Training In The Off Season

The off season feels like down time. The reality, though, is that it is the work you put in during the “in between” moments that fuels your most significant progress – both in the ring and in every day life.

I feel like sometime around the 4th of July I blinked and it is suddenly November.

Back to school flew by, Halloween snuck in the there somewhere. I finished up my 2015 show season, and yesterday I photographed my equestrian themed Thanksgiving table with an adorable DIY project for you.

Where did the second half of the year go?!

Part of the reason Fall seemed to disappear is because I haven’t been riding much. After our last regular season show at the end of August, I took Elf to the vet to look an on and off unevenness in the strides in his hind legs. A full lameness work up later, the vet found four places that were sensitive and inflamed – his right hock and three spots along his spine near his SI (behind the saddle, what would be lower back for a person). None of this spots had progressed to being a serious issue, but it had potential to so I opted to treat aggressively with anti-inflammatory injections and rest.

After discussing options with my favorite equine health experts, I made the choice not to take him to USDF regionals (which were just over a month out at that point). Instead, he had a bit of a vacation with very light work outside of the arena. We meandered on trails, worked on our stretchy trot by the river and didn’t stress the rainy days. While I’ve definitely missed my saddle time, Elf seems to be mentally refreshed by the time off and is definitely physically feeling better!

Now, we’re working on bringing him back to work and addressing some of he imbalances that develop in the presence of hock and back soreness. I had my first lesson back on Friday and felt good about where we are and our plan to move forward. Like always with Elf, we’re working on a more consistent and immediate responsiveness to the hand since he likes to brace through the neck and jaw. A primary exercise for us at this stage is moving between a working and stretching trot on a 20m circle and changing direction while stretching. It’s amazing how challenging that can be!

A nice indicator that we’re going in the right direction is that I was able to mostly replicate the work from our Friday lesson in my solo ride on Saturday. I’m personally working to make my corrections quicker so they can be more subtle, but we’re moving in the right direction!

Off Season Is For Hard Work

It can be tempting in the off season to take a break from goals and planning along with structured arena work. But your time on the trails and on a loose rein can be just as beneficial for your long term riding goals as your show season training sessions.

My favorite part of winter rides is the fitness work. My horse happens to be quite sensitive to heat so during the warmer parts of the year I keep my training rides short and concentrated. Improving his fitness is best undertaken when the weather is cooler with trot and canter sets done in laps around our trail. Imagine Couchto5k for your horse. Remember that even if your horse is quite fit, the uneven ground out on the trail can make it harder work so take it slow. My plan starts with 5 minutes of trotting and 2 minutes of walking intervals for 30 minutes and we’ll progress from there. It also happens to be a great workout for me, especially when I mix in some no stirrup work!

My Fitness Counts Too

I’m still working away on my 5th round of PiYo and am looking forward to buckling down next month when my husband and I take on Beachbody’s newest program The Master’s Hammer and Chisel. The holiday season is a time that makes it so easy to back off work outs and overindulge in seasonal treats. But after a 2015 where I accomplished so many of my goals both big and small, I want to be ready for a 2016 of more amazing things. I’ve discovered that for me it’s all about momentum and getting moving in the right direction so I want to charge into 2016 under full steam!

Would you like to build momentum towards your goals over the holiday season instead of battling the Holiday bulge? Come on over to Fit2Ride, our Facebook group for support, accountability and ideas and join the Holiday Healthy Choices Challenge!

What is your biggest challenge in sticking to your fitness or weightloss goals during the holidays?