Pilates for horse riding

You and your horse

Riding involves freedom of movement, strength and balance from two parties. You and your horse need to work as a partnership.

Stiffness in your spine and joints and lack of support in your body will be reflected in your horse’s movement.

Your stiffness or lack of support can compress your horse’s back, so he cannot move correctly and efficiently beneath you.

At competitive levels, even a slight loss of movement and support in your body can be the difference between first and no place.

Even if you are not riding competitively, your horse can be out of action and cost you a lot of money in vet bills or seeing the back man.

• How many of you have the ‘back man’ out regularly?
• Maybe it is not your horse’s back that keeps just going out?
• Maybe you are restricting your horse’s movement or not sitting centred, which keeps putting your horse’s back out.

Too many curves in your spine will be great for mobility but lack stability, and a flat spine will not be able to absorb any of the movement needed in riding, severely affecting both parties’ performance.

Pilates and Structural Integration can help improve your riding and, therefore, your horse’s performance.