Why being in shape is so important

New year, new year's resolutions. The best showmanshippers are the ones that are in shape, I'm not saying they have the "perfect" body, but they have the wind in their lungs to practice and then go in on a long pattern and arrive in front of the judge not winded.  Showmanship takes cardio, upper AND lower body strength, if you're lacking it's going to show to the judge. Think about it, all patterns have running, running in circles (balance) and practice usually involves pulling your horse around, sometimes head down (or up) and you need that upper body strength!  If you don't work out on a regular basis, or feel you don't have the time/money, whatever may I highly recommend Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, it's a 20 minute a day workout that really gets everything into shape in 20 minutes/day (of course check with your dr. before starting any workout) and currently is $6.99 at amazon... cheap for the results you'll get, you'll notice you're balance improving, your upper and lower strength improving and most importantly, you'll get less winded.