The Legal Equestrian

How to maintain fitness while off the horse

By Peyton Bodziak.

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Contrary to what many in the world believe, equestrians are athletes. Being an athlete involves practicing on a daily basis, monitoring your health, and doing whatever it takes to make it to the top.

The hard part about “practicing” riding, compared to other sports, is that for most of us we cannot go in our backyard and “pass the ball with our dad.” There are others ways, though, to develop a better seat.

My trainer, Kathryn Hope, (besides being an amazing instructor) has a workout business as well. She is especially tuned in on equestrian workouts and helped immensely with this article. I would definitely recommend Kathryn Hope Beyond Fitness to anyone asking.

One way to maintain our riding fitness is to work out. Like every other sport, there are many different workouts specifically tuned to the muscles that equestrians use. Running everyday may help your cardio, but it isn’t helping the exact leg muscles you use when riding.

The most common muscles used in riding are the obliques, the transverse abdominus, psoas, ilicaus, piroformis, and the gluteus muscles. Cross-training is the key to getting in the best shape possible. It works the many different muscles that equestrians use everyday.

Here are a few equestrian workouts that you can do at home with minimal supplies:

  • Yoga. Besides just being relaxing, yoga works many different muscle groups and strengthens your flexibility. Flexibility makes the muscles stronger, as well as makes you less likely to get injured while riding. It focuses a lot on abdominal strength, which is a key component in balance and a good seat. Besides taking a class, there are many YouTube videos that teach yoga. My recommendation is Sadie Nardini’s channel.
  • Cardio. Running and biking are primary examples of good cardio. Although when it comes to running, it can stiffen the hip flexors and other joints that need to be supple while riding. Walking on an incline is good cardio as well.
  • Core & Stability. This is especially tuned towards hunter/jumpers who need the strength to elevate their core with the horse’s rhythm. Stability will help balance going over fences and just in general.

Working out does not have to be a burden.

It can be made fun by listening to music or making a game out of it. You have to think about the big picture, not just what’s going on in the moment. Get a group of friends together and do group yoga. My barn has a group workout twice a week where we focus on getting into the best shape for the upcoming show season. Besides just getting into shape and being active, we are bonding and everyone has a great time.

So, if you want to improve your riding, get off the couch and go hit the gym! But remember: Think about the big picture.

10 unique ways to improve your equestrian wardrobe

By Jordan Nassif.

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I figured that I would write my first piece for this blog in regards to something that I imagine everyone would like to know: In a sport where money gets you just about everywhere, and people can indicate their location on the equestrian totem pole via their wardrobe, how the hell does one save money trying to keep up? Is it even worth it?

There are certainly plenty of riders out there who couldn’t give a fig about what they wear and have probably saved themselves a world of trouble for it. Perhaps this is not the article for them. I admittedly can be spotted riding in garden shoes and a sports bra on our farm. In many cases fashion eludes me too.

As women, we deal with a lot of ‘first glance’ types of judgements. I am certainly guilty of this. This doesn’t mean that one needs to dress to the nines for schooling at home. Some days I go to the barn all dressed up because it makes me feel good. It’s the same logic I employ when I study in the library. There’s something about wearing an outfit that you feel good in and having your hair done nicely that makes you feel like a million bucks. Some of my most productive midnight study sessions have been accomplished in a full face of makeup. However, some days I could care less what I look like at the barn. I have made enough appearances at the barn in yesterday’s makeup and dirty breeches to probably make some people think that I live out of my car.

The point is, do whatever it is that you do looking however it is that makes you feel your best. Studies have shown that looking your ‘best self’ increases confidence and cognitive ability. It explains that extra ‘zing!’ you feel in your show clothes or even when your horse is looking particularly well-turned out one day. And quite frankly, if you feel your best in a chicken costume, well then I can’t tell you that it’s wrong for you to wear it. 

You probably already have an idea of what you feel your best in, or what you would like to see more of in your riding wardrobe. So it is now my job to help you put those items in your closet without leaving you broke (and some of these tips may apply to your horse’s closet as well).

1. eBay: It might as well be a crime to buy something online without checking eBay first. There is almost nothing for sale at Dover or SmartPak that you can’t find on eBay. I have purchased Back on Track, Le Fash, Tailored Sportsman, Edgewood, joint supplements, etc. from there. I’ve saved thousands of dollars doing this. Many people have raised concerns about buying faulty or fake products from eBay. This is not an issue at all. I’ve made some six hundred orders from the website in the last four years, and only one or two times have I had an issue. PayPal and eBay both have Money Back Guarantees, so if you are unhappy with your item, and you send it back you won’t be out any money. eBay also has an Authenticity Policy which keeps sellers from listing fake items. There are many tack shops that have opened eBay stores to list their items. Even if you cannot find a discounted version of the item you want, many stores don’t collect tax or they will ship for free, which still puts more money back in your wallet.

2. RetailmeNot. Most of you are probably familiar with coupon websites. This website searches thousands of brands to provide up-to-date discount codes for you.

Here are a couple I found when I typed ‘Dover’ into the search bar:

– $25 off of $150 with code CM17RIDE

– $10 off of $75 with code TENOFF

SmartPak also has at least ten codes listed under their search query. Sites like horse.com, horseloverz.com, and places like Hobby Horse Clothing, and Adams Horse and Pet Supplies are some of the names that appear when you type in “horse.”

3. Buy your summer gear in the winter. This applies to every clothing purchase, ever. Buy your bikinis in the fall when they are all on closeout. Buy your winter coats at a sports shop during the summer. There is no reason to buy something as soon as it comes out, unless you just have to have it. Almost every item you want will go on sale after everyone has had their go at it and moved on to the next thing.

Clarino padded TS belt paired with ten TS breeches.

Clarino padded TS belt paired with ten TS breeches.

4. When building your wardrobe, don’t focus too much on the trends. There is a time and a place to buy a Le Fash bomber jacket or a pair of denim breeches. If you are satisfied with your horsey closet then, by all means, purchase away. However, if you are just starting to build your wardrobe, it is better to start small. When I first started taking an interest in my riding clothes, I spent the first year and a half just replacing my old clothes with new staple pieces that would never go out of style AND would last. This meant a couple of nice pairs of tan breeches, a couple of sun shirts (necessary in this Texas sun), a nice black belt, and maybe one or two ‘fun’ purchases. I don’t think any trend will ever outlast the timelessness of a pair of clean tan breeches and a black pebbled leather Tailored Sportsman belt (or an equivalent).


5. Tee shirts! Polo shirts are so 2012, if you will. Some of you may still like them, but I often find them   unbearably hot and tight. No one should ever underestimate the power of a couple of graphic tees in your graphictee2closet. Not only can you wear them just about anywhere, but they can create many different riding outfits with just one pair of breeches. And they’re cheap! I’m not talking about the thick tee shirts that yougraphictee lay around the house in. The perfect graphic tee should be a ‘tissue’ tee with thinner and nicer material to keep you cool in the saddle while still ‘dressing up’ the tee shirt look. You can find these types of shirts at Target, J. Crew, Ann Taylor LOFT, etc. My favorite graphic tee brands are Wildfox, MinkPink, and Junk Food.

 

6. Belts. Okay, lets abandon the black or brown belt with tan breeches imagery for a second. You can

Colored belts add some flair to any equestrian outfit. Pictured here is one from Shop Hunt Club paired with TS Breeches & Hunt Club graphic tee.

Colored belts add some flair to any equestrian outfit. Pictured here is one from Shop Hunt Club paired with TS Breeches & Hunt Club graphic tee.

breathe new life into a riding outfit with a new belt. Adding just two or three different colored belts to your wardrobe makes for several new riding outfits. Plain white shirts and tan breeches aren’t so boring with a patterned belt. You can get a wide belt at Target for $15. If you have the money to splurge, I also suggest Gucci. I bought my first Gucci belt two years ago, and I wear it almost every week. It looks timeless with a pair of breeches or edgy with a pair of leather pants.

This TS quilted Clarino belt adds some color to tan breeches.

This TS quilted Clarino belt adds some color to tan breeches.

The best riding clothes are the ones you can wear everywhere. And if you decide to go this route, don’t you dare buy one without checking eBay first.

7. Goodwill. I would not be making my mother proud if I did not include thrift shopping in this list. I just want to start out by saying shoutout to the Bellaire Goodwill for selling me a $200 Ralph Lauren crystal pony polo shirt for $10. You can find SO much at Goodwill. Belts, shirts, you name it. I would also suggest donating your old riding gear to Goodwill if you can’t find anywhere to send it. There are many Christian Charity shops in my city that sell all sorts of items, typically donated by their wealthy church-goers. I would advise making the trip to the nicer part of town in your area to go thrifting. These areas typically have a few high-dollar items that have been carelessly tossed into bins.

8. Sell your old stuff. Yes, predictable advice. But here’s a perk to slowly adding nice, albeit expensive items to your wardrobe— they have a high resale value. If I was to list a pair of my Le Fash breeches on eBay I could easily make $200. That’s over 50% of the original cost. This is because they are a trending item. People are willing to spend $300 on them and they’re more than happy to snag them at less than retail. Another example, I sold a pair of Equifit boots that I purchased for $100, for $45. That money goes into my next pair of boots. There is truly something to be said about buying ‘brands.’ What will the resale value be? I advise heavily considering this when buying an item. I have made over $3,000 in the last two years selling my old stuff at leisure. And yes, the money went towards replacing it. (Editor’s Note: Poshmark is another great way to sell used or new clothing items. If you want to give it a try, use my code GRGUR when you sign up for an account. You’ll get $5 to use towards your first purchase!)

9. Make lists. I understand that “setting goals” for your wardrobe may make some of you laugh at the frivolity of my suggestion. But if it’s something you want to improve, then set goals for yourself. Make a realistic list of some items that you would like to buy in 2017. Having it written out makes it easier to track sales for the item. Websites such as Polyvore are designed to help you keep track of what you want and when it goes on sale. You can easily add an item to your Polyvore list by clipping it with their browser tool.

10. Do your own thing. I wouldn’t feel right compiling this whole equestrian fashion list without dropping in a note about how you’re dressing to impress yourself. Seriously. Don’t buy the item because someone else told you to. Don’t go broke trying to impress other people who will judge you regardless. At the end of the day, if you think about it, it’s kind of stupid how horses have blown up into this huge classist society. Do I love Gucci belts? Yes. Do YOU need to wear one because I (or anyone else) am wearing one? No.

Finding success by winning the mind games

By Miranda Akins.

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It’s no secret that we all face mental blocks as equestrians. Because honestly, we ride 1200 pound animals and jump them over fences.. some taller than we are. We’re all just a little (ahem, a lot) crazy.

Photo Credit: Miranda Akins Photography.

Photo Credit: Miranda Akins Photography.

We can sit a buck, growling and laughing at a animal with the power to kill us and dare them: “Try it again, let me see you try to get me off.” We can throw a 50 pound feed bag over our shoulder like it weighed as much as a feather pillow. We are pretty strong; we can hold on to a galloping animal with the muscles in our thighs.

But, what happens when your mind has doubts? That you can’t do it, that you’ll fail?

Your heart pounds against your chest so loud you think someone can hear it; your stomach turns into knots, and it feels like you have butterflies pounding against the insides of your body. Your palms sweat, maybe your legs even shake, and your mind goes into overdrive. Visions of crashing through a fence, your horse spooking and skidding, a stop that sends you over the fence alone. You are melting down on the inside like a nuclear plant as you stare at the course you are supposed to begin. This can happen in the blink of an eye or be ongoing for days, weeks, and even months.

How are you supposed to perform when the part of your body that controls your actions is frozen? How are you supposed to ride when all your mind wants to do is run wild? Fear is an incredibly strong emotion.

Gary Mack, author of the sports psychology book Mind Gym wrote: “The desire to succeed needs to be stronger than the fear of failure”

It’s hard. Riding is an incredibly hard sport. Your teammate doesn’t speak English (okay but I’m convinced they can interpret the word ‘cookies’). You can’t say “move your shoulder over” and poof! Your horse is going to move into a shoulder out. Your body has to do all the talking. Whether you are a hunter, jumper, eventer, dressage rider, reiner, barrel racer, etc., you will have challenges. You will fall. You will get bucked off. You will come in last place. You will get discouraged. You will be scared.

And guess what? That’s okay. That is fine. That is normal. You’re not crazy for being afraid. Everyone – yes, everyone – is afraid at some point. Even Olympians, even Grand Prix riders.. they have been scared; maybe they are scared. And, they even have the added pressure of the media and a spotlight that a majority of us don’t have.

What makes them so successful is not only their talent and drive but their mastery of the mind games. They know how to settle the butterflies, the sweaty palms, and the fears. I’m no master myself, but helping crack the secret to the mind games is finding “your thing.” You have to find your zone, the sweet spot, the happy place. To ride well you need to think about anything but the ride.

Crazy I know.

My zone is in my music. Before I ride, it’s earbuds in, everything else out. I let my mind escape and fill it with lyrics. When I get out of the truck to ride, I have left all my problems and stress of the everyday world behind me. My mind is ready to work. I know that when everything else is gone, all I can focus on is the ride. Sometimes they stay in for a course walk or if I’m humming while cleaning tack. Music isn’t for everyone though… try a few things out and see what works for you. A game on your phone, a book, even sleeping. The goal is to clear your head and have a blank slate to work with.

Once you get your zone, visualize, visualize, visualize. Go through every step of your course, every fence, every turn. Run through your dressage test, every change, every transition. Ride that cross country course, that barrel run. Go through every. single. second.  Put yourself on the back of your horse, and think of the view between their ears. Get your plan, go out there, and ride it. Don’t let your mind shut down, don’t let it think of a fall, of a miss, of a crash. It’s all about the plan. Think of the plan. That’s all that is allowed in there until you finish. Let your mind run on overdrive of success not failure.

Your mind is in control. When you step into a show ring your trainer is not there to hold your hand, they’re not the one cantering towards a fence. It’s you, it’s your body, and it’s your mind. They better be working together.

Win the mind games, and you will win the ribbons. Let the crazy horse girl win over human nature. You are capable of winning the mental war between instinct and the crazy passion we have for riding these 1,200 pound animals.

Learn to control your emotions or they will control you. – Edgar Martinez

What have you done to overcome mental blocks? Share below!

To my self-doubts: Love, An Equestrian

Hi all – I know I have not been as active on the blog.

But.

That’s because I have been investing time in my new equine law practice! You can find it here.

And, I’ve been riding more and unfortunately, having more migraines, which means riding less.

So, I was riding more and less at two different times.

Anyway, my “riding more” was going really awesome. We were working on being softer to jumps, distance, rhythm, me keeping more horse’s body straight, getting leads properly over jumps, all of that.

My “riding less” means I’m writing this having not ridden for two weeks and not have jumped in a month.

Yikes.

Anyway, I was laid up with a migraine watching the WCHR Hunter Spectacular on Saturday night, and of course I saw the greats – Scott Stewart, John French – they came to Sophie Gochman. When they introduced her, she was introduced as being an “eighth grader at [insert school name here].”

And I thought, this eighth grader is competing in one of the biggest hunter classes in the country, and I’ve yet to even break into the Adult Amateurs.

I had a total meltdown and self-doubt moment, and I know each of us has has this, whether you’re a seasoned junior, an adult just starting out, or a late-bloomer when it came to showing or jumping. I’m sure professionals even experience these moments, too.

So, being me, I love writing letters to things to get negative feelings out. I wrote a letter. To my self-doubt.

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Dear Self-Doubt:

I know your entire purpose is to make me feel like I’ll never make it there, like I’ll never be a professional or experienced Amateur. Its purpose is to get in my head so bad that sometimes I wonder why I’m even riding. Its purpose is to sit there and tell me all these stories that simply are not true.

Because, your self-doubt is just telling you a bad story – it’s letting the competition, or the money, or the nice expensive tack, or the fancy imported Warmbloods get in the way of one thing you have that will make you more successful than anything else: Your passion.

Your passion is what lights you up. When you ride horses you forget about any other problems you may have. You feel more confident, more disciplined, more mature. You feel at one with the horse while still recognizing it’s two hearts and two souls working together. You can’t wait until your next trip to the barn, your next show, your next lesson.

This is your passion.

So, to the beginner, don’t compare yourself to anyone else. You are on your own riding journey on its own riding timeline. You are going to be exactly where you need to be at the right time. You’re going to learn everything you need to learn. You will get there when you need to and are supposed to. Just remember: You will always be successful at what you do, no matter how “behind” or “inadequate” you feel. Remember this, too: Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. And, finally: If you keep the passion, you’ll never go wrong.

To the equestrian who never did the Big Eq: don’t compare yourself to anyone else. You are on your own riding journey on its own riding timeline. You are going to be exactly where you need to be at the right time. You’re going to learn everything you need to learn. You will get there when you need to and are supposed to. Just remember: You will always be successful at what you do, no matter how “behind” or “inadequate” you feel. Remember this, too: Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. And, finally: If you keep the passion, you’ll never go wrong.

To the late-bloomer to competing: don’t compare yourself to anyone else. You are on your own riding journey on its own riding timeline. You are going to be exactly where you need to be at the right time. You’re going to learn everything you need to learn. You will get there when you need to and are supposed to. Just remember: You will always be successful at what you do, no matter how “behind” or “inadequate” you feel. Remember this, too: Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. And, finally: If you keep the passion, you’ll never go wrong.

To the Amateur fighting to become a professional: don’t compare yourself to anyone else. You are on your own riding journey on its own riding timeline. You are going to be exactly where you need to be at the right time. You’re going to learn everything you need to learn. You will get there when you need to and are supposed to. Just remember: You will always be successful at what you do, no matter how “behind” or “inadequate” you feel. Remember this, too: Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. And, finally: If you keep the passion, you’ll never go wrong.

To the equestrian, any age, any rank, who feels he or she won’t be as successful as the equestrians with the money: don’t compare yourself to anyone else. You are on your own riding journey on its own riding timeline. You are going to be exactly where you need to be at the right time. You’re going to learn everything you need to learn. You will get there when you need to and are supposed to. Just remember: You will always be successful at what you do, no matter how “behind” or “inadequate” you feel. Remember this, too: Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. And, finally: If you keep the passion, you’ll never go wrong.

To every equestrian everywhere, no matter what their “self-doubt” is about: don’t compare yourself to anyone else. You are on your own riding journey on its own riding timeline. You are going to be exactly where you need to be at the right time. You’re going to learn everything you need to learn. You will get there when you need to and are supposed to. Just remember: You will always be successful at what you do, no matter how “behind” or “inadequate” you feel. Remember this, too: Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. And, finally: If you keep the passion, you’ll never go wrong.

What mares have to teach us

 

This image is from Etsy, but unfortunately the particular item is no longer available for sale.

Many of you have probably seen the quote referenced above. There is no doubt that riding different genders of horses is extremely different. There is also no doubt that many equestrians tend to prefer one over another. You have your “gelding people” and your “mare people.” I don’t know if I’ve ever met or talked to anyone that preferred to work with a stallion, but I am sure they are out there.

For much of my riding career, I only rode geldings. I think the first mare I rode was after I had been riding for a good 10 years. Most of the mares I had experienced once I started going to different barns were, to be frank, bitchy and unpleasant to deal with.

I much preferred geldings over mares. I just clicked with them better. Unfortunately, my lack of experience with mares added with the fact that my trainers that had me ride mares never explained to me the differences between mares and geldings had soured me to working with mares.

Me riding Honor, one of my barn's sale horses. She is one of the most pleasant mares I've worked with, and I love riding her.

Me riding Honor, one of my barn’s sale horses. She is one of the most pleasant mares I’ve worked with, and I love riding her.

It wasn’t until my current barn and my current trainer that I fully understood how working with a mare is completely different than working with a gelding. And, I also discovered that not every mare is mare-ish. Some are actually very pleasant to work with and ride. In fact, my barn owner has told me that having a relationship with a mare is one of the best horse relationships you can have because when you really click with a mare, they give you their all. They want to make you happy and do what’s right, and they truly cherish their relationship with their human.

There is no doubt that mares are much more sensitive than geldings. They can be more temperamental. They need to be ridden a certain way and worked with a certain way. Oftentimes, you cannot demand things from them like you would a gelding. They will test you, but, they are also incredibly loyal. When you earn their trust, you know you’ve done something right. If you respect them, they will respect you. And, while I have not yet experienced this myself, I have heard that a bond with a mare is like no other.

Senior Editor Liv Godfrey has her own chestnut Thoroughbred mare, Lulu. She gave her thoughts on what it’s like working with a mare.

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Lulu is my first young horse and off the track Thoroughbred that I started from the beginning. I taught her how to be a rideable jumper that happens to love jumping and being in the jumper ring. She has taught me so much over the past two, almost three years. I truly believe mares are a completely different ball game than geldings. Mares just have different personalities than geldings. Geldings tend to be more happy go lucky. Mares give their all to people that they trust and that they like being ridden by. A connection with a mare feel likes a different kind of connection, especially when you click with the mare. It teaches you to constantly want to be a better rider. Personally, my mare make me strive to be a different, more motivated, stronger person.

Olivia and Lulu in the jumper ring.

Olivia and Lulu in the jumper ring.

I’ve found when you ride a mare you need to constantly be talking to them and figuring out what will make them go their best depending on how they’re feeling that day. For example, sometimes Lulu goes like a little hunter, and some days she will throw harmless, sassy bucks in when we are cantering around the ring. When I am spending time with Lulu on the ground, she has a different kind of attitude. I feel like I constantly have to remind her how pretty she is in order to put her in a good mood before I get on!

Oh, and lots of treat help too…..

Overall mares are the best, in my opinion. When an equestrian is patient and listens to a mare, he or she will learn what buttons to push to make a mare go the best she possibly can. For me, that also involves a lot of good training from my trainers. Personally, I highly suggest working with professionals, even if you can only afford to once a month. Working with a professional helps a lot, sometimes more than one cares to admit, when you have someone on the ground observing and giving you suggestions.

To wrap it up, mares are the best when an equestrian is able to connect with them and take one’s time to understand their personality. I personally do not think people give mares enough credit all the time, but as far as I am personally seeing, some of the nicest horses (Sapphire, HH Azur, Cylana, etc.) in this era are mares.

Take your time. Understand what makes them tick. A mare will be the best teammate you could possibly ask for.

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