Teaching the senior rider

[CHT]

I specialize in re-riders, and lately the interest has been from riders 60 - 70 years old.

What I learned in the fitness classes I was taking for people with health issues, is that our body makes changes, particularly with the hips (stiffen) and shoulders (roll forward), and I am seeing some of these changes with one of the older riders that I have been teaching for a few years even though she is very fit/active.

Some of these changes make these older riders look a little more precarious, and I admit and feel very protective of them , but I am having trouble finding resources for helping coach these older riders. Does anyone know where I can look?

[Scribbler]

@CHT

I specialize in re-riders, and lately the interest has been from riders 60 - 70 years old.

What I learned in the fitness classes I was taking for people with health issues, is that our body makes changes, particularly with the hips (stiffen) and shoulders (roll forward), and I am seeing some of these changes with one of the older riders that I have been teaching for a few years even though she is very fit/active.

Some of these changes make these older riders look a little more precarious, and I admit and feel very protective of them , but I am having trouble finding resources for helping coach these older riders. Does anyone know where I can look?

I think if a person is getting these age related deficits in posture or function they need to be addressing them in exercise off the horse. Aged ballerinas and pro equestrians and real cowboys keep their upright posture. You can be active and fit but have bad posture

[paw]

I’m one of them.

Riding is a very physical activity, and I find that I need supplemental training (especially core work) to continue to perform. Your riders need to realize that they’re going to have to do complementary exercise off the horse to be able to be secure in the saddle and functional.

[Foxglove]

I too am an over 70 rider. Agree with all that suggest exercise in addition to riding. Further suggest you consider adding 20-30 min of mobility exercise to ur lesson to help riders learn what to do to improve shoulders and hips.

[Jackie_Cochran]

I am 73, have MS, and I still ride horses. I also do NOT have much energy, I rarely last more than 30 minutes in the saddle during my weekly lesson on a real horse, and I only have one lesson a week, weather permitting. There is NO WAY that I will ever have enough energy to go to the gym, join an exercise class, life weights or do Pilates even once a week.

The only outside exercise I do for riding is once a week usually less than 30 minutes on my riding simulator the Home Horse https://www.homehorse.com. With the bridle extension it is $1,090.00 US (cheaper without the bridle extension.)

I have found that using my Home Horse really helps with me finding my place in the saddle, and that the Home Horse serves to graphically point out how my position faults affect my balance in the saddle. I have no fear of falling off my Home Horse even when it lurches alarmingly under me, which gives my body “room” with which to learn how to adapt my elderly body to the movement under my seat.

On the HH I can isolate using just one muscle to exercise it and get it stronger, alternating which leg I exercise so both get stronger. I can experiment with doing exercises for two muscles.

The balancing part of riding the HH also helps me a great deal on a live horse. I put a long bubble balance on the HH platform so my spotter can tell me immediately when I get off balance. If I bow my head down to look at my feet or my hands the HH lurches drastically on its “forehand”. It rocks back just as drastically when I sit too far back. If I move my hand to one side the HH reacts to this. I can feel the difference between an indirect rein in front of the withers and an indirect rein to the rear of the withers, yes the difference is subtle but I can feel the difference in how the HH moves under me.

Riding my HH keeps me fit enough so that my riding muscles do not get sore even if fate determines that I do not get to ride a horse for several weeks. Using the bridle extension helps remind me to keep opening and closing my elbows to keep good contact.

You could even encourage your elderly riders to buy their own Home Horse to use at home. At today’s costs of lessons &/or homework rides the HH will quickly pay for itself.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

Suggesting that the riders look into yoga/Pilates/ engage in general fitness activities is also good for their overall health, not just riding health. I find that women a generation older than me (Gen X) who grew up before Title 9 often have no background in “fitness,” even if they may have played sports growing up or still do.

Many years ago, I was in a group lesson, which was very mixed in terms of age and ability. I was surprised that some of the women riders in their 70s (with no other serious medical conditions, other than aging) weren’t fit enough to walk across a field to catch a horse (I don’t mean a hard-to-catch horse, just that the walk was too much for them) and struggled to lift a saddle or heavy blankets onto their mounts. What was even more surprising is that they were truly flabbergasted that I could do these things easily even though I wasn’t in my 20s. They were all very proud that the only exercise they liked/did was riding. Most rode once a week, no other exercise, which is is not enough to keep fit (not just as a rider, but just as a person).

[atr]

I’m a mid 60’s dressage rider. I ride at least 4 times a week, and will be showing 4th level this year.

Adding regular yoga and strength training and much more intentional walking to my life has been a game changer both in terms of the safety and functionality of my riding , and life in general.

I thought I was sufficiently active before I started this journey at the turn of the year, but this has been eye opening.

I’m just a much better rider. My horse thanks me.

[Renn_aissance]

General statement that off the horse exercise is helpful, and yoga and Pilates and other programs that improve whole body awareness and mobility especially important, in developing and maintaining a complete athlete.

This is a bit of a different response than the above, but I’m responding to the part where you say you feel protective of your riders. It’s not clear whether that’s because they have a strength or position weakness as individuals or because you have a particular concern about this demographic hitting the ground.

If my mother were posting here, she would a) tell you to get that word “senior” out of your mouth and ask that b) when your most wise amateur division tells you who they are, believe them. My mom is a re-rider old enough to have two daughters in the middle adults. She rides twice a week jumping 2’-2’6” at maximum on appropriate school horses. She finds it frustrating and demoralizing when her instructors seem to want to protect her, or when it feels like she’s not able to work to her personal fitness and potential because the instructor is giving deference to her age. Name what you’re seeing in the rider’s position, name a suggestion about cross-training if you have one, or name what it is that makes you not want to put the fences up or drop their stirrups or whatever… but if you’re not seeing a reason to be concerned, don’t be afraid to challenge them just because they grew up in the time of Title IX. Treat them as individuals, certainly don’t terrify the ones who are at risk of breaking, but push the ones who want it.

I’m often sympathetic to the instructor in this case because I had to have more than one phone call with my mom about how I didn’t want her to leg my sister’s horse back up when he was going through his rearing phase and I especially didn’t want her to do this in an open field when she was alone on the farm. She’s not dumb, she’s just never forgotten she was once 20 and bounced when she hit the ground, and I’m very grateful she’s never had cause to learn this. But she does ride with several other “most wise” amateur women who are more worried about their own welfare than she is about her own, and her best lessons have come from people who know the individualities of their lesson and give her appropriate challenges while also acknowledging that the rest of the class is content not to (or shouldn’t right now.)

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

A very fair comment–and there are obviously ladies in their 70s and above still riding to hounds that could not only ride circles around me, but many young instructors who have barely ridden outside the ring!

Re: the protectiveness, I think this is very subjective and dependent upon the instructor. I’ve had young instructors who were very frustrated at any nervousness I showed, despite being a re-rider (issues which had more to do with issues with coordination I’ve always had, even when young). I also had one instructor in her thirties who told me, “oh, I don’t care if one of my older riders hit the ground, it’s the kids I worry about,” which didn’t inspire confidence in me!

I think, regardless of age, we all have seen some riders who seem blissfully unaware of the fact they’re loose in the tack/over-horsed/ don’t appreciate that they’re doing things above their skill level. The fear on the instructor’s part may be that the older you get, injuries take longer and longer to bounce back from.

[CHT]

Do you have a link or resource to what that exercises would be specifically for aging riders?

Two of the riders in my “old lady” category broke their spines at their previous barn. They ARE more fragile and more precarious than a typical 20 year old and some of the stiffness makes them look a little unstable in the corners. Maybe I should video them so they see what I see and can match to how they feel? The do all have other athletic endeavors - if they weren’t fit I wouldn’t take them as I don’t have true beginner horses - they aren’t dangerous, but they have expectations of their riders.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

@CHT

Two of the riders in my “old lady” category broke their spines at their previous barn.

Not to derail, but yikes–I can understand one rider, but two breaking their spines at the same barn? They are definitely lucky to have an instructor looking out for their welfare now!

[Foxglove]

Wow! Far out of my expertise! A concern I would have is that any exercise would be detrimental. Sorry. Mobility exercises are basic stretching—but even that might not be a good idea.

[kenyarider]

As a senior rider, I’d say that prospective riders need to be taking a strength class with a qualified trainer, working on core and hips both strength and flexibility. Otherwise, we are just the same as anyone else, some days on it, other days oh dear!

[Renn_aissance]

Video is an excellent tool! Especially if you narrate what you’re seeing, then text or email it to your students so that they can study it after.

Seeing what you are doing makes it easier to think about how your body got that way, which makes it easier to recognize when you’re getting that way. Fixing it is what general body awareness and control is for. Yoga is so good for that! (And strength training is great for all of us, but particularly good for older women, and especially when they may need to use their bodies to have a discussion with a 1200lb prey animal.)

[paw]

Some stiffness can be ameliorated, but some (especially bone-on-bone) is a harder thing. It’s important for them (as riders) to know which pain is “working muscles I didn’t know I had” versus “it’s not a good day for that vertebrae”). Even as fit as I am, one off-balance jolt in a particular direction can mean I’m done for the day.

The best you, as instructor, can do is to encourage cross-training (core, yoga, cardio, etc) and relialize that the older rider may have limitations. Fear of faling off can cause stiffness - can you do more at slower gaits (there is, in fact, a world of work that can be done at the walk) to make sure they’re confident before moving on? Working poles on the ground, for example, if good for anyone. Or dropping stirrups (at the walk), or even a lesson on the longe line.

What goals to these riders have? That might also serve as a guide.

[Calvincrowe]

As someone who is fast approaching 60, with some of the issues you ascribe to ‘older riders’, I’ll add my experience and advice:
Ask them questions about fitness-- if they are not doing any other exercise (and strolling about the mall/store/neighborhood is not exercise), encourage them to do so. Find resources and suggest those (senior fitness classes, a good gym that offers free training sessions to get someone started). Aerobic fitness (brisk walking, hills, a Barre class) and strength (low weight, high reps)
Ask them health questions, particularly around bone health: osteoporosis is not joke! I let my trainer know that I’m there, being treated and I take care with riding outside on gravel (I don’t) and watch footing like a hawk (tripping horses are scary to older riders). I wear an vest- either standard or air to try to minimize breaking bones. If your older riders broke their spines, are they taking care to check for osteoporosis/penia??
Ask them what scares them or makes them nervous: build your lessons around confronting those fears in a low risk way, building confidence. Poles in place of jumps, still mastering pace, rhythm, straightness. This helps me tremendously in a low risk way. Then you add a cross rail, or a small vertical to push them just a bit out of the comfort zone. On the other hand, don’t baby us! If I can confidently jump around a 2 foot course, let me. 3 foot? Let me! I’m older, not dead.
Ask them their goals and work toward them.
If you have lesson horses, make sure they are comfortable to rides, especially the sitting trot. Our old bodies are stiff, and often a bit sore. Yes, my posture isn’t what it used to be, and my arthritis in my lumbar spine will never let me sit like I used to, no matter how many core exercises I do. Be kind.

[SharonA1]

As a rider who is getting to be senior (still waiting on the “most wise” character trait), I find listening to the Ride IQ lessons on rider position to be very helpful. I listen to them in the car, and find this really helpful for reminding me to keep shoulders back and down, chin up and back, and seatbones even, even (or especially) while driving. They have cured me of driving one-handed, because I’m trying to “keep my reins even” so now it’s both hands on the wheel (as it should be, anyway).

[CHT]

Their goals are non-competitive (with one exception, but with her I am just helping her get back in the saddle to be ready to ride her own horse who is at a different barn), and pretty vague in that they want to keep riding as long as possible and enjoy the social aspect of riding, but they do want to feel they are expanding their skills…but safely. I am fortunate I have one horse who can teach advanced flat skills, but the others are more limited.

[FitToBeTied]

I am a senior rider who is approaching 70. The recommendations of exercise are all well and good but … I work out six days a week for over an hour. I stretch every day and do PT for various issues. I have two herniated disks in my neck and three in my lower back. I have arthritis in both hips (one mild and one moderately. The front of one foot is numb from treating a neuroma. And last week one of those lower disks worsened, so my riding was reduced to a walk.

I know my form is not always the best but telling people 'That if you just exercised" is a little arrogant.

[Madison]

@Renn_aissance

Video is an excellent tool! Especially if you narrate what you’re seeing, then text or email it to your students so that they can study it after.

Completely agree with this! @CHT I have a trainer who does this and it helps me so much to see it and hear the feedback on the video, definitely give it a try!