tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post471853977601391103..comments2023-07-18T07:06:17.272-06:00Comments on Autonomous Dressage: The Elephant in the RoomAutonomousDressagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10326654414307652910noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post-72712170553363124722016-08-15T08:25:05.754-06:002016-08-15T08:25:05.754-06:00Thanks Elphingirl! It sometimes really sucks to ha...Thanks Elphingirl! It sometimes really sucks to have to be on such a restricted diet eh? But you're right, having a healthy and functional body is worth it. AutonomousDressagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10326654414307652910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post-12109763074354552092016-08-14T06:07:32.324-06:002016-08-14T06:07:32.324-06:00Hi Sarah, I am a rider, not particularly overweigh...Hi Sarah, I am a rider, not particularly overweight, but do have coeliac disease. Just wanted to say how well you are doing to eat a balanaced diet - I am totally guilty of eating too much saturated fat and dairy products, just because I figure if I can't eat everything, what I do eat has got to taste great. In the end, a healthy and functional body if worth so much to being able to live properly. Good luck with finding a new saddle! Elphingirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11375207005969392617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post-64498811986325060282016-08-11T15:28:01.227-06:002016-08-11T15:28:01.227-06:00Thanks for the suggestion! I just joined up :-) . ...Thanks for the suggestion! I just joined up :-) . Good luck with your weight and back injuriesAutonomousDressagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10326654414307652910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post-21471449048138683842016-08-11T15:27:02.612-06:002016-08-11T15:27:02.612-06:00Hi, I haven't seen you comment before, thanks ...Hi, I haven't seen you comment before, thanks for reading and sharing! I just took a peak at your blog and I'll definitely have to read more about you and your jumping percheron!<br /><br />I feel like I have that exact same problem with opening my hip angle! I'm hoping a new saddle helps me out on that. I have noticed in my saddle search that the balance of the saddle has a huge impact of how good it feels, so maybe that is why yours feels good on one horse but not the other?AutonomousDressagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10326654414307652910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post-12365884663712641892016-08-11T15:22:56.031-06:002016-08-11T15:22:56.031-06:00Re-learning to ride without an injury... that is a...Re-learning to ride without an injury... that is a unique scenario. Glad you're pain free now though!<br /><br />Thanks for the weights suggestion. I've never fallen for those myths, more the thing is that I feel my day to day life gives me more opportunities to build muscle than cardio fitness (carrying groceries, lugging around tack and water buckets, etc.). I more frequently feel out of breath than I do weak, so I feel cardio is important for me. Of course activities that build both muscles and fitness are the best!AutonomousDressagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10326654414307652910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post-54294459536765868082016-08-11T15:18:24.799-06:002016-08-11T15:18:24.799-06:00Who wouldn't want to drown their sorrows in fr...Who wouldn't want to drown their sorrows in french fries ;-). Luckily my celiac disease already cuts out pretty much all fried foods. I find other unhealthy options to binge on though *sigh*<br /><br />Lol about the "broken" scale AutonomousDressagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10326654414307652910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post-3138008670163725832016-08-10T14:18:59.510-06:002016-08-10T14:18:59.510-06:00I've always been a bit overweight, but 2 diffe...I've always been a bit overweight, but 2 different back injuries really set me back and caused me to gain a lot of weight that I have since found much harder to lose. There's a Facebook group started by a horse blogger for riders who are trying to lose wright called goalbreeches. You may want to join as well.Olivia @ DIY Horse Ownershiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16138490796669110523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post-49318354726527052472016-08-10T12:04:15.946-06:002016-08-10T12:04:15.946-06:00It is tough. I am also an overweight rider and I h...It is tough. I am also an overweight rider and I have to make adjustments for it often. I carry most of my weight in my thighs and butt so that isn't as much of a disadvantage as carrying more weight higher on your body (at least as far as messing with your balance in the saddle) but I will say that all that extra junk in the truck makes it darn tough to open my hip angle but not arch my back-I can't create the picture I want because my butt is physically in the way. Its funny, I feel so completely plugged in when I ride in my trainer's saddle so I bought the same exact model...or I guess I thought I did (granted, they are on different horses). I can't seem to get that same feeling in my own saddle- I always feel like it is too small.EquiNovicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17799583464228214025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post-48352600780461618272016-08-10T11:33:03.106-06:002016-08-10T11:33:03.106-06:00I learned to ride with a bum shoulder, and somehow...I learned to ride with a bum shoulder, and somehow its been pain free for several months and getting used to that has been weird (but great!) <br /><br />I definitely recommend lifting weights. I had been a hardcore cardio person and bought wholly into the weightlifting myths, when I finally started lifting weights I was pleasantly surprised by how I felt and looked. L.Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05052638724440787772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post-27235033520977434732016-08-10T10:50:10.912-06:002016-08-10T10:50:10.912-06:00I wear my weight really well. I actually had a nur...I wear my weight really well. I actually had a nurse say their scale was broken when she weighed me (it wasn't). It was when I was at my heaviest and it was a wake up call for me. My biggest issue now is stress eating. But I am doing better but I still want to drown my sorrows in French fries...EventingSaddlebredStylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07610596082916022402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post-20432048844093205862016-08-10T10:12:58.541-06:002016-08-10T10:12:58.541-06:00That's great that you're strong and balanc...That's great that you're strong and balanced! I try and do a lot of core strength exercises too like dragonboating and pilates. I feel like my strength in the saddle is pretty good, but it's the balance I'm really struggling with. That's a big part of why I'm saddle hunting. I think my saddle doesn't fit me well with the extra weight and so it is pushing my balance out of whack. AutonomousDressagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10326654414307652910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post-39917352908671217922016-08-10T10:04:00.966-06:002016-08-10T10:04:00.966-06:00I wouldn't have pegged you as one with those s...I wouldn't have pegged you as one with those struggles, I guess it just goes to show that you can't assume things are necessarily easier for someone who looks like they have a more ideal rider's build (though still a little jealous of your long legs!) :)<br /><br />I agree that an experienced rider is certainly easier on a horse's back than a beginner who is flopping around and doesn't know how to sit or post the trot etc. AutonomousDressagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10326654414307652910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post-12118111336096440292016-08-10T09:54:14.643-06:002016-08-10T09:54:14.643-06:00I can imagine that coming back from an injury woul...I can imagine that coming back from an injury would be tough, especially one to a joint that you have to use as much in riding as an ankle. I'm lucky that I haven't had to go through that myself. Good luck shaking the remnant bad habits!AutonomousDressagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10326654414307652910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post-76488596322754742912016-08-10T09:38:56.176-06:002016-08-10T09:38:56.176-06:00As a fellow overweight person who struggles to los...As a fellow overweight person who struggles to lose weight despite exercising and eating sensibly (most of the time), I feel your frustration! <br /><br />I try hard to focus on exercise that will help me in the saddle; I do various weight lifting exercises so I am strong and have good core strength. I do moderate cardio to help my endurance. I try to squeeze in yoga and stretching to stay supple and balanced. Doing that makes me feel like a capable rider, so even if I don't *look* like the svelte picture of equestrian perfection, I know I'm strong and balanced.Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07140631127593549541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post-85099029149816678102016-08-10T09:11:23.780-06:002016-08-10T09:11:23.780-06:00I started struggling in graduate school. I went fr...I started struggling in graduate school. I went from being a highly active athlete to a stressed out sedentary student. I wear my weight well and I am down from when I was in grad school but I still have more to do. When I started riding again I hated it because I felt so floppy and my body would not do what it used to do. It's frustrating but I do remind myself that I'm well balanced and there have been studies that show a well balanced heavier rider is easier on the horse than an unbalanced lighter rider. Granted Stinker would probably be happier with a lighter balanced rider but that is a work in progress.EventingSaddlebredStylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07610596082916022402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post-45508707726773690442016-08-10T08:27:22.459-06:002016-08-10T08:27:22.459-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.LoveLaughRidehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04408180801317705985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6516065851105665939.post-15513741523116640422016-08-10T08:27:14.431-06:002016-08-10T08:27:14.431-06:00I'm still re-learning to ride with my bum ankl...I'm still re-learning to ride with my bum ankle (and it was over 3 years ago that I had my accident). I've gotten a lot better but I picked up some bad habits while trying to protect my ankle that I cannot seem to shake.<br /><br />I am also a heavier rider who struggles with weight. I've always struggled and I carry most of my weight in my middle, which definitely has it's challenges.LoveLaughRidehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04408180801317705985noreply@blogger.com