Clare Gangadeen is the founder of horse rider fitness business RiderCise®. In this blog, she takes us all the way back to 2012 when a nasty fall changed her life forever.
I have loved horses and riding since I was a little girl, so it was a dream come true when I finally bought the horse of my dreams in 2012. Annick is a beautiful Friesian mare with huge expressive paces and the most incredible nature. I was so excited about our future partnership. As a fit and experienced rider, I didn’t foresee what was going to happen next.
A scary fall that lead to some reflection…
Annick became scared of a flapping label on a back protector I was trying. I had left the label on to return it, should the protector catch on the cantle of my saddle. Being only a green 5-year-old, she took off around the school with such power and speed. I lost my balance due to her sheer power, scaring her even more and causing her to go faster. My saddle slipped which caused her to start bucking, and I hit the ground with enormous force. As she travelled past me, she kicked me with her hind on the peak of my hat. She only missed my face by centimetres.
Winded from the impact of hitting the floor, I got to my hands and knees and tried to breathe. I looked at Annick who was standing by the gate looking back at me which fear, concern and confusion.
Annick wasn’t at fault, I knew that I was responsible for not being in better control of my body. Had I been better balanced and stable, I could have reacted better to her spooking at the label. That means I wouldn’t have contributed to her fear, which provoked her more.
As a fitness specialist, I’ve spent years working on myself to ensure I was strong, lean and had an aesthetic look to my body. However, I wasn’t conditioning myself with riding in mind. I wasn’t holding up to my side of the partnership.
The fall not only shattered my confidence but lead me to question my abilities as a rider. I clearly was not as rider fit as I thought I was.
Could being ‘rider fit’ have helped?
The muscles we use for riding are different from those used in other popular fitness activities and sports. Of course. It’s far better to be a rider who goes for the occasional jog or spin class than do nothing at all. But being rider fit requires strength, balance and mobility to independently move your body in the way the riding requires. No single form of exercise offers that.
Riding, at any level and in any discipline is demanding. It requires the individual to be sensitive, yet reactive to an independent dynamic animal. No other sport requires that. When we ride we need to be in control of our bodies. To communicate effectively yet gently. To react to response, immediately. And to act as a partner, not a hindrance.
Not only does rider fitness improve your riding ability and performance. It also helps protect the rider against the severity of injuries that can occur, if the horse suddenly spooks, stops, spins or bolts!
“I know that the one thing my unfocused training had provided was. It prepared my muscles, ligaments and joints to deal with external stress. Other than suffering concussion for 10+days I didn’t have any sprains, bruising or bone breaks.“
A rare combination of riding and fitness expertise
As a personal trainer and soft tissue therapist with over 15 years of experience in the fitness industry. It was only natural that my thoughts turned to rider fitness. I know the benefits of being fit. But I also know first-hand the difference of being ‘Rider Fit’.
I founded RiderCise®to help riders become the rider they want to be. Like I wanted to be that moment I saw Annick staring back at me from the gate. I’ve tapped into everything I know from my background in the fitness industry with expertise from my riding journey. And that of the coaches and instructors I’ve worked with and learned from.
“I truly believe that you need the rare combination of true fitness expertise and an understanding of the role of the rider to create targeted rider fitness workouts. And that’s where I come in!“
How RiderCise has Changed My Life
I am not an elite rider. I am not a professional rider. But I do consider myself to be on a journey to becoming the rider I want to be. Through rider fitness, I have learned to control my body to allow me to feel. I feel when my horse needs more or less from me. I know when I need to allow them to find their way. And when I need to guide them. I am able to ride independently with softness and balance. So that they may find theirs.
This is not something that has happened overnight but something I have worked on every since founding RiderCise. By working the muscles that I use in the saddle, on the ground. I have developed the strength I need to control my body. The awareness of how I am riding to correct myself. I have become a better rider.
I have developed rider skills. Skills that I want to pass on to every rider, across the world. No matter where you are on your journey. You can improve with the RiderCise workouts.
Rider Fitness Workouts – On Demand
Every Rider Fitness Workout I design has the objective of helping a rider improve their riding. For them and their horses to be able to enjoy riding with ease. Reduce riding aches and pains. And boost performance.
As a rider and owner I know how much time horses take up. But I also know how important rider fitness is, to all riders. Horse owners are some of the busiest people around. They’re often juggling jobs, families and an all-consuming passion with the occasional snippet of downtime! I get that.
RiderCise On Demand allows riders to follow along with me. In the comfort of their home. On any device with an internet connection. Anywhere in the world. This makes rider fitness truly accessible for everyone.
My aim is for riders to take as good care of themselves as they do their horse. RiderCise® changed my life forever. Will you rise to the challenge and allow RiderCise® to change your life?
I would love to hear your views so do not hesitate to contact us. Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with the latest. And don’t forget to content follow our Social profiles on Facebook, and Instagram.
Following on from my Blog – ‘The reality of owning horses and keeping them sound’, I wanted to share Annick’s story with you. As mentioned in the blog before, sometimes we play a part in their unsoundness, and sometimes things just happen. I think as owners we forget this, a lot. That they are living beings and like us sometimes they just overdo it, sleep or move the wrong way. Then all of a sudden, they’re just not right! And Annick did just that, she was having fun being a horse!
In June 2020, whilst enjoying the sun in the garden. Adam and I heard the horses galloping around in the fields. We checked the cameras to see what they were up to behind the stables. When we had looked at the footage we saw that Annick completely stacked it.
As you can see from the video below, she bucked but missed the floor with her legs on landing. Resulting in her landing on her side, hard! She got up and carried on and I didn’t think much of it, at the time.
I Could Sense Something Wasn’t Right
We had just finished the major works at home which took up most of my time project managing. Therefore, Annick was only just coming back into work which meant not much was being asked of her. The majority of her work was in a walk. It wasn’t until I started trotting that I felt something wasn’t right.
She doesn’t appear hopping lame and although I had many people out to see her. In a similar way like Rana, they couldn’t see it but I certainly felt it. Many had the opinion that I needed to push her forward. Make her work more through her body and get her to engage. However I was not prepared to ask or push her, I know my horse and I felt something was wrong.
She naturally has a lot of movement through her lumber which results in her plaiting (think of the hind walking on a tight rope) which is what contributes to the majority of the power in her hind and her large over track. She is extremely powerful and challenging to ride because of her movement. So when I felt the lack of swing, the occasional drop in the hind and non-existent power. That is when I knew there was something going on. But without any of the professionals I have engaged with knowing, I was at a loss.
The Animal Communicator, Joanna
Annick was in light work as I wasn’t sure what to do and It got to the point where I lost faith in professionals so I contacted an Animal Communicator – Joanna at the Wild Thread. To be honest, it’s not something I believed in but I was desperate and willing to try anything. I was taken back completely by what Joanna told me about Annick. Especially given that I only provided a few old photos, her name, age and what I wanted to know. It made me quite emotional to hear what Joanna had to say. Aso no one but I would have known all the things she said.
One of the questions I asked Joanna was ‘Was she in pain somewhere as when I ask her to go forward the hollows, throws her head a bit and sometimes keeps looking at my leftleg’.
Joanna told me that Annick was saying that it is uncomfortable in her left lumber area and she cannot lift her back and use her diaphragm to bring her leg underneath her, but she’s trying.
After my call with Joanna I made some calls and contacted an Osteopath I used many years ago for Annick when I lived back South. I needed someone I trusted and I hadn’t had much luck finding anyone yet. Plus I wasn’t prepared to trial and error anymore. I spoke with Stuart McGreggor who kindly put me in contact with Nick White who covered Shropshire. Nick first came in November 2020. He listened, assessed, provided treatment and we agreed I would continue to work Annick. The main focus on allowing her to find her own balance and giving her the support through my legs when needed. In order to see how she got on during the period till her next treatment.
Refitting Annick’s Saddle
As Annick was in light work but still not right her Comfort Elite Flocked saddle slipped slightly and her saddle cloth slipped completely and I know the saddle fitted but because of her imbalances she was causing the saddle to slip. It is important to note here that horses and riders imbalances can cause a well-fitting saddle to move. Its easy to blame the saddle/saddler but you have to look at the bigger picture. A saddle is a static object on a living being which moves and fit has to take that into account. A horse and rider can affect the fit just as much as the fit can affect the horse.
So in December, Dean and Gini from the Saddle Exchange came to check the girls saddles and re-fit my Reactor Panel Saddle to Annick. Anyone that has read my story about the Reactor Panel will know how much I not only highly recommend these guys but my opinions on the Reactor which change our lives way back in 2013 and the reason that I needed the Reactor fitted to Annick is because the Reactor is much more stable on a horse due to the flexi panels covering a greater range of area and it provides much less pressure under the load bearing surface of the saddle area across the horses back meaning that Annick would be able to move without the hinderance of a slipping saddle caused by her.
Having told Gini of my challenges with Annick, she called Felicity Wilson whilst at my yard and together they performed Flow on Annick and Felicity pinpointed the left Psoas muscle causing restriction and discomfort! Felicity asked if Annick was ‘Banana-ing’ to the left and she was! It explained exactly how she felt when she moved and what Felicity found tied in with Joanna had said Annick had told her. I was finally getting some answers to complete the puzzle!
And Then There Was Lockdown
Lockdown was announced and the planned visit from Felicity, plus the follow-up from Nick had to be put on hold. I left Annick really, just ticked her over every now and then as I wasn’t comfortable moving forward without having her treated in-between.
Over Christmas I started to think about it more in depth about the missing pieces of the puzzle. I noticed that Annick had a slight dip behind her last rib on her left side. Initially what I thought to be a sub laxed rib. When Nick came back in March 2021, I pointed this out the dip and he agreed, it could indeed be a sub laxed rib but without doing an Xray, there was no way to tell but he did some work on the diaphragm with the aim of helping Annick to release the rib herself and we agreed to follow up in 1 month.
On The Path to Improved Recovery
Since March Annick has continued to make improvements and in my opinion is 75% better than she was. Now it is about rebuilding the strength through her back and hind, helping her to use her body correctly and I will continue working with ‘Team Annick’ until we get her where she should be. This will take time. Whilst in a year she has come far, I don’t envisage her returning to full strength. At least for a minimum of another 6 months. Though the bigger picture is Annick being sound, strong and happy in her work
As a rider I play a very important part in her rehab. And again, I think this is something that many don’t realise. When bringing a horse back into work or developing a young or green horse we as riders MUST help our horses. They have enough to deal with without us adding to them by not being in control of our bodies. Collapsing or shifting our weight excessively in the saddle with changes of speed and/or direction. We need to be able to offer support and take it away without changing our posture or using our hands.
During her road to recovery it is essential that when I ride that I am helping her, not contributing to her challenges. No matter what she does. Whether it be lose her balance, change speed, throw her head up, drop her shoulder or lack energy. I MUST remain balanced, stable and offer her the support of my leg when needed and take it away when she doesn’t.
Help Your Horse by Being in Control
I come across so many riders who don’t believe that they need to improve their rider fitness because they are active around the yard and/or because they just hack a few times a wee. But you see, Rider Fitness is more than not feeling out of breath its about being in control of yourself to help your horse. If you are not in control of your body, you are a passenger, not a rider no matter what level or discipline you ride.
So this is Annick’s road to recovery so far. We have a way to go but believe we are on the right path. I wanted to share this with you all to just show that sometimes horses will be horses and like any living being, things can just happen. Her road to recovery isn’t a straight forward one but it is achievable, as long as we work together as a team, myself, Annick, Nick and Dean & Gini.
I hope reading this has helped you in some way to understand:
Lameness, unsoundness, challenges happen. Sometimes we contribute (see my blog about Rana) sometimes its just when horses are just being horses
Find a team you trust and respect and work together (think outside the box if you need to)
Understand that Rider Fitness is ultimately about helping your horse
See the bigger picture, there isn’t always a simple answer
You know your horse, trust your instinct and keep searching for answers
Get in Touch
I would love to hear your views so do not hesitate to contact us! Subscribe to our newsletter for free or click here to get in contact for any questions or queries you may have. Keep up to date with the latest content by following our Social profiles on Facebook, and Instagram.
Do you feel that you seem to have the worst luck? Perhaps you should give up owning/riding because really, what’s the point? Your horse(s) always seem to be lame or just not right?
Why is it always your horse(s)…? It’s NOT!
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
I don’t know why we keep these challenges to ourselves, perhaps we feel ashamed or embarrassed. Worried that people will judge us and/or think we have caused it.
I’m not sure of the reasons and I guess they are personal to each individual. But having a horse who is constantly sound or correct is NOT normal.
At the end of the day, they are living beings! Like us, they have good and bad days. Sometimes they work a little harder than usual. had a ‘heavy’ night in the field with their mates, slipped, bucked too high, slept funny, or trod on something! Living life will cause mishaps for horses and humans and these things WILL happen.
My experience with Rana
Let me share with you where I currently am with Rana. With Annick (my Queen), I’ll tell you about another time. Yes, I have two horses that aren’t quite right! Rana has slipping stifles and has had this since a baby. They have never locked but she needs to be in work to maintain the strength of the muscles and tendons throughout her body. Especially the stifles. I am meticulous about making her work correctly through her body.
As much as she is annoying to ride (yes, she pushes my buttons and we clash but I still love her!) I do what I need to do because it is my job to look after her, to keep her healthy. She has the best of everything. Like the rest of them and I work my arse off to enable them to whatever they need. Whenever they need but, Rana has not been right for about 1.5 years now.
To a huge majority of professionals, she is sound, fine, has no issues but perhaps a little stiff but I KNOW she is not right. I FEEL IT! But what do you do when the professionals think she’s ‘fine’? You follow your instincts and get another opinion and another and another…. I led myself to believe that it was the stifles so continued to work with her whilst I still searched for a professional that saw what I felt. Rana went to Nantwich Equine Vets on Monday 19th April to have a Lameness Assessment with Campbell Thompson.
On the assessment Campbell noted:
lame 1-2/10 on RF in a straight line and positive to flexion on this RF but also mildly positive on RH. On the firm circle, she was 1/10 LF to left, and 1-2/10 RF on Soft she was 1/10 RF to left and 2/10 RF to right. As right fore lameness was more significant this meant it was a nerve blocked first. Low palmar digital nerve block improved lameness by approximately 60% and abaxial sesamoid level block further improved lameness. However, this did not completely abolish RF lameness but did appear to increase left fore lameness.LF lameness was abolished by palmer digital nerve block. Foot radiographs were taken which showed no significant abnormalities but questionable navicular changes.
This pattern of lameness is very common and generally, associated with a combination of the navicular bone, ligament, and ddf tendon pathologies. An MRI would be required to identify the exact pathology in this case. Found her to have toe-in conformation especially of LF and asymmetrical feet with RF smaller and more upright. You can see from the X-ray of the RF, the slightly distorted line of the navicular bone but otherwise, no significant signs indicating why. With an MRI costing in the region of £1300 and she is not insured I asked Campbell to treat and he medicated both Left and Right Fore navicular bursae with steroid and high molecular weight Hyaluronate and we would assess in 3 weeks.
I was given instructions of her aftercare…
Told to put shoes on the front to offer support and try to correct the asymmetry in the right fore. It was slight, very slight. Not something I’d not noticed but the more we talked the more I started to blame myself. I took Rana’s hind shoes of a fair few years ago and about 1.5years ago, maybe slightly longer I took the fronts off too. Transitioning her to barefoot thinking that it was better for her, turns out I could have caused this There is no way to know but I feel it is down to me. She is a heavy front-loading Friesian who will avoid sitting and using her hind as much as possible with the stifle issues will force her more onto the fore. She needed shoes and support and I took them away from her.
Not all horses can and/or should be barefoot
I know that and yet I still don’t know why I did it. I guess because I THOUGHT it was the right thing for her. Anyway, it is what it is and I am a little (A LOT!) poorer (well Adam is!) and I followed Campbell’s instructions. Took her back on Wednesday 19th May (4 weeks as I was away for a week). I rode her in the school the Friday before, as she had only be hacked as she was more sound on hard ground in the assessment. She didn’t feel perfect in the school but I’d say 85% better if not a little more. Especially as she warmed up more and got in the zone!
Campbell assessed Rana and was honestly extremely happy with how well she had responded to the treatment and said that it was as good as it was going to get! So to crack on with the work and drop her weight (little porker has put on 20kg! in 4 weeks) and as soon as I feel her drop off to come back and re-assess and treat.
So yesterday was a good day! Not so good for Rana as I haven’t shown her her work diary yet!! Lol… The point I am trying to make is YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH A HORSE THAT ISN’T RIGHT! It happens to more people than you realise and even after assessment and treatment and making a huge improvement she will never be 100%. Never.
Now, let’s talk about Annick
As I mentioned above Annick is also not right. Now it’s because she’s not strong enough. It’s just taken nearly a year to get her to where she is now. When you own a horse, the reality that they will always be sound or that there will never be an issue is small. So so small! As mentioned, they are living beings and I have lost count of the times I have woken with a stiff neck of not able to bear weight on one foot for no known reason. So, if you are currently dealing with an issue with your horse, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. We all go through it, some more than others, some for longer than others, and if you haven’t yet then you will!
There is no shame and no need to be embarrassed. You would never do anything to intentionally harm or cause your horse issues and they don’t intentionally seek to injure themselves they are just busy living life. If you have possibly caused an issue, like me, then hold your hand up! Accept it, learn from it and move forwards, and don’t hide the burden of having a horse that isn’t right because that will eat you up inside! And find a team that listens to you, because no one knows your horse as you do! And what you have to contribute matters! It has taken me nearly two years and now I feel I have the right team of professionals to turn to when I need them.
Somewhere, someone like you, like me needs to hear that they have the same issues. They need to feel they are not the only ones in the world right now to give them the strength to move forwards… You are not alone! I am right here with you walking the same pathway right now!
RiderCise® – ‘Making Rider Fitness Easy’
Get in Touch
I would love to hear your views so do not hesitate to contact us! Subscribe to our newsletter for free or click here to get in contact for any questions or queries you may have. Keep up to date with the latest content by following our Social profiles on Facebook, and Instagram.
Equestrian Riders across the world can now subscribe to our On Demand video library of Horse Riding Fitness Exercises. Finally, riders can improve their riding ability from any device with an internet connection with RiderCise On Demand!
Our aim is to make horse rider fitness as simple as possible across the world with expert-designed rider fitness exercises. On Demand is accessible on any device with an internet connection.
You can sign up for On Demand equestrian rider workouts, read our useful blogs and learn more about Clare and her Friesians. The new website was designed by Black Nova Designs and is fully secured, and designed for optimum user experience throughout.
CEO and Founder of the Company, Clare Gangadeen, noted:
I have put my heart and soul into this business and as a horse owner and rider I KNOW how expensive horses are. Which is why access to the 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 RɪᴅᴇʀCɪsᴇ Oɴ Dᴇᴍᴀɴᴅ platform cost less than £1 per day! Thank you to Black Nova Designs for this Epic Site and Tara Punter PR LTD for their help with my business growth. CFM Group for their continued marketing support, and of course CREEK Consulting for helping me build this EPIC site.
Clare Gangadeen
Equestrian Riders – Improve Your Riding with RiderCise
Today, we’re taking a bold step forward with our updated look with this easy-to-use and subscribe website. This marks a new chapter in our continued pursuit of delivering the equestrian rider fitness routines to all horse riders, worldwide. We will keep striving to not only continuously provide the best possible service but also improve our online presence. So as to align ourselves to the digital evolution and better serve our customers.
The RiderCise horse rider fitness programs are designed to help you become the best rider you can be.
You can subscribe to the RiderCise On Demand platform from just £0.45p per day! which makes rider fitness affordable for everyone!
Subscribe Today Risk-Free with our 7 Day Free Trial:
RiderCise has launched Rider Fitness Workouts On Demand to help riders across the world improve their riding.
Rider Fitness On Demand is a revolutionary new video subscription platform. Workouts can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. You you can work out ‘Anywhere, Anytime’.
RiderCise, founded in 2016 by fitness professional and soft tissue therapist Clare Gangadeen, came about following a riding accident. Clare was riding her beautiful Friesian mare Annick but her high level of fitness didn’t give her extra security in the saddle. As a result, she had a nasty accident that shook her to the core.
Rider Fitness On Demand provides riders with full instructional videos where riders can follow along with founder, Clare. This means riders ensure they are performing the exercises correctly and getting a transferable benefit.
Subscriptions to the platform are all less than £1 per day! RiderCise makes Rider Fitness ‘Affordable, Accessible & Achieveable’
Rider Fitness is not General Fitness
Riding fitness improves the way you ride, reduces aches and pains, and limits the severity of injuries that can occur. It helps to improve rider performance, boosting flexibility and core strength as well as specific conditioning for riding muscles.
To be Rider Fit you must work the muscles riders use. You must also use them in a similar way to when you ride. This is what will transfer benefit to your riding. So whilst you may be fit generally, it doesn’t mean you’re riding fit.
Clare comments:
What sits at the core of RiderCise is this – the type of exercise undertaken must transfer benefit to your riding, or it’s not really rider fitness.
Riders from around the world at all levels from amateur to FEI level are benefitting from RiderCise. Sign Up today and start improving your riding, posture, and seat.
RiderCise On Demand is the Worlds most affordable Rider Fitness Platform.
Subscription to the RiderCise On Demand Platform gives riders:
Immediate access to PROVEN RiderCise® Signature Workout Routines.
Workout routines to suit various fitness levels, goals, or time restraints.
Workouts with little or no equipment – foundation level doesn’t require any!
Freedom to work out at home
The confidence their workouts will be benefiting their riding.
New workout routine drops which focus on specific rider challenges and imbalances
Improving your Rider Fitness couldn’t be simpler. All you need to do is sign up for a subscription and you can access all of the RiderCise Workouts on any device with an internet connection. And Don’t worry, if you need help or support, you also get access to the RiderCise Support Group on Facebook.
I would love to hear your views so do not hesitate to contact us, subscribe to our newsletter for free, or click here to get in contact for any questions or queries you may have. Keep up to date with the latest content by following our Social profiles on Facebook, and Instagram.
