High-Performance Equestrian

Fiona discusses muscular strength and endurance and why equestrian athletes need to consider this in their training, as they do for their horse! She also outlines principles of training such as specificity, progressive overload and recovery and how they shape an athlete into a performer over time with careful programming. Learn about why strength is the key to having energy and is the real fountain of youth!

Should riders focus on cardiovascular fitness?
What is the difference between aerobic and anaerobic fitness and what should I be doing?
Fiona guides riders though considering how training for more energy can increase rider performance by considering the demands of the sport and aligning what is expected of the rider with what is expected from the horse in the six-legged athlete team.

What is periodisation? How does is apply in equestrian sports and how can it help athletes peak at just the right time for competitions?
Periodisation means your training has strategy to achieve progression and purpose, it also prevents burnout and injury. It applies to horses and riders both separately and together, is essential for serious competitors yet also applicable to recreational athletes to help them achieve riding goals.
In this podcast, Fiona covers the main phases and sub-phases of periodisation, a key principle of athletic training, and how to use this principle to peak for success.

Have you ever wondered how top riders are so good? Is it talent, is it skill? Have you got what it takes? How can you get what it takes to be a top rider?
Podcast episode 5 examines skill acquisition and the elements that can help any riders progress... as well as what inhibits acquiring skill to top levels.
I discuss characteristics of skilled performers and how they are developed through their characteristics as skilled learners, as well as what promotes and diminishes learning. I also considering skill versus talent and what it really takes to excel as an athlete.

Isn’t riding enough to keep me fit? This episode explores the concepts of riding fitness versus rider fitness, match or game fitness, the various definitions of fitness in the context of what equestrians do every day and in terms of striving for enhancing performance. What do you think? Do you think riding alone is enough to really keep you fit as an equestrian athlete? As fit as it keeps your horse for whom the training is actually designed?