Endurance stamina

showjumper

How does one increase endurance/stamina? I find that at the end of a 8-10 jump course I have little left in the gas tank and my horse definitely takes advantage and falls out behind... I have been running so my cardio is better just not my muscle endurance to squeeze or add extra encouragement to the last couple fences...

crimsongrey

ride more often seriously, running has always been key for me.

jcraig10

Trot sets and canter sets. Helpful if you have access to a nice big field

jcraig10

Sorry, I guess I read that as you needed your horse's stamina increased. Oops! Lots of leg exercises - squats, lunges to get those calves nice and strong.

showjumper

Thanks @jcraig10 currently we are under about 2' of snow and we were hovering in the negative and single digits so not able to get outside much. I have been working on improving the quality of my sessions.... and longer canter/gallop sessions instead of canter around the arena, stop, visit, change direction, canter a 20m circle, trot, canter, trot visit......

Guess we will see what happens on Thursday's lesson

jcraig10

Oh my! Winter is tough for sure

tmcoyle

I do a lot of core workouts mixed with cardio and weight lifting. Mixing it up causes your muscles to always be guessing, so your body won't get used to one type of workout. I get this by working out to P90X3 and Insanity Max type workouts. I start a lot of colts and the first two weeks of the month my muscles are not near as sore when I consistently workout. These workouts also incorporate yoga and pilates to keep your muscles lengthened and pliable. I also use a foam roller especially for my tight hamstrings from using lots of leg muscles while riding.