fitness

So, now that I am a bit more educated about sports injury issues, the picture is becoming clearer that fitness in general (Gretchen and I chatted about this a while ago, but sometimes it takes me a little while to really digest stuff and fully comprehend its implications ) may be and closely related to injury. It appears that amateur riders (my fat ass included) do not keep fit enough by riding 1 hour a day 6x a week. This is really a hairy issue, I can't imagine coming up to my fellow average ammy, who is trying to balance family, career and riding: and say, hey you now need to fit in exercising in your schedule otherwise you won't improve your riding AND the probability of you getting hurt goes up ! Gosh I am not sure if I want to face this with a 10ft pole. But it looks like its true...

I have noticed that the fitness issue has not come unnoticed by the enterprising horse industry : books on yoga and riding, fitness consultant adds on the magazines, Horse Riding Fitness Equipment. Is this all commercialism? My skeptic brain just looks at all these and thinks : no way I need an artificial horse to ride my horse better. Does any of this work? Horse yoga??!! I am not sure if this is not just people trying to make a buck and not addressing the real issue of fitness. Its like selling magic diet pills to people who should just stop eating bon bons for a while. Has anyone had a good experience with any of these? I am willing to be convinced with good evidence.

In the end, it just really pees me off that training for training level is not enough to ride well AT training level ! So off to the Gym I go. AND maybe I'll stretch before hoping on.