
Jec Aristotle Ballou is the author of top-selling 101 Dressage Exercises for Horse and Rider and the award-winning book Equine Fitness. Her most recent book, 101 Western Dressage Exercises for Horse and Rider was published in 2013 to wide acclaim; since 2010 she has served as an advisor to the Western Dressage Association of America. With her demos about horse fitness and physical conditioning, she has appeared at Equine Affaire, Mane Event, Western States Horse Expo, and British Columbia Sport Horse Symposium.
LINKS:
Jec A. Ballou Fitness & Performance: Website


THE ABC’S OF EXERCISE
BY JEC ARISTOTLE BALLOU Horses must become athletes first, and only then become dressage specialists. Many horses end up stuck in a training rut because they lack basic physical conditioning, which predisposes them to compromised muscle patterns, ... continue reading...

RIDE THE RIGHT WAY
BY JEC ARISTOTLE BALLOU The cornerstone of any aspiring dressage riders’ skills is the ability to help the horse channel fluid movement through his back. We accomplish—and test-- this by riding in a long and low posture, or stretching the horse's ... continue reading...

FITNESS FACTS FOR THE BACK
BY JEC ARISTOTLE BALLOU No part of your horse is isolated. Everything in the muscular and skeletal systems is interconnected! As riders, we spend a huge amount of time on our horses’ backs, imagining them to be created by Mother Nature for the ... continue reading...

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO IMPROVE THE HORSE’S TOPLINE? ANSWERED BY JEC A. BALLOU
By JEC ARISTOTLE BALLOU - To improve the horse's topline, you must strengthen the horse's bottom line. As the horse's bottom line strengthens, a series of postural changes results, namely the coiling of his loins, rounding his back, and lifting the ... continue reading...