From walk-trot to grand prix, riding of all levels requires a fair degree of both physical and mental fitness. But for Olympic-level equestrians, who often continue to compete at far older ages than athletes in other Olympic sports, staying in peak physical and mental condition is paramount.

Leading up to the Paris Games this summer, U.S. Eventing Team member Boyd Martin launched an all-out fitness transformation to ensure he can continue performing at his full potential. About five years ago after recurrent injuries—including a broken pelvis, leg, arm and wrist, as well as torn abductor muscles—and numerous surgeries, the almost 45-year-old, three-time Olympic contender faced a reality check.

“I just kept on getting injured over and over again. It was a little bit of bad luck, but it was also that I just wasn’t as strong and healthy as I could have been,” he said. “For so many years, I could stay out all night partying and drinking and just be bulletproof. And then you eventually realize you’re older, and you’re not Superman anymore.”

Part of Martin’s personal overhaul involved being more selective about the horses he was riding. The other part involved embracing an overall wellness program in which he resolved to improve his stamina, core strength, diet and sleep.

“My lifestyle has changed 100 percent, which I think is a good thing. I’m in bed early. I wake up early. It might sound boring, but it’s helped me tremendously,” Martin said. “I really started to focus on becoming more of an overall athlete. I had to make sure I was doing absolutely everything I could to perform the way I want to and be as good as I can be. And that can be a hard conversation to have with yourself.”

Training Like a Demon

In addition to riding and training his horses every day, Martin began incorporating intense, early-morning workouts into his routine to improve his core strength and flexibility.

“I do physiotherapy, I do yoga, I do ice baths—and just train like a demon,” Martin said. “In order to perform the way I wanted to, I had to ensure I was doing absolutely everything I could to improve myself as an athlete.”

Martin’s day typically starts around 5 a.m. with several mugs of dark coffee and a nutrient-dense breakfast shake made up of supplements, half a banana, ice and a dash of honey. Once well caffeinated, he heads downstairs to his basement-turned-home gym to perform a series of core-strengthening exercises and stretches for 45 minutes to an hour.

“I start on the Elliptical for five to 10 minutes just to get my body moving and my heart and lungs going. The motion also helps with stiffness in my pelvis from previous injuries,” Martin noted. “Then, I use a foam roller on all my major muscle groups before I stretch. A great trainer named Kenny Rae from Aiken, South Carolina, taught me to roll before stretching.”

After rolling for 10 to 15 minutes, Martin goes through a long series of stretches. This helps loosen up stiff muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons. Some mornings, he works out with his physiotherapist to help with balance and mobility. Other times he does virtual yoga with an instructor who specializes in hip, groin and core strength. If he doesn’t have a scheduled workout, he selects a handful of exercises posted on his makeshift gym’s dry-erase board and does them three times each.

“To stay competitive at this level, you just have to stay at it,” Martin said. “You have to be unbelievably hungry and disciplined and obsessed with trying to be the best. And that’s uncomfortable sometimes.”

Dawn to Dusk

Following his morning workouts, Martin takes a quick dip in his ice-plunge tub followed by a session on the BEMER blanket to help increase his circulation.

“In the mornings, I usually only do the ice bath for one to two minutes. It’s a real prick, but it helps build mental toughness. And it’s a great way to wake you up and jolt your body into getting the day started,” he said. “Time on the BEMER blanket also gives me a chance to take a deep breath and get fired up for the day.”

It’s after all this that Martin truly starts his workday at the barn, where he’ll be for the next 12 to 14 hours. He works his upper-level horses earlier in the day and continues riding his other mounts until around 4 p.m. He then often teaches lessons to up-and-coming riders and finishes any necessary barn chores for the day. Around 7 p.m., he gives all his horses a final check before at last heading home for dinner, which typically consists of something light like a green salad and baked salmon.

“You can’t live a normal life and expect to be a champion. It might sound a bit compulsive or obsessive. But I’ve got a window of time here for the next 10 or 15 years where I could really have a good crack at this,” he said. “So, I’m trying to do everything I can to make sure I don’t regret anything. Or wish I could have done more later on.”

Finessing His Mental Game

While all Olympic athletes need a fair amount of mental toughness to compete at such high levels, equestrians also have to contend with the unpredictable nature of their sport and their equine athlete counterparts.

“In our sport, there are unbelievable highs followed by the absolute bottom of the worst lows. You get knocked down over and over again. It’s just part of the life we’ve chosen,” Martin laughed. “It’s still tough though if your horse gets injured or you come up shorter than you expected at an important competition. But I think we have the best job in the world.”

After competing in 62 CCI5* events over two-and-a-half decades, Martin has learned how to control his emotions throughout the inevitable ups and downs in the sport of eventing. When things are going really well, Martin finds it key to not get too excited. If things seem to be in the dumps, he doesn’t get too low.

“I don’t think there’s any magic out there. I truly love the process of training the horses, all the day-to-day work and the camaraderie I have with my staff,” he noted. “We talk a lot about mental toughness. But sometimes hard days are just a part of life. You learn to push on and know the sun will come up the next day.”

Embracing Nerves

Over the course of his long and successful eventing career, Martin has come to embrace his competition-day jitters as a privilege. He’s even learned how to enjoy moments of nervousness and use them to his advantage.

“If you don’t get nervous, I don’t think it’s healthy.  Nerves keep you on edge and hyper focused on all the little details. It’s sort of one of the joys of the sport,” he mused. “If you sit on the couch all day eating popcorn and watching TV, you’ll never have the opportunity to feel nervous.”

When his nerves do spike, especially under extreme pressure at high-level competitions, Martin trusts in his training. And over time, he’s found that embracing his nervousness has made him a better, stronger, more confident rider.

“At the back of my mind, I know I’m prepared. I’ve done the work and have trained as hard as I could to be successful at that moment,” he said. “Then, I just accept that it is what it is and let the chips fall where they fall. You can’t get overly worried about the end result and stay in the moment at the same time. So it’s pointless to worry about how you’re going to place. I just concentrate on the next five minutes of my life. That’s it. I think true champions handle nerves the best. They don’t let it consume them.”

Zen Frame of Mind

While he doesn’t cling to any outlandish superstitions before high-pressure events, Martin finds comfort in maintaining routine. On big competition days, he goes through his stretching regimen to get into a more zen-like frame of mind. And the last couple of hours before an event, he prefers quiet, alone time for personal reflection.

“I like to keep to myself and go over my plan and what I want to do with the horses. But it can be really hard to get in that calm, focused state sometimes. This is especially true when I have family and sponsors and owners around,” Martin said. “I always try to pretend like I’m the happy, nice guy, but sometimes I need to just stay to myself. And it’s always important that the people around me understand that.”

For More

• Read more about U.S Olympic Eventing Team member Boyd Martin here.
• For more on our coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics, click here.

Thanks to Sentinel Horse Nutrition for our coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics, including rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more.