„Our posture, especially that of your upper spine, is crucial for good, pain-free shoulder function”, explains Sports Scientist Marcel Andrä. And here is why: A slouched posture stops your upper arms from moving freely in the shoulder joints. „Unfortunately, this is exactly the position we usually take when we are sitting – in the car, at the desk and sometimes…
A training unit is generally divided into a warm-up phase, a working phase and a relaxation phase at the end. The warm-up is crucial and determines the course of the actual training. “We use the warm-up to really listen to our horses and find out how they feel on that particular day,” Jessica explains. “Is he in a good mood?…
What do successful athletes do differently? How much of it is talent? What external factors are involved and how important is the correct mindset for success? Leading experts and coaches around the world repeatedly come to the same conclusions on these questions: personal success depends on a huge extend on ourselves. And that’s great news, if you think about it!…
Every rider wants to be able to sit comfortably and ride in harmony with their horse using only very subtle aids. This requires a great deal of balance and coordination skills. To achieve this, the rider’s body and mind must work together. The rider’s brain must give the right commands at the right time and the body must then be…
Every horse is different. There are the hot, explosive types while other horses are very laid back and sometimes not very motivated to work. Generally, you can’t fundamentally change your horse’s basic personality. However, you can certainly find the best way for you and your horse to work together and to create a positive training experience for both you and…
As riders, we always ensure that the well-being and overall health of our horses is the best it can possibly be. An important aspect of which is to ensure that the horse receives the correct feed and nutrition in accordance with its training level. But what about the riders themselves? Their own dietary requirements are often overlooked and can be…
“Back pain, especially in the lower lumbar area, is one of the most common ailments world-wide”, explains Fitness Coach Marcel Andrä. “Luckily, in 95 percent of all cases the back pain occurs due to a functional disorder or imbalance, rather than there being any structural damage. The most common reasons for getting back pain stems from a lack of exercise,…
The sitting trot can be quite a challenge, especially if your horse has a lot of movement or does not quite use its back correctly yet. Unfortunately, this is a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem: If your horse does not use its back correctly, it will be a lot harder for the rider to sit quietly. And if the rider…
As dressage riders, we want to be supple and flexible enough to go with the horse and allow the movements to flow through the horse’s body from the back to the front. At the same time, you need a strong core and sufficient stability in order to withstand any of the forces acting on your body, so you can sit…
We all experience negative situations, failures or disappointments in our lives – some more difficult to deal with than others. Horse riding is no exception. Bad scores at a show, any incident of falling off or getting hurt or people talking behind your back are just a few examples, that may leave you feeling scared or angry. And sometimes these…
