Equilates at Barnfield Stables!

It didn't take much convincing on my part to encourage the staff at Barnfield Stables to try the Equilates Stretch Workout:)
I have been doing the Workout personally so I know that it works. However, it was still great to hear: "Wow, I can really feel much straighter and my hips much more open" when the ladies hopped into the saddles! When I teach riding I like to get the best out of the riders and what's more rewarding than enthusiastic pupils!
If you are looking for a stretch workout for yourself that is quick and can be done virtually anywhere - have a go at Equilates.



EQUILATES STRETCH WORKOUT

Here is how ladies at Barnfield stretched those ligaments and muscles (with just a tiny bit of help from Percy the piebald).














There are total of 10 Exercises (with 2 to 5 reps) and it took us about 25 minutes to go through all of them with me reading out all the instructions and going through some things a couple of times. I reckon that once you are familiar with the programme you could probably do it in less than 20 minutes (unless you want to make more reps).

The 10 Exercises we did are as follows:

Exercise 1. Roll Down to Cat Stretch
Exercise 2. Scoop & Release/Pelvic Tilts
Exercise 3. Finding Your Core (this one was a big revelation!)
Exercise 4. Chest Expansion
Exericse 5. Piriformis Stretch
Exercise 6. Side Stretches
Exercise 7. Tree
Exercise 8. Lunges (pictured)
Exercise 9. Quad Stretch (pictured)
Exericse 10. Shoulder Stretch to Roll Down

Some exercises require an elastic band which you can buy together with the programme. When I did it first time I found it very easy and wasn't sure how beneficial it would be but I learnt that my first impression was incorrect and that in fact the exercises has made rather interesting impact on my riding!

Horses at Barnfields went VERY well under both ladies and we will be repeating the session next week!

I also discovered an interesting trick in "How to learn your dressage test"...Teach it to others! My Intermediate Teenagers are now officialy training to ride the British Eventing Dressage Intro Test 101 and although they are finding it pretty tough (only managed half of the test without getting amazingly tired!) they also have great fun. And I already know the test by heart ;)