The Rider's Pain-Free Back

Author: James Warson
Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books
ISBN: 1570766355
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 196

Book Description
Over 90 percent of the US population seeks help for back pain at one point or another during the course of their life. If you're a horseperson, back pain is of particular concern as it not only robs you of the joys of riding—it threatens your livelihood, as well. From grooming and tacking up, to performing a flawless reining pattern or jumping a clean round, to stacking hay bales or pushing a wheelbarrow, everything we do on and around horses demands a supple, strong, healthy back. Now, in his unique, easygoing style, Dr. Jim Warson—a neurosurgeon who also happens to be a lifelong horseman—provides all the practical information you need to understand the diagnosis and treatment of back pain—whether caused by equestrian pursuits, outside activities, illness, or heredity. More importantly, he shows readers how to prevent back problems before they have a chance to unseat you. This book includes: • "Normal" back biology and function • Congenital conditions, trauma, arthritis, and infection • Understanding symptoms and pinpointing problem areas • Tack's impact on the physics of riding • How your horse's conformation can affect your body • Traditional and alternative treatments and therapies • Techniques for saddling and mounting without stress • Recommendations for pregnant riders. In addition, Dr. Warson provides a section specifically geared toward improving rider flexibility and strength. You'll find step-by-step instructions and photo series for 10 stretches and 8 exercises for a healthy, stress-free back, allowing you to not only enjoy your riding but all your day-to-day activities, whatever they may be.

The Horse's Pain-Free Back and Saddle-Fit Book

Author: Joyce Harman
Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books
ISBN: 1570768935
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 499

Book Description
When your horse suddenly develops a performance problem or a bad attitude and neither seem to be remedied by new training techniques or medical care, you often face months—even years—of frustration and career limitation. Dr. Joyce Harman, veterinarian and respected saddle-fitting expert, states that 75 percent of horses with such issues are simply reacting to pain caused by ill-fitting saddles. And, as she explains in this thorough and highly illustrated book, poor saddle fit can be corrected with patience and know-how.

Pain-Free Horse Riding

Author: Nikki Robinson
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
ISBN: 1623173671
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 129

Book Description
Discover why you have pain and tension, learn how they affect your horse and riding, and master techniques for treating and preventing pain and injury in the future. Pain-Free Horse Riding is the first book to combine exercises for horseback riders to increase strength and flexibility and improve riding and address the pain they suffer from and how to relieve it. Horse rider and Myofascial Release therapist Nikki Robinson offers realistic ways to improve common conditions--back and neck pain, tendonitis, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, joint pain and stiffness, and repetitive strain injury--without giving up the activity you love. The book provides an introduction to fascia, covers how your body reacts to injury, and addresses common symptoms such as pain, tension, and inflammation. A key chapter focuses specifically on riding posture--the position of your head, shoulders, back, buttocks, and legs--including exercises to solve your riding problems with myofascial techniques. Also included are personal stories from riders who have had success with these methods. The format of the book allows readers to start at the beginning and read all the way through or to go straight to the sections that address their particular condition. There are cross-references throughout to direct readers where to find additional information if they are interested.

Centered Riding

Author: Sally Swift
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 9780312127343
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 216

Book Description
Widely known for her innovative teaching philosophy stressing body awareness, the value of "soft eyes," proper breathing, centering, and balance, Sally Swift has been a pioneering riding instructor for half a century. In book form for the first time, her methods enable horse and rider to achieve harmony, working together naturally, without pain. Unlike traditional teachers, Sally Swift does not believe in forced training techniques that cause stiff bodies and tense riding. Instead, through the use of vivid, unusual, and highly creative images that transcend mechanics ("Pretend you're a spruce tree; the roots grow down from your center as the trunk grows up"), plus a thorough knowledge of human and equine anatomy, this wise and inspiring teacher enables the conscientious equestrian to reassess habitual responses, in order to ride in natural positions, break through frustrating plateaus, and achieve ever-rising goals with comfort, vitality, and precision. Precise illustrations and photographs never before used in riding books explain anatomy and image work to give mind and body new and relaxed approaches to the inner process of riding. Centered Riding is for those with little experience all the way up to world class.

Suffering in Silence

Author: Jochen Schleese
Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books
ISBN: 1570767289
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 245

Book Description
Humans and horses have been joined for thousands of years, and for much of that time, one thing has served as the primary point of physical contact between them: the saddle. However, for many horses and many riders, the saddle has been no less than a refined means of torture. Horses have long suffered from tree points impeding the movement of their shoulder blades; too narrow gullet channels damaging the muscles and nerves along the vertebrae; and too long panels putting harmful pressure on the reflex point in the loin area. Male riders saddle up despite riding-related pain and the potential for serious side effects, such as impotence, while female riders endure backache, slipped discs, and bladder infections, to name just a few common issues. We must ask ourselves: How much better could we ride and how much better could our horses perform if our saddles fit optimally? If they accommodated the horse’s unique conformation and natural asymmetry? If they were built for the differing anatomy of men and women? The answers to all these questions are right here, right now, in this book.

50 5-Minute Fixes to Improve Your Riding

Author: Wendy Murdoch
Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books
ISBN: 1570766398
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 386

Book Description
5 minutes a day is all the time you need to achieve: • Better balance in the saddle • Improved body control from head to toe • Increased influence with your seat • Flawless leg position and subtle aiding • Quieter, softer hands and contact your horse can trust • Less physical stiffness, tension, and riding-related pain • Confidence in your ability to communicate with your horse! PLUS, in just 5 minutes you can improve a horse that's: • Unwilling to go forward or "dead" to the leg • Hollow-backed, high-headed, or above the bit • Heavy on the forehand and unbalanced • A chronic "puller," "leaner," or "head-tosser"! Start or end your riding sessions with Wendy Murdoch's 5-Minute Fixes, and you'll be amazed how quickly you can replace old habits with new ones, get out of your "riding rut," and transform what you can't do into what you can do…naturally, capably, comfortably, and consistently alongside a happy riding partner—your horse.

Understanding the Horse's Back

Author: Sara Wyche
Publisher: Crowood Press (UK)
ISBN:
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 146

Book Description
This is a unique guide to understanding the horse's back--how it works, what can go wrong and why, how to recognize problems, and how to prevent them, making it an essential handbook for all owners and riders. Topics covered include the basic anatomy of the horse's back; sources and causes of problems; recognizing pain in the horse; professional diagnoses and therapies; orthodox and complementary treatments; rehabilitation and recovery; remedial exercise and training; and "back-friendly" riding and management.

Ride from Within

Author: James Shaw
Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books
ISBN: 9781570763182
Category : Horsemanship
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
You and your horse can be one with the help of Tai Chi. Have you ever seen a talented dressage rider performing an exquisite test, her seat seemingly melding with her horse's back, and his movements airy, animated, and effortless? Or, perhaps you have watched a great cutting horse at work, his direction and momentum changing on a dime as he reads his cow, his rider's body flowing fluidly above him as if they were one. We all dream of experiencing this kind of connection with our horses, and in this groundbreaking new book, James Shaw shows us how the practice of Tai Chi--an ancient Chinese art that unifies the body, mind, and spirit in a series of flowing movements--can help us achieve it. His methods will enable you to: develop a sensitive seat; learn to use your breath as an aid; reduce tension unconsciously held in your hands; lower and expand your center of balance; create free movement in your lower back and spine; heal pain and stiffness in your body; and much more. James' techniques have worked for hundreds or riders, and with practice, they will work for you. As you gain Tai Chi experience and apply it to you rider, you will find your horsemanship becoming not just more skilled, but more deeply satisfying.

Pain-Free Horse Riding

Author: Nikki Robinson
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
ISBN: 162317368X
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 129

The Pain-Free Cyclist

Author: Matt Rabin
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472921488
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 241

Book Description
The Pain-Free Cyclist takes you through the most common cycling injuries, lets you know what exactly they are, why you get them and what you can do to do get rid of them and get you back on the bike pain free. It's not (just) about the bike. Ride your bike long enough and even with an optimal bike fit you're likely to get injured. It's not what cyclists want to hear, but it's the hard truth. Cycling is a rapidly growing sport, and as numbers increase, so do the amount of injuries. What do you do if you get injured? Rest? Continue to ride? These questions need answering – to avoid confusion, further complications and more harmful injuries, resulting in substantial time off the bike. We want more riders out on the road, enjoying their cycling, pain free. Foreword by Sir Bradley Wiggins and featuring interviews with pro-cyclists including Cadel Evans, Carlos Sastre, Dan Martin, Tyler Farrar and Andrew Talansky.