To warm up before equestrian sports, start with your Achilles heel. Stand on the bottom step of a flight of stairs, putting all your weight on the balls on your feet. Push down your heel as far as you can. Shift your weight completely to your...
People who like performing and competing enjoy many of the sports within horse riding. To choose an equestrian sport that really works for you, think about your interests. Both English and Western styles of horse riding provide many opportunities...
Equestrians must balance their bodies 5 to 6 feet in the air sitting in the saddle on the back of a 1,200-lb. moving animal. Whether jumping fences, working on the flat or herding cattle, falling off a horse is a trauma that most riders experience...
Polo is an exciting equestrian sport performed on horseback on a field of play that looks much like a soccer field. The sport is often called "the sport of kings" due to its popularity with the upper class in Britain, India, China and the Middle...
Equestrians participating in the sports of jumping, dressage, eventing, saddleseat and polo ride on English saddles. Built to provide the rider's seat and legs close contact with the back and sides of the horse, English saddles weigh less and are...
College polo's rules and format are a bit different from professional play. In professional polo, a handicapping system levels the playing field between opposing teams, with the worst team awarded a certain number of points at the start of play....
The popular club sport polo boasts the largest playing field in organized sports at 300 yards long by 160 yards wide. As players ride horses up and down this giant field and hit the ball with mallets, the ball can reach speeds of 110 miles per...
Equestrianism is the art of horsemanship, and many disciplines within equestrianism are as elegant as the description implies. Others are fast-paced. All involve agility and finesse, both on the horse's part and on the part of its rider. Though...
Riding a horse without any equipment is certainly not easy. Training a horse without equipment is even harder. A basic surcingle is common equipment. It is made of a single long strap which is fastened around the girth of the horse. The training...
Horseback riding is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, interact with animals and other horse fans, and is a great form of exercise. When deciding how to dress for the ride consider whether you will ride in an arena, on a trail, or on the road;...
Vero Beach, on Florida's east coast, is a beach community complete with ocean and inter-coastal waterway views. Sunny days and balmy breezes set the stage for a variety of outdoor activities. Swim, surf, kayak and fish along the Treasure Coast....
The Summer Olympics are an international competition of athleticism held every four years. The games began in 1896 in Athens, and with the exception of World War I and II, have been held every four years since. There are also winter games that...
Polo is an equestrian sport most commonly played on grass, although it may also be played on dirt, sand or even snow. Polo is played in more than 60 countries around the world, including the U.S. Whether you're interested in playing polo or you...
The eye problem most often associated with diabetes is diabetic retinopathy. The retina is the area at the back of the inside of the eyeball, the part of the eye that is sensitive to light. In people with diabetes, the blood vessels of the retina...
Speed skating. Gymnastics. Cross-country skiing. These are just a few of the sports we associate with the modern Olympic Games. Every two years millions around the world cheer on their country's athletes as they participate in the summer or winter...
You can stretch the sides and back of your abdomen with yoga standing poses. Standing poses can also develop core strength, balance and spinal alignment. Triangle Pose and Extended Side Angle Pose will give your sides a good stretch. The standing...
Buckwheat is really a fruit and not a grain, but it has many properties similar to grain. One way to get more buckwheat onto your table is by substituting buckwheat flour for some of the wheat flour in baked goods. Try replacing a quarter or less...
Asana is a Sanskrit word that means position, pose or posture. In yoga, the asanas are poses, such as the triangle pose and the lotus pose. Although asana practice is the most familiar aspect of yoga for Western students, it is only one of...
Equestrian sports are one of the few athletic events in which both male and female participants compete against each other. Young riders, both girls and guys, can enjoy playing mounted games together. Rules can be customized to meet the riding...
Before you begin hiking with your pet, consider whether hiking is appropriate for the animal. Dogs generally enjoy these outings, while cats and small animals probably won't. Remember that your pets may need to get into shape for long hikes. If...
Hip pain experienced during squatting or kicking motions may be related to any number of conditions, the most innocuous being strains in the hip flexor muscles. More serious acute injuries that can affect the hips include hip bursitis and labral...
Mold is a kind of fungus. There are many species of mold, and a few of them can trigger allergies in humans. Molds reproduce by releasing spores, and people with mold allergies react when they inhale these airborne, microscopic spores. Molds grow...
Psychodynamic psychotherapy, a form of talk therapy, is based on principles of psychoanalysis. One of these principles represents the idea that early childhood experiences and relationships influence adult choices, behaviors and feelings. Another...
Sometimes neck pain is the temporary result of a recent injury or medical condition, but many people experience pain in this area on an ongoing basis. Common causes of this chronic pain are muscle tension and arthritis. While medication can help...
Peripheral neuropathy indicates damage to the peripheral nerves, which connect the brain and spinal chord to the rest of the body. Damage to these nerves can result from diseases, such as diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis, or from injuries. Nerve...
Power Yoga refers to a variety of American yoga teachings that focus on the physical discipline of the yoga postures, or asana. As such, it is a valuable adjunct to athletic training or any conditioning or fitness programs. One result of Power...
Arsenic is a naturally-occurring substance that is present in small amounts in rocks, soil and ground water. It has industrial uses in some metal working and mining endeavors. Arsenic is also an ingredient in rat poison and pesticides. Although...
Lymphoma is cancer of the lymphatic system, a network of glands, ducts and vessels similar to blood vessels that form part of the body's circulatory and immune systems. People infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes...
Cerebromacular Degeneration is also known as Tay Sachs disease. It is an inherited disorder in which the body is unable to process certain kinds of fat, which build up in the brain and damage brain nerve cells. Children born with Tay Sachs...
