Proudly Presents:

DISCLAIMER: You should consult your physician before beginning this exercise program. This exercise program as

well as any other program may result in injury; therefore, not all exercises are appropriate for everyone. Any user of

this exercise program assumes the risk of injury resulting from performing the exercises shown in this e-book.

The creator and participants of this exercise program, disclaim any loss or liability in connection with the exercises

and advice contained herein. This exercise program is not intended for the purpose of diagnosing or as a substitute

for medical treatment.

Rider Fitness Training “A complete rider training program to maximize your riding success.”

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INTRODUCTION

As riders, we are all aware that our position has a great impact on our horse’s ability to perform. Poor posture, lack

of body awareness and inflexibility can drastically effect our horse’s ability to carry themselves and us.

Does your position come up in your riding lessons?

Do you struggle with maintaining the correct position for riding?

Do you find it difficult to effectively engage your core?

If the answer to any of these questions was “yes,” you will find this exercise program extremely beneficial. Designed

by exercise physiologist and personal trainer, Tom Stabile, this program is designed specifically with riders in mind

to:

Improve posture

Increase flexibility and range of motion

Make you more efficient

Activate, stabilize and strengthen your core

Unlike other programs that focus primarily on strength and superficial muscle groups, this Exercise Program is an all-

inclusive program that develops stability and strength through correcting muscle imbalance and actively engaging

the deep muscle groups necessary for riding. This is accomplished in 3 phases:

Phase I: SMR (self-myofascial release)

SMR is an inexpensive form of self-massage using sustained pressure to help release tight, overactive

muscles, reduce fascia restrictions throughout your body, improve mobility, and reduce muscle imbalance.

Fascia is the tough connective tissue network that surrounds our muscles, organs, bones, and joints and

links together all our groups of muscle from the top of the skull to the bottom of our feet. SMR can be done

with a foam roller, medicine balls, or a small medium-hard ball. It is very important to begin the program

with SMR especially if you suffer from poor posture, muscle tightness, muscular back, hip, or shoulder

discomfort, or stiffness.

Phase II: Mobility and Flexibility

Mobility and flexibility exercises to improve your joint mobility and range of motion.

Phase III: Core Activation, Stability, and Strengthening

Explains what the core is, how to activate it, and how to stabilize and strengthen it.

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THE EFFECTS OF MUSCLE IMBALANCE ON RIDERS AND THEIR HORSES

Human movement efficiency depends on the balance of all of our opposing muscle groups. If we have a lot of

muscle imbalance, the body will adapt but movement patterns will be compromised and eventually lead to

dysfunction, tissue damage and injury. These muscular imbalances will also cause similar imbalance in our horses.

As a result, our horses will not be able to effectively utilize their backs and abdominal muscles resulting in tension

and stiffness. This tension and stiffness will most notably impact the second tier of the training pyramid – Relaxation

in the form of inelasticity and a lack of suppleness. It may also have a profound effect on the Rhythm or overall way

of going of the horse. If this imbalance is not adequately corrected, it will have an effect on higher levels of the

training pyramid including straightness and collection. Because the training pyramid is interrelated, it is essential

that any imbalance on the part of the horse and the rider be corrected as soon as it becomes present in order to

insure effective schooling and training going forward.

Muscle imbalance exists when one muscle surrounding a joint is either overactive (strong) or underactive (inhibited)

when compared to the opposing muscle of that joint. Causes of muscle imbalance can be from poor postural habits

(i.e. - sitting hunched over at a computer for hours) or repetitive movement patterns that keep certain muscle

groups in shortened positions and contracted for long periods of time. Eventually, these overused muscles and

fascia will adapt and remain shortened and overactive. As a result, the normal sequence and timing of the opposing

muscle contraction will either be interrupted or inhibited completely. Before we can begin to correct muscle

imbalances, we must first understand the spine and how our spine effects your health and your riding.

THE AMAZING SPINE

It’s all about your curves.

The 3 main curves of the spine are as follows:

Cervical (inward curve): C1 – C7

Thoracic (outward curve): T1 – T12

Lumbar (inward curve): L1 – L5

Learning to place your pelvis in a neutral alignment will help balance the

spine and increase your effectiveness. Keeping a neutral spine while

exercising and riding will help:

1. Protect the spine 2. Place the least amount of stress on the body’s tissues 3. Use the least amount of energy to maintain a desired position 4. Allow activation of the right muscles during movement

Cervical

Thoracic

Lumbar

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THE NEUTRAL SPINE AND YOUR RIDING

As a rider, your spine plays an integral role in the effectiveness of your aids. If the rider’s back is stiff, the horse’s

back becomes stiff. A properly positioned “neutral spine” allows the rider to sit comfortable over the horse’s center

of gravity without closing the hips too much or continually driving the horse with the seat bones. This understanding

is crucial when riding the sitting trot, lengthening or extending gaits, performing upward or downward transitions

and many other aspects of your riding. Understanding your neutral spine and how to achieve it will greatly impact

your riding.

FINDING YOUR NEUTRAL SPINE

Stand and feel a bony prominence on the front of your pelvis (iliac bone). This is your Anterior Superior Iliac Spine (ASIS). Now feel a bony prominence in the back of your pelvis. This is your Posterior Superior Iliac Spine (PSIS). Place one hand on your ASIS and one hand on your PSIS and tilt your pelvis forward (anterior tilt) as far as you can. Stop and reverse your tilt of your pelvis (posterior tilt) as far as you can. Now find a comfortable place somewhere in the middle of these two exaggerated positions. Your pelvic bone in the front should almost be even with the pelvic bone in the back, using a mirror to check. This is your neutral spine alignment and is considered good posture. Try to practice this in front of a mirror, then practice keeping your neutral spine while you are rolling, exercising, and walking.

Neutral Spine

Most receptive and effective for giving aids

Excessive Anterior Tilt Discourages the horse from moving forward. This position can cause the horse’s back to become over round or hollow.

Excessive Posterior Tilt Reduces the effectiveness of the rider’s legs because aids are not given in the correct place.

PSIS ASIS

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To correct muscle imbalances, we must first decrease the tone of overactive muscles and fascia in the body in order

to activate and strengthen the inhibited muscles. If we try to strengthen the inhibited first, the strong overactive

muscle may get stronger thus not correcting the imbalance of the joint. For example, if your quadriceps, TFL, and/or

illiopsoas (muscles in the front of your thighs and hips) are tight and overactive they will inhibit your glutes (rear

end) from contracting effectively. When you try doing bridges to strengthen your glutes, you may only feel the

quadriceps working, not your glutes. If you decrease the tone of your muscles on the front of your thigh by using

self-myofascial release techniques before doing bridges, you will more than likely feel your glutes working.

This Exercise Program is intended to help you become better physically fit to ride horses. It will help you move more

efficiently, increase your range of motion, improve your posture, and activate, stabilize, and strengthen all of the

muscles in your core. You may also lose a few pounds of body fat in the process. It will be in three parts:

Phase I: Self-Myofascial Release (SMR)

Phase II: Mobility and Flexibility

Phase III: Core Activation, Stability, and Strength – Coming soon.

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PART ONE: SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE (SMR)

SMR is an inexpensive form of self-massage utilizing sustained pressure to reduce soft-tissue stiffness, adhesions

and myofascial trigger points. It also decreases the tone of tight overactive muscles, and improves flexibility,

movement efficiency, and reduces muscular pain. Myofascial trigger points are painful, tender, localized spots in a

palpable taut band of muscle tissue. Fascia is the tough connective tissue network that surrounds our muscles,

organs, bones, and joints and links together all our groups of muscle from the top of the skull to the bottom of our

feet. It also provides support and flexibility to our bodies and can thicken, shorten, produce myofascial trigger

points, or tighten from an injury, inflammation, trauma, overuse and poor movement patterns, or poor posture. This

thickening or fascial restriction can cause muscular pain, decrease range of motion, dysfunctional movement, and

structural misalignment. Researchers have recently realized fascia is very important in the musculoskeletal health of

the body because of its inter-connective web which will affect the whole musculoskeletal system in a positive or

negative way. Therefore, SMR should be performed either daily or several times per week especially if you feel tight,

stiff, and have limited range of motion. It is best to perform SMR before you stretch or strengthen, and can be done

after a workout.

If you have any medical issues, ask your health professional before starting SMR.

SMR can be done using foam rollers, medicine balls, or small soft or medium-hard balls.

Before I describe the SMR exercises, I will discuss what the core is and how to stabilize your core to prevent injury

when you perform SMR and mobility/flexibility exercises.

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THE CORE

A strong, efficient, and balanced core is necessary for horse riding and just about everything else we do. It helps us

move better, perform physical activities easier, and reduces our chance of injury.

The core is defined as the trunk region, which includes parts of the 1) the skeleton – ribcage, vertebral column,

pelvic girdle and the shoulder girdle; 2) associated cartilage and ligaments; and 3) the active muscles of the core

complex.(1)

The core is where the body’s center of gravity is and all movement starts. The core operates as an integrated

functional unit, allowing the whole body to work together to produce force, reduce force, and dynamically stabilize

against abnormal force.(2)

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CORE STABILIZING TECHNIQUE & ACTIVATING YOUR CORE

We need to learn to stabilize our core before performing any physical activity. The most efficient stabilizing technique is called abdominal bracing. Use this technique with all of the exercises in this program. Abdominal bracing is achieved by maintaining tension in the abdominal muscles or “hardening” the abdominal muscles. This causes co-contraction of all of the abdominal muscles. To perform abdominal bracing: Tense your abdominal muscles as if you were going to take a punch to the gut. Now maintain the tension while you continue breathing. Do not hold your breath. Practice by:

Performing this technique will “turn on” or activate the muscles of your core. Now you can start foam rolling. There

will be more exercises for your core in phase III.

Stand tall in a doorway with your left foot

forward. Raise your arms to chest and place

one hand on top of other as shown. Push your

feet into floor to engage your glutes and hips.

Inhale normally then exhale and tense your

abdominals while you push your hands into

wall. Hold for 3 seconds. Repeat 3 or 4 times.

Stand tall facing wall and place your hands

on the wall. Push your feet into floor to

engage your glutes and hips. Inhale normally

then exhale and tense your abdominals

while you push your hands into a wall. Hold

for 3 seconds and repeat 3 or 4 times.

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FOAM ROLLING

Foam Rolls can be purchased at many sporting goods stores or online. Make sure you get a 36 inch foam roll; the

firmer rolls are more expensive and last longer.

Slowly roll on the roller in a back and forth motion. You will feel some discomfort in some areas especially in the

beginning. The goal is to roll the tight tissue at a tolerable level. You do not want to try to crush the tissue to the

point of excruciating pain. Discontinue rolling if it is too painful or try rolling without putting all of your bodyweight

on the roller. The lateral thigh and TFL will be the most sensitive areas to roll. If you still can’t roll after trying not to

put all of your body weight on the roller, try rubbing your lateral thigh with a rubber ball. Try not to roll over bone.

You want to maintain normal curves in your spine and place your pelvis in a neutral alignment (neutral spine).

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SMR EXERCISES – FOAM ROLLING

Quads

Tighten ABS and slowly roll on roller from the top of the knee caps to the top of the leg near the pelvic bone. Repeat 5 times then roll and hold on sensitive areas for up to 30 seconds. If too sensitive do not hold. It may take several times before you can hold.

***Watch video***

Locating the TFL

Lateral Thigh and TFL (muscle on top of thigh)

After rolling on your quads turn your left leg to the outside and roll on your lateral thigh from outside of your knee to just below your waist line. Try to roll 6 times, it may be too painful to roll. You may have to build up to rolling and holding on it for up to 30 seconds. Now roll on your TFL for 6 times. Your TFL is located at the top of your thigh. Roll toward the floor and away from the floor. Then hold for up to 30 seconds.

***Watch video***

TFL

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Anterior Lower Legs Muscles

Slowly roll over lateral side of shin 6 times as shown. Then roll and hold sensitive areas for up to 30 seconds.

Calves

Slowly roll on each calf 6 times as shown. Then roll and hold on sensitive areas for up to 30 seconds.

*** Watch video***

Hamstrings

Slowly roll hamstrings 6 times, use arms to help roll. Then roll on and hold sensitive areas for up to 30 seconds.

*** Watch video***

Adductors

Keep leg straight and slightly rotate your leg inward as you slowly roll over adductor 6 times as shown in picture on left. Then roll and hold on sensitive areas for up to 30 seconds. Then bend knee as shown in picture on right and repeat procedure.

*** Watch video***

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Upper Glutes

Lay on the foam roller as shown in the pictures above and rotate hips side to side for 6 repetitions. Then roll and hold on

any sensitive areas for up to 30 seconds. *** Watch video*** Low Back

Now slowly roll down keeping your abs tight to your lower back. Rotate your body side to side 6 times as shown in the

pictures above. Then hold on each side for up to 30 seconds. *** Watch video*** Thoracic (middle part of back)

Slowly roll over thoracic or the middle part of your back. Start at position in the first photo and roll to upper back just below your neck. Do not roll on your neck. Roll slowly 6 times.

*** Watch video***

Latissimus dorsi (Lats)

Move up the roller and lay with your right side on roller as shown and roll up the roller to your shoulder 6 times. Then hold on sensitive areas for up to 30 seconds. Repeat with other side.

*** Watch video***

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Serratus Anterior (muscle on ribs)

Lay with your right side on roller as shown and roll toward roller and away from roller 6 times. Then hold on sensitive areas for up to 30 seconds. Repeat with other side.

*** Watch video***

Chest and Shoulders

Lay on floor with your left shoulder over roller as shown. Roll over upper chest and shoulder 6 times. Then hold for up to 30 seconds on sensitive areas. Repeat with other side.

*** Watch video***

SMR WITH A SMALL RUBBER BALL

A small ball can be more effective than a foam roller in releasing myofascial tissue in certain areas of your body. The

harder the ball the deeper you can go into the tissue. Also you can perform these exercises on the floor if you need

deeper penetration.

Upper Traps

Bend your knees by squatting and place a small rubber ball behind your upper trap and lean against a wall. Roll ball on your upper trap area by squatting up and down and turning side to side several times while maintaining pressure on the ball. Now find sensitive areas and hold with pressure for up to 30 seconds on these areas. Then repeat on your other side.

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Upper Traps 2

Middle Traps

Rolling on the top of your trap can be difficult on the wall. Take the small ball and rub your upper trap several times while maintaining pressure on the ball. Hold on sensitive areas for up to 30 seconds. Then repeat on your other side.

Squat and place a ball a little lower on your back between your left shoulder blade and your spine and lean against a wall. Roll ball on your middle trap area by squatting up and down several times while maintaining pressure on the ball. Then hold on sensitive areas for up to 30 seconds. Repeat with other side.

*****Watch Video*****

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Middle Traps 2

Place ball between your left shoulder blade and spine and lean against wall. Now move arm across body as shown and rotate body side to side while maintaining pressure on ball. Move ball to another spot and repeat. Then repeat with other side.

***Watch Video***

Rotator Cuff (on Scapula/Shoulder

blade)

Now place ball behind shoulder blade and roll around shoulder blade several times. Then hold on any sensitive areas on shoulder blade for up to 30 seconds while turning arm palm facing forward to palm facing backwards. Repeat with other shoulder blade.

***Watch Video***

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Lats

Squat down and place a ball under your arm on the right side and lean against wall. Press into ball and slowly roll on your side by squatting up and down. Then hold on any sensitive areas for up to 30 seconds. Repeat with other side.

Low Back

Squat down and place ball on the left side of your spine in lower back, above your pelvis bone and lean against wall. Slowly roll your low back by squatting up and down. Then move your pelvis forward and backward on ball. Reposition ball if necessary. Then hold on any sensitive areas for up to 30 seconds. Repeat with other side.

Glutes

Place ball on your left glute and lean against wall. Slowly roll over glute several times then hold on sensitive areas for up to 30 seconds. Repeat with other glute.

*****Watch Video*****

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TFL (Tensor Fasciae Latae

upper hip)

Place your fingers on your left upper thigh. Now, lift your left leg out to the side and feel the small muscle in your upper thigh tighten. This is your TFL muscle. Place a ball on this muscle and lean against wall. Slowly move ball around muscle tissue and hold on any sensitive areas for up to 30 seconds. Repeat with other side.

***Watch Video*** Illiopsoas

Place a ball just above your ASIS (refer back to find your neutral spine section). Part of your illiopsoas muscle is right above your pelvic bone. This could be a very sensitive area for some. Lean against wall and apply just as much pressure as you can handle. Roll around a few times then hold on sensitive spots for up to 30 seconds. Repeat with other side.

***Watch Video***

Chest

Place ball against upper left chest and roll over tissue several times. Then reach back with left arm and roll ball again. Hold on any sensitive areas for up to 30 seconds. Repeat with other side.

***Watch Video***

PART II & III will be introduced soon.

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REFERENCES

1. Willardson, Jeffrey & National Strength and Conditioning Association(2014). Developing the Core. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics 2. Clark, M(2001) Integrated Core Stabilization Training, Thousand Oaks, CA: National Academy of Sports Medicine

3. Davies, Clair(2006). The Frozen Shoulder Workbook. Oakland, Ca: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

4. Stedronsky, J & Pardy, B(2008). Myofascial Stretching, A Guide to Self-Treatment. Greenwood Village, CO:

Aardvark Global Publishing Company, LLC

5. Clark, M., Lucett, S., & Sutton, B.(2014). NASM Essentials of Corrective Exercise Training. Burlington, MA: Jones &

Bartlett Learning