the horse.
You can use the yoga ball in short bursts as a replacement for your office chair or instead of sitting on the sofa whilst watching TV.
3. Exercise Step
This KAYMAN Exercise Step is used for strengthening the lower body muscles and for practising a balanced position.
Step up and down the steps at different heights. Remember to only land on the ball of your toe trying to keep your foot parallel to the floor as you would in your stirrup.
Balance on the edge of the step and practice your position keeping the joints with a gentle bend and the shoulder. hip, heal alignment.
Do a side step up (left foot on the step and the right foot on the floor) without pushing off the foot that is set on the floor, focus on engaging the bent leg muscles and slowly straightening without pushing off the floor. Do the same when lowering back down to the floor.
By doing these simple exercises and tying them into your daily routine you will see an improvement in your balance and position during your horse riding sessions. Developing your core muscles and strength is important as well as learning how to use them effectively.
Also, check out our video on ways to improve your jumping position.
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