Versatility Training

Athletes that are overusing one group of muscles, or stuck thinking in just one process for too long do not perform as well for as long.
This roommate in college was a runner, did the 600 and the mile run competitively. Rarely was there a day without some major cross-training. Running the opposite direction just to avoid strange muscle in-balance or development was very important. Weight lifting was also important with some bike riding. Nike came out about the time I was in college with a new line of tennis shoe called the cross-trainer.
Rustler my black stallion was started in reining training when I purchased him, and about two to three times a week I hauled him to a rodeo arena to lope out big circles as you read about in yesterdays blog. Cattle were often being worked in connecting pens so Rustler would get many opportunities to focus on moving the cattle, following them, changing speed and stoping with the cattle. Rustler's first reining competition was in July of 2003, and was not aware that he had been trained for it. He had been partaking in cattle drives, trail rides, and roping events. He won money in calf-roping,a USTRC shoot out buckle, mounted shooting buckle all while being trained for his first reining show.
Three years later Rustler had shown in several public performances and earning a living as 2003 CMSA Overall World Champion stallion. Rustler had won it all and was loosing his luster to run hard and turn fast in the patterns. With just a few runs on the team-roping cattle and his willingness was turned back on. More than %33 of his speed was lost from just playing the same old game over and over.
I love the horses mind and spirit when you mix up their training with some high performance training along with extreme obstacle courses, (EXCA). Cutting and reining horses really need to get out of the office when you are training everyday. Not just keeping your horse's mind and body healthier, but making you a better horseman.
In 2008 my performance business cramped my schedule for the MSA World Championship weekend. My horses and I were trick riding in SD. for the Spirit of the West's three day Festival the weekend before, and the day before the championship I was performing my gun-spinning show at a corporate event in Phoenix, AZ for three hours. I was sure that my chances at even placing high were being shot down with the over-worked schedule for my horses and my own hands. Rest was much needed after THREE DAYS OF TRICK RIDING, and then three late hours of spinning and holstering my guns. When the first round was over, there was a big and deep breath of air in me, knowing that I had just finished the most difficult amount of versatility exercises for both the horse and the rider. My horses and I cleaned up everything at the World Championships and felt well rested with three days of just loping around shooting ten targets at a time.