Yoga has become increasingly popular amongst equestrians who seek to improve their balance and posture on horseback. The good news is, you don’t have to be an advanced yogi to benefit from some of the simpler stretches and poses that can improve your riding!
Core Strength, Balance, and Flexibility:
Building a stronger core is an effective way to realign your center of gravity and improve your balance on horseback. Certain yoga exercises can help develop stability in your seat by opening your shoulders and evenly distributing your weight on your sit bones and stirrups. This in turn can relieve tension from your horse’s back and make it easier to carry your weight.
Mind, Breathing, and Relaxation:
The benefits of yoga go beyond its physical dimension. Breathing and relaxation techniques can help you better connect with your horse and build a deeper, trusting relationship. Yoga also helps your mind relax and welcome positive thoughts, which in turn can affect your horse’s response and reaction to your emotional cues.
4 Yoga Poses for Equestrians:
1. Plank Pose: build core!
The ‘Plank Pose’ is a great way to build strength and engage your core, including muscles in your neck, shoulders, abdomen, lower back, and legs. Building muscles around your spine will help align your body’s center of gravity and improve your posture while riding.
How to do it? As you lay down on your stomach, bring your hands at the level of your shoulders. Push yourself up while keeping your palms face down and your arms perpendicular to the ground. Lift your core and legs to have them run parallel to the floor.
This pose will test your physical and mental endurance! Try it for 30 seconds to a minute as a start.
2. Tree Pose: improve your balance!
The ‘Tree Pose’ and its variations are fantastic exercises to improve your balance and center your gravity, which are essential in riding.
How to do it? Stand up straight with your feet on the ground and your center of gravity distributed equally. Then, lift your right leg up and out slowly as you bring your foot against your left leg. You can press your sole on the inner thigh or calf, or wherever is most comfortable for you. Press your hands together and raise your arms over your head. Your shoulders and your hips must remain even.
Try to keep this pose for 30 seconds and repeat with left leg.
3. Crescent Lunge: engage all your muscles!
The ‘Crescent Lunge’ is a great warm up exercise before a lesson or a ride out! Engage all your leg muscles and work on your balance; this pose will open your hips, stretch the muscles in your pelvis, and strengthen your quadriceps.
How to do it? Extend your right leg behind and drop your knee to the mat while keeping your heel up and over your toes. Bring your left leg forward and bend your knee directly over your left ankle. Relax your shoulders away from your ears and lift your arms parallel above your head.
Try this pose for 10-15 seconds and switch leg.
4. Butterfly Pose: open your hips!
The ‘Butterfly Pose’ is a great hip opener exercise that emphasizes stretching your inner thighs. This is particularly useful shortly before and after a ride if you feel soreness in your thigh muscles. This pose can also help relieve lower back pressure and pain often associated with riding and is a great way to improve posture.
How to do it? Sit upright and bring the soles of your feet together. Grab each foot with your hands and press your feet together. Keep your spine long and exhale while slowly lowering your torso forward.
Try to keep this position for 5-10 breaths to get a good stretch of your inner thighs and lower back!
Don’t forget to have fun and enjoy yourself! You can have a go at these poses and try some of their variations to stretch different sets of muscles. Relax and clear your mind: your horse will thank you for it!
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Try Additional Yoga Poses:
FEI Website: Yoga for Equestrians: https://www.fei.org/stories/lifestyle/health-fitness/yoga-equestrians
