In Shape with Eleonora, the riders’ Trainer

Those who don’t ride may not understand, but we certainly know how false the saying “the horse does it all” is. In some cases, one could almost say, “I wish it were that easy!” because it’s not like that at all.

Equestrianism is a sport for two, and for everything to function at its best, we can’t just focus on the horse athlete. It is necessary for the rider athlete to be physically prepared as well.

Fortunately, this concept has been firmly integrated into stables for several years now, not just those of professional riders. Recently, there has also been a rise in professionals specializing in athletic preparation for riders.

Eleonora Tamassia is one such expert, and her work is improving the sporting life of many rider-horse pairs, starting with international rider Francesca Ciriesi, whom Dr. Tamassia has been coaching for two years now.

Study and Passion

Eleonora Tamassia has managed to combine two of her great passions: equestrianism and athletic preparation, creating a method tailored specifically for riders who wish to stay in shape in order to be increasingly prepared and perform better in the saddle. “I’ve been riding horses for over twenty years, and despite that, after intense training periods, I would still struggle physically.

So, thanks to my studies in Sports Sciences, I developed a method to help riders achieve and maintain the physical fitness required to be at their best in the saddle,” the coach explains. “More and more riders are approaching my training method, and the ability to follow them online allows me to stay with them even when physically distant, or if the athletes are abroad for international competitions, providing continuous training that can yield results,” Eleonora says. She is so engaging and enthusiastic that even the laziest riders feel motivated to try and train. And as we all know, once you start feeling good physically and getting in shape, there’s no turning back.

To Begin: Mobility

The first aspect to train for success in riding is mobility. Here are three exercises that our Equestrian Athletic Training expert recommends to start your workout.

Mobility is the first characteristic that a rider, even one who has just started, needs to focus on and train to succeed in the saddle.

In technical movements, the pelvic region and its subdivisions are primarily involved.

Therefore, in this section, I’ll introduce three hip mobility exercises for the rider:

• Frog Position: Lying on your stomach with legs spread apart and elbows firmly placed on the floor, perform horizontal oscillations (back and forth). Repeat for 10 reps.
• Iliopsoas Stretch: Kneeling with one leg bent forward, back straight, abdomen engaged, and looking ahead. The body performs oscillations to stretch the targeted area. Repeat for 8 reps per leg.
• Prone Pigeon Position with Leg Mobilization in Two Directions: Sitting on the floor with one leg extended backward and the other bent with the hip in external rotation. With arms extended forward and forehead resting on the floor, alternate the leg movement by “crossing” it forward and then returning the trunk to an upright position, and vice versa. Repeat for 10 reps per leg.

Try it to believe it: Feeling good physically is the first step to becoming a better rider. A little willpower and a well-prepared, enthusiastic trainer are all it takes to make progress. Happy training!

You can contact Dr. Eleonora Tamassia via email at eleonora.tamassia@me.com or on Instagram at pt_eleonora_tamassia.

Elena Pecora

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