You are viewing as a Guest.

Welcome to skatingforums - over 10 years of figure skating discussions for skaters, coaches, judges and parents!

Please register to be able to access all features of this message board.

Author Topic: Riding and Skating - Complimentary or Contradictory?  (Read 3312 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline ONskater74

  • Intergalactic Ice Dancer
  • ***
  • Joined: Nov 2012
  • Location: Ontario Canada
  • Posts: 440
  • Total GOE: 10
  • Gender: Male
Riding and Skating - Complimentary or Contradictory?
« on: April 12, 2013, 06:32:47 PM »
As I posted elsewhere, I've purchased a horse to get back into riding. I'm wondering how this might affect my skating muscles? When I rode before I did not skate, and now I'll be doing both. Does anyone else here ride regularly?
A lot of what I learned from riding has been applicable to figure skating, particularly the bending and flexing of the knee and ankle (if not the "keep your weight in your heels" bit) and the erect firm upper body with shoulders back and chest open. I guess time will tell how my body adjusts. I don't think the riding will work against my skating as a recreational skater.

Offline Landing~Lutzes

  • Zamboni Driver
  • **
  • Joined: May 2012
  • Posts: 97
  • Total GOE: 10
Re: Riding and Skating - Complimentary or Contradictory?
« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2013, 10:25:56 PM »
Hi,
I am a rider also, I do hunter-jumpers and dressage. I have not found that riding effects my skating at all, although some of the falls I've taken have caused me to miss a skating lesson here and there! ;-) One thing I have found is that my knees tend to tire more on days I ride and then skate, but I have knee probems from years of ballet. I think the posting trot / jumping courses is what bothers my knees and tires them, and then all the knee bending in skating accentuates that...but that could be just me! ;-)
Congratulations on the new horse, I just had.to put my girl down :-( Hope you have tons of fun!! What kind of riding do you do?

Offline ONskater74

  • Intergalactic Ice Dancer
  • ***
  • Joined: Nov 2012
  • Location: Ontario Canada
  • Posts: 440
  • Total GOE: 10
  • Gender: Male
Re: Riding and Skating - Complimentary or Contradictory?
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2013, 11:58:09 AM »
At one time foxhunting. Hunter/jumper basically. Three years away from it I think will see me just hacking out on the trails once I'm secure in the ring. No fences for awhile till I see what my mare is made of. Big Perch/TB mare, black and just over 17hh . I took a few dressage lessons years ago.

Offline nicklaszlo

  • Three-Penny Three-Turns
  • ****
  • Joined: Mar 2011
  • Posts: 1,281
  • Total GOE: 221
Re: Riding and Skating - Complimentary or Contradictory?
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2013, 01:13:28 PM »
I haven't ridden for a long time, but I'd speculate that riding would help correct the imbalance in upper leg muscles that skating tends to cause, reducing the risk of knee tracking issues.  It probably also strengthens the muscles that prevent popped jumps.

Offline Skittl1321

  • Swizzle Royalty
  • ******
  • Joined: Aug 2010
  • Posts: 2,314
  • Total GOE: 121
    • Skittles Skates
Re: Riding and Skating - Complimentary or Contradictory?
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2013, 04:21:14 PM »
At the low recreational skating level- it is unlikely ANY other activity would be contradictory.

Offline AgnesNitt

  • Asynchronous Skating Team Leader
  • ********
  • Joined: Aug 2010
  • Location: East o' the sun; and west o' the moon
  • Posts: 5,384
  • Total GOE: 516
  • Gender: Female
    • The ice doesn't care
Re: Riding and Skating - Complimentary or Contradictory?
« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2013, 04:58:59 PM »
At the low recreational skating level- it is unlikely ANY other activity would be contradictory.

This.
Yes I'm in with the 90's. I have a skating blog. http://icedoesntcare.blogspot.com/

Offline sarahspins

  • Passed Silver MITF 4/7/13!
  • Swizzle Royalty
  • ******
  • Joined: Feb 2011
  • Location: Somewhere very hot
  • Posts: 2,312
  • Total GOE: 131
  • Gender: Female
  • CER-C
Re: Riding and Skating - Complimentary or Contradictory?
« Reply #6 on: April 13, 2013, 08:31:26 PM »
At the low recreational skating level- it is unlikely ANY other activity would be contradictory.

Yep, the only thing to really concern yourself with is injury, but you can injure yourself walking across the parking lot at the rink, so I wouldn't really worry too much :)