Articles from Author Jec A. Ballou

Enjoy all the Following Articles Written by Jec A. Ballou

Jec Ballou
August 24, 2009
Jec Ballou - Training in Intervals
Jec A. Ballou

Most riders probably haven’t thought about intervals since high school gym class when an instructor told you to execute repetitions of a particular exercise followed by rest periods of the same duration.

However, interval-style training can be very effective in...

jec ballou, training
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Jec Ballou
July 27, 2009
Jec A Ballou - Improving Your Horse's Proprioception
Jec A. Ballou

When I’m giving lessons, I often find myself blurting out comments about improving a horse’s proprioception. Then it occurs to me that maybe riders don’t know what that funny word actually means. So, let’s take a quick look at this! Not only are we talking about a horse’s...

Proprioception
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Jec Ballou
July 6, 2009
Jec Ballou - Way to Go: The Two Phases of the Warm-Up
Jec A. Ballou

This month, I want to address the critical but often aimless portion of everyone’s workout known as the warm-up.

Why do a warm-up?

The purpose of the warm-up is to bring the horse to a state of readiness, both physically and...

dressage, jec ballou
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April 3, 2009
Jec Ballou - Way to Go: Get Ready to Gallop
Jec A. Ballou

It’s officially spring and that means it’s time to get fit! Fitness is equal parts strength, balance, and suppleness. On that note, this month we will discuss a crucial cardiovascular tool, one that also greatly loosens a horse’s spine: galloping.

Unlike any other...

dressage, fear, galloping, jec ballou, training
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