Stable Riding and Equine Affaire go together like chocolate and peanut butter! Listen to Solange tell the story of Equine Affaire from the Professionals point of view. Then we hear from Alex, long time Equine Affaire participant and a rider in one of Solange’s clinics at the event. The Rider tip and homework focuses on light seat with how to correctly stand in your stirrups.

Horses in the Morning Stable Riding with Solange Episode:

1. Host: Solange of Stable Riding
2. Sponsor: Stable Riding
3. Guest: Alex

Time Stamps:

1. 01:40 - Preparing for first Columbus Equine Affaire
2. 03:58 - Best Booth award & first podcast interview
3. 05:04 - Equine Affaire becomes core of business
4. 05:26 - Heading to Massachusetts 2024 event
5. 06:28 - Meeting Alex through Rider Pro program
6. 10:01 - Alex’s lifelong riding & fairy-tale pony Sam
7. 11:48 - Why they love foxhunting
8. 14:52 - Alex’s history with Equine Affaire
9. 15:57 - Losing confidence after serious accidents & menopause link
10. 24:11 - Clinic experience and Solange’s teaching approach
11. 32:40 - Lab and mounting lessons
12. 40:47 - Standing in the stirrups rider tip & homework

Stable Riding is for All Riders. All body types…and all ages! Today we hear from Pam, who is happily riding well into her retirement. Next Solange will talk about how to put your feet back into your stirrups smoothly and on the first try. Listen in....

Horses in the Morning Stable Riding with Solange Episode 3891:

1. Host: Solange of Stable Riding
2. Sponsor: Stable Riding
3. Guest: Pam

Time Stamps:

1. 00:31 - Solange on age, riding, and “Fabergé egg” riders
2. 07:35 - Introducing Pam, Solange’s 70-year-old student
3. 08:37 - Pam’s return to riding after 50 years
4. 14:10 - Pam’s career as an L&D nurse and retirement shift
5. 16:49 - Riding different horses, confidence, and first fall
6. 21:59 - The lab tools: Mighty Bucky, Home Horse, Equisizer
7. 24:40 - Neck pain, migraines, and benefits of riding & PT
8. 27:49 - Other movement practices: water aerobics & hiking
9. 33:56 - Older success stories + stirrup retrieval tip & homework

As riders we use our body every time we sit on our horse, but often our own fitness, motion and movement gets passed over. It’s easy to invest in our horses’s bodywork and ignore own own! This month Solange speaks with Ifa Simmonds, a professional fitness coach who specializes in equestrians. As the creator of EFA, the Equestrian Fitness Academy, Ifa is the perfect person to talk about all things rider bodies!

Horses in the Morning Stable Riding with Solange Episode 3871:

1. Host: Solange of Stable Riding
2. Sponsor: Stable Riding
3. Guest: Ifa Simmonds from IfaFit

Time Stamps:

00:41 - Rider vs. Horse Wellness: Solange discusses the industry’s focus on horse soundness over rider fitness.

03:00 -Psychology of the Rider: Addressing why many female riders are dismissive or adversarial toward their own bodies.

06:50 - Interview with Ifa Simmons: Ifa shares his background in exercise science and his transition to training equestrians.

09:30 - The Ideal Body Type Myth: A discussion on "fence and dancer" body types and how traditional instruction can fail different frames.

12:20 - The Lab vs. The Arena: Solange explains the benefits of teaching rider mechanics on an "equisizer" rather than a live horse.

16:45 - The "Not-So-Secret" Secret: Ifa shares his frustration with riders who only want to talk about their horses during fitness assessments.

19:00- The Reality of Rider Injuries: A look at the high percentage of lower back injuries in the equestrian community.

23:15 - Virtual vs. Online Coaching: A breakdown of Ifa’s different training tiers (EFA Ultimate and EFA Elite).

27:10 - Rider Homework - The Dead Bug: Ifa provides a step-by-step guide to a core-stabilizing exercise designed specifically for riders.

31:00 - Final Encouragement: Solange reflects on the importance of being a "professional encourager" for both humans and horses.