PILATES FOR RIDERS

Let’s face it, excellent posture, balance and freedom of movement (with control) are tough enough when we are stood on our own two feet. Add at least half a tonne of living, breathing, unpredictable animal to the challenge and it isn’t surprising that most of us feel we could do better!

Horses are amazing, sensitive creatures and teach us so much. From the way we approach them in the field, to how we sit in the saddle, they are more aware of our body language and physical communication than we are ourselves.

We train our horses for a response to our slightest movements, a tiny shift in weight, yet often as riders we are rarely fully aware of all our movements or the positioning of our body.

None of us are totally symmetrical - we have a dominant hand (and dominant foot) and our internal organs are not arranged symmetrically. This means that pretty much every task we complete in life will be asymmetrical. This is not our fault! But it is important to be aware of our body’s imbalances and to work on improving them.

Our main aim, as riders, must surely be to make whatever it is we are asking our equine friend to do as easy and as clear as possible. To achieve this we need excellent awareness, control and essentially a body that is unrestricted.

The ability to work with you both on and off your horse means we can really get to the root of any issues.

The complex relationship between each horse & rider, with the interface of the saddle to consider, is, unsurprisingly, best assessed and to some extent addressed 'on horse'.

However, work 'off horse' is essential to ensure you are best placed to implement strategies enabling you to effectively help your horse, without increasing tension and compensation patterns.

Individual sessions are completely bespoke, often incorporating biomechanics screening to identify areas of restriction that may not be visible to the eye.

Classes focus on all the key factors that riders need to be supple, stable and balanced in the saddle.

I also run a closed Facebook group which is suitable for all levels of rider, with classes, individual exercises, some video analysis and access to myself for specific problems.

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