Equine Fit
Are you an equine enthusiast? Has it been years since being in the saddle due to college, marriage, having children, life? Or, do you ride every week?
I took a hiatus from competitive horseback riding from 2010 until 2021- Yep, 11 years, due to all the things mentioned above. I remember being completely lost in my equestrian journey when I got pregnant for the first time. How long can I ride? Should I ride? I wasn’t sure what was safe, and what was a “hard no”. I remember doing some light riding up until 20 weeks then calling it quits. That was the beginning of my horse, Bear, living his best life as a pasture horse that was frequently visited with treats and hand grazing. When I got pregnant with our second child, I stopped riding even sooner. At eight weeks postpartum I remember so vividly getting back into the saddle and going for a walk/trot. Things were going so well that I cued him to canter. After we rounded the arena on our first circle in almost a year, my pelvic floor lost all control. I was mortified.
This began my research on equestrian pelvic floor rehabilitation and found dang near nothing. There are numerous blogs written about some strengthening exercises here and there, but nothing definitive.
Professionals you will want to see prior to starting any type of program:
1.) An ICPA Chiropractor (www.icpa4kids.com)
2.) Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist (check out my resources tab!)
Are you pregnant and upset at the thought of losing all the strength you have gained through your riding program? Good news, we can continue working on your strength without being in the saddle! This will help you transition back into the saddle more fluidly when the time comes.
- Pregnancy specific core and pelvic floor strengthening exercises
- Minimizing DRA with specific gym or at home modified exercises.
- Continue building cardiovascular system in a safe way (Peloton has been my favorite way to do this, and it still gives a slight “in the saddle” feel! Purchase a gel seat cover to minimize pelvic floor strain)
- Chiropractic pregnancy specific adjustments to help maintain pelvis and body balance.
- Prenatal Yoga to continue flexibility and mobility
- Activate your seat
- Franklin Method
- Continue going out to the barn for the soul fulfilling fresh air and farm activity. Help with barn chores, hand walking, and turn out. Volunteer at horse shows and clinics to learn as much as you can.
Are you wanting to conceive? Pregnant? Postpartum?
Interested in an EQUINE FIT consultation? Reach out to our office to schedule an appointment! I look forward to meeting you and helping with your equestrian needs.
*Disclaimer: Please consult with your primary healthcare provider before starting any program or incorporating any of these recommendations.
Equine Fit Key Components
- Mindset
- Nutrition
- Core + Pelvic Floor Strengthening
- Movement + Cardiovascular
- Professional Co-Management
Patience + Confidence
In the year 2020 , I was a mom to a 3 year old and 1 year old. I was ready to get back to a piece of my soul that had been missing for 11 years. I started eventing specific training in Tomball. Lesson after lesson I started seeing the correlation with body awareness, body position, strength of specific muscle groups, and confidence that effected my balance, performance, and connection with the horse. My body rotated a certain way during rides that aided the horse in a way I was not asking. This showed my posture alterations on a day-to-day basis that allowed me to fix these rotations and be more specific with chiropractic adjustments + strengthening.
My riding began to exponentially improve.
Then I started focusing on strengthening my cardiovascular system more efficiently and using my CrossFit workouts to strengthen riding muscles. The biggest component was my core. I had NEVER realized how weak my core strength was until I began lessons again. Wow, it was humbling. I started incorporating BirthFit exercises, and that too skyrocketed my riding performance along with the Activate My Seat program.
My riding was improving, and my confidence was building. It was about time to start doing some local competitions! This was put to a screeching halt when we announced the arrival of our third baby- March 2022. I was over the moon excited to have another child, but there was a sadness deep inside my soul because riding was going so well.
After some soul searching, I realized that so many women MUST feel THIS same way and I can help navigate this journey with them! This is what sparked EQUINE FIT, helping women gain strength when being in the saddle is temporarily not an option. Being pregnant with my third child has better equipped me to not only strengthen my mind, body, + soul more efficiently, but to give back to the community the knowledge I have gained through this process.
