Fit in February

As many of you know, our Cornerstone Horsemanship program pauses from just before Christmas until March. The number one reason being the weather is too unpredictable to try and schedule any outdoor activities. Now some of you are saying that there is nothing wrong with riding in the cold or snow. I (Greta) would agree with you, maybe 20 years earlier. As I have aged I have gotten soft on what good riding weather is. This doesn't mean I'm not doing anything. I do a lot of The Ten-Minute Horseman activities with my horses. When the weather is nice enough I spend a lot of time on the slow, simple things that strengthen the foundation. I also do a lot of body work on my horses as well.

In addition to all of that I also work on getting myself fit for the upcoming riding season. Once riding season is in full swing by mid April I get caught up in all the business of activities and my personal fitness gets put to the wayside. I can always tell by about October or November. By then riding season is winding down, but holidays are picking up and I don't get back to my personal fitness again until after the first of the year.

As I have gotten back to it this year I am finding myself weak and tight. Two things that are not helpful at all with riding.

Do you know what causes most falls off of horseback? Lack of balance. Where does our balance come from? Our core. Lack of balance is a weak core. Our core is the center of our being. It is what communicates the most to our horses while on the ground and in the saddle. Our core is everything to horsemanship. Strong core = good balance and over all good health. Even as you age you need to work to stay strong and well balanced for optimal health and mobility, even if you don't work with horses.

Once again I thank the Lord that I am able to work with horses because they push me to be better. They are my drive to keep fit, strong and mobile. It is for them that I want to keep working on myself. It's nothing to set aside even just 15 minutes a day to move. Your horse will thank you for it, and you will feel so much better and independent.

The next big question, how does one get started? No you don't need to invest in a bunch of equipment. No, you don't have to hire a personal trainer. No, you don't have to join a gym. All you need to do is just start moving.

I am reminded of a Reader's Digest article from several years ago of a man who grew to the weight of 400+ pounds. He traveled for work and finally decided he had to do something about his weight when he started having to purchase 2 seats on the airplane. Quite humbling. He went to his doctor to discuss weigh loss and I think the doctor gave him the best advice ever. It was recommended to this man that he go and adopt a dog. No a puppy, but a dog. He went right to the shelter and adopted an older, overweight dog. How would this help him lose weight? The dog held him accountable. You see, dogs need walks, and he began walking his dog. At first they could only get to the end of the driveway and back before they lost energy, yet that didn't stop them. By the end of the week they could get to the street corner. From there they could get halfway around the block, then all the way around the block, and so on and so fourth. Together they both got to healthy weights as their fitness journey continued.

It doesn't take a lot, just start moving. Go walk with your horse. Walk a lap or two around the arena if you have one. Walk down your lane or drive. Just start moving. Start parking further away from the entrance to your work or the store.

If you are interested in building more on that then there are several videos on YouTube that can guide you through a workout. Get creative and start moving. In the beginning, if just doing something is hard, then just start with walking. From there work on stretching and losening your muscles. Then start some low impact workouts and build from there if you want.

One last story I'll share with you. This year as I began getting back into a workout routine, I did not pick out the appropriate workout. I cam across this new YouTube channel with workouts specifically for equestrians. So I turned one one and got started. That was not the one to get started with! It began alright, but quickly escalated in intensity. That was on a Thursday. It was Monday before I could get up, sit down, walk up and down steps without being reminded of that workout. I was much more mindful of what I chose for my next video to follow.

To help you get started I would recommend checking out these two channels on YouTube:

Faithful Workouts

Faithful Workouts are great because Michelle gives lots of options for each maneuver; from challenging to working from a chair. She also offers an encouraging message from the Word of God.

Horse Learner Fitness

Idun with Horse Learner Fitness is great because in her videos she has a prequal to what the next maneuver will be and a timer for how long to do each one There is very little speaking.

So, now you don't have an excuse to get started on getting Fit in February. We are only 4 weeks away from beginning our Cornerstone Horsemanship program for 2026.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you,

and the horses you ride, from our barn to yours.