Have you ever let your show nerves get the better of you? Do you want to build more core stability or stronger legs for riding? As Equestrian athletes we work very hard to take care of our horses and make sure they are healthy, physically fit, and prepared for competition, but how much do you think about your own mental and physical fitness as a rider. If we except our horses to perform at high levels why would we not do the same for ourselves and that goes beyond just joining a gym or eating better. We have to not only make a plan, but think about the details and steps to follow through with that plan and achieve our goals.
On today's episode, I am talking with two ladies who use their platform and podcast to help
riders with just that. Ellie Stiller (personal trainer) and Lauren Crivelli (mindset coach) of the Elevate your Ride podcast are doing some incredible things for not only the stock horse show industry, but the equine industry as a whole to help riders of all disciplines become stronger both mind and body. I had so much fun talking with them about some very interesting topics such as overcoming your fears and limits, the bounce back percentage, exercises to improve your stability and mobility in your shoulders, hips, and ankles, and so much more.
It's not just with riding performance, being stronger physically and increasing the mobility and stability through your joints can help with other parts of your life in the barn. For example, if you aren't mobile enough through your shoulders it could cause an injury or make it harder to throw hay bales or lift your saddle onto your horse.
In any sport, for an athlete to perform at the highest level they have to take care of
themselves mind and body. We all know the story of what happened with Simone Biles at the Tokyo Olympics and her mental health struggles. She took the time she needed to heal her mind and combined that with how she trained in the gym to come back even stronger this year in Paris! The same is true for Equestrians, we can't expect our horses to give us 100% when we are not feeling 100% ourselves. We have all been there during a class or show when you don't feel focused or like something isn't quite right and it reflects in poor results. It can make us want to pack up and not finish the show, but as we talk about in the episode we can't let the small mistakes affect how we compete the rest of the show.
Another thing I talk about with Ellie and Lauren that will help us to grow our confidence and help us overcome these fears is taking actionable steps to work on where these limits and fears come from and find ways to help us to overcome them and push past what we feel is holding us back. It could be anything from listening to a super motivational podcast while you warmup or practice at home, maybe it's a video you saw on TikTok, or maybe it's a song you listen to before every show that gets you in the right headspace. Your mind is very powerful and it can get jumbled with so many positive and negative thoughts, but when we think about competition and being at our best we have to find ways to push past the negative walls and focus on the positive and do what we thought was going to be impossible.
The Elevate your ride podcast teaches others the importance using your mind to strengthen your body and vice versa. This is so innovative and brings much needed value to the horse industry in every way. I know this episode got me thinking about ways I could improve my mindset and physical fitness, what about you?
Season 1, Episode 25
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