Every equestrian wants to know: what is the difference between the horse that “dances” when you are on him, and the one that doesn’t? According to Visconte Simon Cocozza, Trainer and Examiner for the La Fédération Française d'Equitation (FFE), it all comes down to the horse’s posture. The horse’s ability to use the powerful mechanisms already built into his body relies not upon the strength we can see on the outside but the strength on the inside . This invisible and complex arrangement of internal “core” muscles control the horse’s posture, suppleness, and agility. Their good condition is the key to the dance. Equine core muscles are very difficult to isolate with the traditional training techniques common to horse sports. However, by examining what we do with the human body when faced with a weak core, we can find new methods for conditioning these areas of the equine body. Visconte Cocozza has taken principles of the human practice of yoga and used them to develop novel ways of reaching deep within the horse’s body and gently “unlock” areas that may be a little “rusty,” improve core fitness, and even relieve pain related to conditions such as kissing spine. In this book, he provides step-by-step instruction explaining easy mounted exercises that enhance the horse’s posture, and boost his confidence in his body and movement, making him easier to ride, and ultimately, the dance partner you’ve always imagined.
Sprache
Verlagsort
Produkt-Hinweis
Fadenheftung
Gewebe-Einband
Illustrationen
Maße
Höhe: 223 mm
Breite: 195 mm
Dicke: 25 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-1-57076-804-0 (9781570768040)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Introduction 1 Part One: Understanding the Horse's Core 7 1 The Back: Where All Movement Begins 9 The Magic Inside Every Horse 9 Mother Nature's Perfect Design 10 The Silent Language of the Herbivore 20 Riding "Feels" 22 Taming the "Snorting Beast" 24 Releasing the Natural Athlete 28 2 The Source of Force in the Horse: The Core 37 The Power of Three Will Set You Free 44 The Dark Side of the Core 54 3 Horses Are People, Too 65 The Human Touch 66 Using the Warm-Up to Condition the Core 68 Yoga: Kind to the Core 72 4 Assessing the Horse's Core and Choosing a Warm-Up Plan 81 The Core Score 82 Non-Ridden Core Indicators 100 Choosing Your Warm-Up Plan 107 Putting It All Together 110 Special Considerations 111 Part Two: The Core Conditioning Exercises 115 5 How to Ride from the Horse's Core 117 Building Blocks: What You Need to Know for the Core Exercises 119 The Three Exercise Levels: Release, Coordination, and Tone 123 Head-and-Neck Positions (HNP) 130 Yoga-Inspired Warm-Up Aids 136 6 10 Core Exercises for the Horse 151 Getting Started 151 Exercise 1: The Half-Moon Pose/The Core Release Volte 156 Exercise 2: The Yoga Half-Split/The Turn on the Forehand 169 Exercise 3: The Cat Pose/Forward,, Down, and Out (FDO) 186 Exercise 4: The Balancing Table to Tiptoe Chair Poses/Forward and Back 198 Exercise 5: The Chair Pose/The Driving Seat 211 Exercise 6: The Garland Pose/The Rounding Rein-Back 223 Exercise 7: The Revolved Triangle Pose/The Limbering Leg-Yield 238 Exercise 8: Thread the Needle Pose/The Perfect Pirouette 250 Exercise 9: The Cat to Cow Pose/Forward, Down, and Out to Competition Outline 264 Exercise 10: The Revolved Half-Moon Pose/La Giravolta Longe 274 7 Happy Bendy Horsey! Practice Makes Perfect 288 Acknowledgments 291 Index 293
