Rider fitness (1) : Essential !

Physical fitness

This combines several performance factors : physical, technical, tactical, and mental. It enables a maximisation of the activity. Built up in steps, physical fitness can evolve very fast !

Physical preparation

Methodology aiming to improve physical and mental qualities so as to develop one’s potential, acquire a better mastery of techniques, define and comprehend one’s own objectives (whether they are sports objectives or not), and finally to develop one’s capacity to perform over time, while preserving one’s physical integrity.

Common traumatology for riders

Following repeated injuries, or chronic pain, numerous professional riders are now preoccupied by their own health. Among the best known names : Kevin Staut, Michel Robert...who, following alarming health diagnoses, became adepts of physically preparing their bodies through various means, as well as consulting a sports coach.
Should we wait for these situations to decide to physically prepare for one’s activity ? 

Direct causes (falls or shocks) - 37% of cases

Trauma, strained muscles, sprains, fractures …. worsened due to the presence of obstacles, guardrails, or hard objects…. Or through lack of appropriate protective wear (helmet, body protector, airbag...)

Indirect causes (static, muscular, tendinous….) - 63 % of cases

These represent anatomical damage, mainly to the back , hamstrings, adductors or quadriceps….                                                           ….In numerous cases, the causes are often linked to insufficient preparation : an unprepared body does not bear up well to falls, shocks amplified by height or speed… In addition, there are other aggravating factors such as lack of warm-up, tiredness, age...inappropriate and poorly mastered sequences, imbalanced muscular and postural stances, overtraining, overactivity, lack of recovery...

Recurrences – 36 % of cases

Before it becomes unbearable, pain is treated without treating the cause. Superficial diagnoses, « botched » care by the rider, imprecise or shortened protocols for resuming activity...are all factors in multiplying disorders to healing processes, to length of recovery, which in the end restrict muscle and joint amplitude. When resuming activity, strengthening and stretching exercises essential to help the healing process, management of balances, are often neglected.

Over time, relapses and injuries become chronic.

Backache : « Riderache »

90 % of riders suffer from back pain : When riding, the spinal axis is subject to a lot of mechanical stress. When sitting, pressure on the intervetebral disks increases by 40 to 50 %. It can increase by up to 140 to 200% with rotations, shock, repeated and uncontrolled bouncing, or muscular deficiency. The cervical region, a very mobile and tonic area, is highly solicited for support and rotation of the head and shoulders. See the fact sheet : « Professional riders, let’s talk about your health »

Lumbago, the most frequent backache : 3/4 of riders are  affected.

The lumbar region, constantly solicited by pelvic mobility, bears the inertia of the masses supported (head, torso, upper limbs), and adjusts our balance on lower limbs (leg contact, feet on the stirrup). Pain in this area can appear following intense prolonged work, bad position, muscle strain after an effort, over soliciting the back, amplified if the body lacks muscle tone, and is not correctly placed during exercise.

Whatever the sport, the importance of being physically prepared no longer needs to be demonstrated. In France, this parameter, which was once an integral part of the equestrian education of the rider is now becoming much scarcer, and even disappearing with the years of practice. On the other hand, our German, Swiss, Belgian, and British neighbours have included it in teaching, training, and top-level sport.

It is the basis for performance and well-being (Diagram 2)

The equestrian world has recognised these principles for the horse, but needs to integrate the fundamental rules into a rider’s training program. These are based on elementary anatomic, biomechanic, physiological, and energetics principles.

Biomechanic principles

Biomechanics (applying mechanical laws to a living being) is an essential element to analyse how the body functions  when in movement. The study of the forces and actions generated by the rider during the different phases of a horse’s locomotion, helps to better understand the incidence of physical qualities on one’s body position, one’s balance and one’s health.

The concept of body segments

« If man and horse were rigid, they would not be able to move » (JM Denoix). Although a very complex whole, the human body can be defined as a basic structure composed of several segments (see diagram 3) forming levers of different lengths.

There are supporting segments (under pressure on a point of support) and free moving segments (articulated around a fixed point at one extremity)

The concept of centre of gravity

A rider’s presence is a weight which modifies the forces applied through the different phases of a horse’s locomotion. Even more so when the rider’s position, balance, inertia and rigidity of segments varies.
Each of his movements plays a part on the horse’s attitude and balance in the phases of support and suspension.

The balance point of a body (state of a body at rest where the forces it is subject to cancel one another out) is evaluated by taking into account the location of a fictive point called Centre of Gravity (COG – the red point).

A horse’s COG is situated behind the withers, on the girth passage, in the middle of the rib cage (blue dot).

« Condisering this superimposition, and to maintain balance, the rider must constantly adapt the position of his COG with regard to that of his horse : If the horse moves forward (when accelerating or going uphill, the rider must also move his forward. When it moves bakwards, ( slowing down, jumping, going downhill…) the rider’s should also move back. In bends, if the horse leans towards the inside of the curve, the rider should also lean inwards to remain in the centre of the horse, even when being subject to centrifugal forces on his upper body » (JF. Girard).

The concept of tensioning and releasing

To each agonistic muscle there is a corresponding antagonistic muscle (causing an opposing movement). Thanks to their reciprocal elasticity, each accumulates energy which it then returns (tensing / releasing). It corresponds to a succession of « action/ reaction phases »(► green).  Movement is therefore a succession of dynamic phases of the groups of muscles involved (see diagram 7)

These dynamic forces, alternating concentric efforts (thrust , propulsion / muscular insertions move closer to each other, the muscle swells) and excentric efforts (braking, shock absorption / muscular insertions move away from each other, the muscle lengthens), occur as soon as there is movement.

The athletic strength of the horse is a determining factor, but the rider’s enables him to bear up physically to these  action/ reaction phases, as well as to the forces exerted by the horse, and all the more so as he improves.

In horse riding, other types of effort such as static and isometric effort (muscle length does not vary) intervene during resistance with no movement (certain phases of leg pressure, fingers on the reins, holding one’s back, supporting oneself on the stirrups, during opposing foces of body imbalance….)

Correct rider balance and stability depend on controlling these forces. This control is only possible if the supporting points are stable, and if the forces exerted by the rider at several points, cancel out those exerted by the horse discontinuously.

Bioenergetic considerations

Muscular contraction

Each movement (sucession of muscle contractions) is only possible through using the energy produced by the body
Muscle contraction produces movement of varying power, speed and accuracy. It is controlled by stimuli (repeated pulses causing an organ to react) emitted by information from the brain, collected by the senses (hearing, smell, sight, touch) (diagram 8)
The stimuli trigger nerve impulses (electrical signals) which travel to the muscle, stimulate muscle fibers and produce contractions, and therefore movement.
The total force of a muscle is equal to the sum of forces developed by each of its fibers, the more fibers intervene in the movement, the more powerful the movement. This is the concept of muscle recruitement.
The maximum power a muscle can develop depends on the nature, the number and volume of the fibers solicited.

The concept of energy

Any muscle contraction needs energy. Muscle cells’ only usable « fuel » is provided in the shape of molecules of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate). It is provided through three channels/ energy systems which are activated at the beginning of the effort, with different production delays and different yields (Diagram 9) :

Anaerobic alactate process  (without using oxygen/ without lactate production)

Unique available storage of cellular ATP, it is immediately accessible by deterioration of  a weakly concentrated substate, phosphocreatine (Pcr). It allows an immediate intense effort, over a very short time : 7’’ for man ; very slightly longer for the horse, when taking into account the difference in weight. For a more lasting effort, ATP must be produced in sufficient quantities and regularly . The body then uses the other two energy systems :

Anaerobic lactate process (without using oxygen / with production of lactates)

ATP production is obtained with a low yield, from deterioration of  available body glycogen (glucose), which is tranported to the muscle cells by the blood. The accumulation of lactates, produced during effort, causes blood acidosis which rapidly becomes « crippling » (loss of efficiency and muscle pain). During this process, the effort, less intense, can last up to 90’’. Maximum intensity is reached 15’’to 30’’after the beginning of the effort and depends on age and level of training.

Aerobic process (with the use of oxygen)

In the presence of oxygen (O2), glycogen and lactates, followed by lipids, allow sustainable resynthesising of ATP. The reserves of these substrates are almost endless, the energetic yield is greater and its capacity is theoretically « limitless ». The waste produced (water, heat and carbonic gas – CO2) is easily eliminated.
Its maximum power (Maximal aerobic power), defined by VO2max (maximum oxygen uptake) , is much lower and restricted by blood circulation and cardio-vascular capacity. It is reached between 1 and 3 minutes after the start of the effort, depending on age and level of training.

This brief analysis based on the body and the way it functions, should be enough to make every rider react, probably firstly to being mindful of performances, but especially to realising what his most precious asset is : his body... and his health.

The body should not become the  restricting factor to his and his horse’s improvement, through neglect of his physical condition !

It is undeniable that physical preparation is an all important element of a sports rider’s fitness, and that fitness is an undisputable means to :

• Better bear up to intensive training without suffering from it
• Improve one’s capacity to recover and to last...
• Keep body and mind in good health
• To surpass oneself, and « sharpen » one’s perseverance
• And above all, to have self respect, and respect for the horse.

« You can only pretend to master your horse, once you can master yourself ! » (Pat Parelli)