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Re: [RC] Fun balance exercises that help equitation for theendurance rider - Beverley H. Kane, MD

Title: Re: [RC] Fun balance exercises that help equitation for the endurance rider
I have noticed that past a certain age, balance (and flexibility) have noticeably deteriorated. I have done/am doing 3 things lately which are beneficial:

  1. Tai Chi. I have a book called Ride From Within: Use Tai Chi Principles to Awaken Your Natural Balance and Rhythm. It is mostly bread-and-butter fundamentals of Tai Chi with a lot of mounted exercises. Although all the exercises are, curiously to me, shown in saddle, I find it important to do some of them bareback. I am also taking a weekly Tai Chi class at my University with a 33rd generation Shao Lin Yang style master. There have been several studies on the effects of Tai Chi on balance and incidence of falls in the elderly.
  2. Centered Riding—Sally Swift. I was recently a student rider in a 4-day instructor certification clinic taught by Level 4 CR Trainer, Mary Felton. Mary trained/toured directly with the now deceased Sally Swift and she coached Becky Hart to one of her World Endurance Championships. Not only were the CR exercises and principles enormously helpful, 2 of the instructor trainees were, respectively, a yoga teacher and (endurance rider cum) Feldenkrais practitioner, who contributed their own techniques for positioning and balance. I had the latter come down and work with me and my horse some more.
  3. Lessons. I continue to take lessons with a trainer who is equitation-oriented and has the patience of a saint when my posting trot still falls apart after 7 yrs w/ her.
  4. Difficult Horse. My horse is small and quick. I feel like I’m riding a cat. I have to be mindful of my balance at all times.

On 10/4/09 7:57 AM, "Garrett.Ford" <GFord@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I would love to hear what other are doing to improve balance and equitation.



_____________________________________________
Beverley Kane, MD
Program Director, Medicine and Horsemanship
Stanford University School of Medicine
Center for Education in Family and Community Medicine
1215 Welch Road - Modular H
Palo Alto, CA 94305-5408
650-868-3379
bkane1@xxxxxxxxxxxx
http://familymed.stanford.edu/

See Emmy Award-winning Stanford "Medicine & Horses" video on NBC-TV
http://www.horsensei.com/nbcnews.html

The Manual of Medicine and Horsemanship:
Transforming the Doctor-Patient Relationship with Equine-Assisted Learning
http://www.authorhouse.com:80/BookStore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=49669
_________________________________________________________
Replies
[RC] Fun balance exercises that help equitation for the endurance rider, Garrett . Ford