Who Cares About The Rider?

There seems to be little support for the well-being of the rider in our horse sports, and the author believes there’s a need for change.

Yes, you read the title correctly. As a sports massage therapist practicing and teaching the Jack Meagher method for nearly two decades, I’ve made long-term, first-hand observations of the overall health and well-being of equestrian athletes. We need some improvement in our sports.

My primary work is serving equestrians, but I do see athletes in other sports including baseball, rowing, tennis, golf, running, dance and, most importantly, the largest and strongest athlete, the horse.

Sports require the highest level of stamina, perseverance, flexibility, and good physical and mental conditioning. Equestrian sports are not exempt. However, equestrian sports are different from all other sports in that they require a balance between the needs of the rider and the horse.

The demands of maintaining and managing the horse are huge, encompassing intense hours and years of training, with a tremendous workload for the care of the horse. Additionally, there is the physical labor of mucking, mowing, heavy lifting, fence repair, tack cleaning, dragging an arena, etc.

What all this boils down to is the fact that there’s little time left in the day for riders to care for themselves and make sure their needs are met.

Cultural Support

Most sports seem to have a particular culture connected with them, which sets or dictates values, standards and resources, as well as spoken and unspoken rules, all aimed at supporting the performance and well-being of its athletes.

Athletes look to the culture of their particular sport for guidance.

Marathon runners have access to resources that include preventative health care, proper footwear, jogging strategies, fitness regimes and nutritional advice. Football players are taught physical and mental strategies to develop skills, fitness and stamina to meet top expectations. They expect to receive preventative care, including strength training, massage, acupuncture, physical therapy, orthopedic medicine and chiropractic—all modalities necessary to support a professional athlete’s efficient and well functioning body and mind.

Triathletes know how much rest they require for peak performance, how many carbohydrates and proteins to eat, when to push themselves, when to back off and when to seek preventative care.

Randy Ward, an event rider and trainer from Ocala, Fla., played on hockey, soccer and lacrosse teams throughout his elementary, high school and college years. He remembered the basics—exercise, drink three glasses of water at night before a game, eat well and get a good night’s sleep.

“The basics have always been the same,” said Ward. “These basics were across the board in each sport and at every level.”

Ward suggested in order to change the mindset in the equestrian world that we need to educate the young riders because that’s where it starts in other sports. “My pee wee coach was just as important as my college coach,” he noted.