It is no secret that riders often neglect their own needs in order to ensure their horses' are met. Countless dollars go toward massages, chiropractic work, and various other therapies that keep our equines comfortable and performing their best. We carefully schedule their training programs to achieve peak fitness at just the right time, and we juggle our personal lives-careers, family, you name it-around it all. But horse sports are a partnership, and if we want our horses to be at their best, then we have to be at ours, and that means paying careful attention to our own athletic bodies. Most riders argue they simply don't have the time to work out and still give their horses the time they need, so certified personal trainer Laura Crump Anderson has written a book that specifically targets the ever-present dilemma of how to fit fitness into a horse-crazy lifestyle. Beginning with explanations of why strength, flexibility, and balance is important to achieve out of the tack, Anderson provides important rules and guidelines for stretching, weight training, and cardio to keep you safe. A lifelong equestrian herself, she then approaches the scheduling issue head-on, helping readers determine where best to fit in the minutes they need in the places they need to be anyway-the tack room, the arena, the barn aisle. Using only basic items you are likely to find around the stable, she keeps equipment needs straightforward, recognizing that the less likely it is you forget something, the more likely it is you'll get that workout in. Readers are then treated to seven original fitness routines, each dedicated to a specific area like the lower body or the core, or designated as a full-body program. Full color photos of top riders, including Jan Byyny, Sloane Coles, and Sharon White, demonstrate how to perform exercises effectively, and step-by-step instructions ensure you get it right. With its clear and to-the-point delivery and attention to the realities of the modern riding life, this book is the perfect way to ensure more active, effective, pain-free years in the saddle.

About the Author
Laura Crump Anderson is a lifelong equestrian who realized from an early age the importance of recognizing and caring for riders' bodies as athletes, as we do for our horses. Anderson found herself with a chronic overtraining injury to her spine without ever having set foot in a gym. Through physical therapy, she was able to continue riding and caring for her horses. This inspired her to get her degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science. Anderson is an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer and has completed a 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training with Yoga Alliance. She founded Hidden Heights Fitness in Lovettsville, Virginia, and has worked with equestrian athletes of all ages and levels-from weekend warriors to former Olympians in the disciplines of dressage, eventing, and show jumping. Her favorite thing to do is help riders discover the strength to communicate better than they ever thought possible, or-if starting again or starting over-get back to where they once were.


Book Information
ISBN 9781646010769
Author Laura Crump Anderson
Page Count 192
Imprint Trafalgar Square
Publisher Trafalgar Square