As an instructor, I was often asked by students what they could do to improve their riding.

The fact of the matter is that many adult riders can’t spend endless hours at the barn and may be battling being out of shape so what can they do other then ride every day, for hours on end, like a teenager? Another issue is the rider who never learned balance to begin with, has poor posture, or doesn’t have access to a lunge horse.

Here is an exercise that I’m using now to improve my own balance – it’s easy and accesible to the average person. You will need access to an elliptical trainer, commonly found at a gym. An elliptical is a low-impact, cardio machine that you use while standing. It may have handles you can use to work your arms (we will not be using these for this exercise) and it should have some sort of stationary handlebar apparatus in front of you at the control panel.

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In total, he collected 13 wickets in that match, including eight in the second innings after new-ball partner Geoff Lawson retired hurt in the first innings. Ask him about the moustache and the role it played in his intimidating on-field persona (6'4 with a grinding run-up, a tough-as-nails attitude, a face covered in zinc cream and THAT moustache) and also if he'd ever thought of shaving it off, and... He dismissed Curtly Ambrose off the last ball of his 36th over, and Patrick Patterson off the first ball of his 37th over to end the West Indies innings. He then proceeded to take the wicket of Gordon Greenidge off the first ball of West Indies' second innings. If you haven't guessed by now, the person in question is former Australian fast bowler Merv Hughes, and the moustache was once insured for a whooping £200,000. Always in the news, and under the match referee's scanner, Hughes was often found guilty of sledging and even fined, but he feels, he wasn't the only one doing all the talking. Needed one, Merv, we can't ever forget you or that moustache. If the moustache added to the intimidation, gave even the slightest advantage against the batsman, I thought, then why not.

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