With lockdown restrictions gradually being eased around the world and the global rollout of the vaccine helping to resolve the pandemic situation, a sense of normality can now resume… and, where polo is concerned, this means you can now start training in earnest once again!
Of course, with so many weeks and months off, it’s possible that your horse may be a little detrained, so it’s important not to put it through its paces on the very first outing, or it may sustain an injury of some kind.
To help you all prepare yourself and your horse properly, Julia Greb – a personal trainer for horses – has provided Polo+10 with some very useful hints and tips, which could see you get back on the pitch in winning form in next to no time.
First of all, she recommends that you focus on warming up initially, with some light exercises about 20 minutes before a training session. And stretching during warming up will also help to activate the muscles and stabilise the horse.
Another top recommendation includes devising a training plan, so you can make sure you’re targeting all muscle groups effectively. Nutrition is also particularly important at this time and Ms Greb advises you to use other food supplements if required to ensure optimal muscle function.
As for yourself, you may be a little on the detrained side, as well, so easing yourself back into the sport is certainly advisable. Your muscles can weaken incredibly quickly, so try to ensure your body is used to an increased level of activity before you really start to push yourself in order to remain injury-free.
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