Tuesday Video: Rider Fitness with Piggy March

Piggy March doesn’t enjoy exercising out of the saddle, per se, but she understands the benefits of it when it comes to the results she sees at competitions. This is a topic she covers in detail in her latest vlog, which gives us a glimpse into her fitness routine at the barn.

“It’s not about being super fit for a marathon (I’m definitely not!) or breaking any records (I definitely don’t!) but about being fit and healthy physically and mentally to ride your horse well and give yourself the best possible chance of success,” Piggy writes in the description of this episode.

Fitness has proven to be a sticking point for Piggy. She uses the example of her second place finish at Badminton in 2011, where she competed with the incredible Jakarta, “a hard puller”. Piggy picked up nine time penalties on cross country, something she accounts to her tiring in the saddle early in the going.

Hills aren’t just for horses! Screenshot via YouTube.

In an effort to incorporate fitness into her daily routine, Piggy knew she needed to incorporate it into her existing schedule at the barn. At the start of each season, she says, it’s important for her to shed some of the extra holiday weight that we all pick up each year. So she enlisted the help of personal trainer Ali Cooper – “Ali Torture” as she’s saved in Piggy’s phone – to come and train the team with a mix of strength and cardio training.

It’s true that spending hours in the saddle is physically demanding – but Piggy says she fully believes in the benefits of this extra training as a boost of fitness for those grueling hours on horseback. Have a watch of this episode and perhaps you’ll draw some inspiration to boost your own personal fitness program!