CrossFit and Horses

Top five reason I am involved with Crossfit.

Hey my name is Alexis Howard, I’m 32 years old and I feel crossfit is a big part of my life. I ride horses with Cathy and Daniel Geitner out of Aiken SC at their farm DFG Stables. I just gave birth and due to my Crossfit dedication, I was able to be back in the tack three weeks postpartum. I feel Crossfit and riding go hand and hand. Not only in the physical aspects but also the mental. The top five reason I am involved with Crossfit are:

• Healthy lifestyle it provides
• Builds confidence
• The community, friends and family you acquire
• Competitiveness
• Always something different/ change

These five reason you can see go hand and hand with riding horses.

We all live a pretty healthy lifestyle just because we travel and are always on the move. Weather it’s heading to shows or clinics. We don’t sit still too often.

Confidence is a big one for me. We all know that sometime we aren’t the most confident in our riding. Weather you have been training for months to show off your new lift or show off your horse at a big up and coming show you can always find someone that shows you the confidence you lack. We all like to win a blue ribbon and receive a pat on the back.

The community, friends and family you gain are amazing. We all love horses yes but sometimes you need to talk about something else! Believe me when you walk into a Crossfit gym all we talk about is Crossfit! Ditto for us barn rats! I find myself bouncing back and forth between BBQ’s and house parties with some of the best friends and family a girl could ask for. We all love to be surrounded by people that like and participate in the same likes and interests as us.

Who isn’t competitive? We all walk into that ring and think we will be the winner, we have the best turned out horse and that all eyes are on us! Your right and that also runs hand and hand with my workouts. If someone next to me is lifting heavier weight, that makes me want to try harder. And we always push each other.

The change, guessing game! I know that every time I go ride its never the same thing over and over. Yes we get on and walk trot canter and maybe jump a course or two but something is always different. The change you see in your horse from training and conditioning or the change you feel in your body. You are always left guessing what that next workout is or lift your coach is going to work on.

Crossfit is what you make it out to be. If you put the time and effort into each ride or workout you will see, feel and appreciate the results and happiness it brings not only you but the people you surround yourself with.

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