Balancing Act

by Rebecca Lee 07.08.08

This Saturday, 9^th August, Three Day Eventing competition begins at the Beijing Olympic Games. The first of the three disciplines that each horse/rider combination has to complete is that of the dressage test. This phase can be likened to ‘ballet on horseback’ and requires an advanced level of balance, stability and posture to be performed correctly to gain the lowest number of penalty points. EIS Strength & Conditioning coach Carys Jackson has been working on developing these three areas with rider Sharon Hunt.

For over two years Hunt has been utilising the expertise of Jackson to assist her with her own personal training ‘off horse’. With riders, like Hunt, being out on horses for around eight to ten hours per day, fitting in other training alongside this can prove challenging, but Hunt believes this work will give her a performance advantage over her rivals.

“Unlike other sports, equestrian athletes have difficulty finding time to do their own personal training as well as training their horses. Equine strength and conditioning is a well known and well documented science, but the strength and fitness that a rider requires to perform optimally is not” said Jackson. “Having worked with Sharon for over two years now, she has become aware of various aspects she needs to work on to help her overall performance” she added.

Equestrian is like no other sport at the Games, with the horses posing a unique dimension for preparation and performance, requiring significant expertise from the British Equestrian Federation.

“Many riders don’t realise how hard they are working when they are riding, and believe that the horse is the primary athlete and as a result they do not need to consider themselves. However it is apparent that factors such as balance and core stability is exceptionally important” explained Jackson. Not only for balancing on the horse during different exercises, but stability of the shoulders and hips are important to avoid penalties. If one side was stronger than the other, for example, you may lose straightness and accuracy in certain set movements.”

Jackson also added that there is a pre-habilitative and re-habilitative impact of her work. “Riders often have injuries and can suffer lower back pain due to sitting in the saddle during impact, so it’s key that preventative work alongside rehab is geared to the athlete” she added.

Jackson has worked closely with support staff from the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) to help deliver the support required.

“Working alongside other experts involved with the BEF has enabled us to take a holistic approach to a variety of aspects of Sharon’s performance. As a team we can then discuss which areas need work, helping us to ensure delivery of the appropriate support” Jackson concluded.

This will be Hunt’s first Games and she will be riding her parent’s horse, Tankers Town.

“We’ll be a bit nervous, but we’re all well prepared” she said. “We all want to do our best. If everything goes to plan, we should perform well” she added.