Pilates for Riders

[Hallmarked]

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering how many people here do Pilates, or Yoga, or Callenetics something along those lines to help with their riding? I'd seen it suggested that Pilates is good for riders, and following my New Year Resolution to improve my ability in the saddle after years stuck on a plateu I have given it a go.

(At last a resolution that got passed January 2nd:eek: )

Have I improved - yes I have:D Still got a long way to go but definately the line on the graph is on the way up:) I'm a better rider now then when I had my own horse:o

I have mentioned it to horsey people I know and I seem to be the only one I know doing it. When my pilates teacher asked the class who rode horses I was the only person who said "yes".

Is there anyone out there who would like to share their experiences and/or imput on this subject. I know one or two of you are thinking of trying it, I would be interested in your veiws.

[BeachRiding]

Yes, I used to.(need to get back to doing it!)It improved my riding a ton, I highly rec. it!

[Est]

Hi Hallmarked :)
Being totally skint all the time :p I have had to make do with a website that I follow at home!
This (http://www.horsemagazine.com/CLINIC/Fitness/fitnessindex.html) is the site and I think it's very good.
There are some pilates classes at the leisure centre near my house for £3 per class, which even tightwad here could stretch to :D , but they all start before I'm home from work.
But to answer your question, yes I agree it's fantastic stuff. That and my yoga ball have done a lot of good for my riding (it's still fairly horrible but improving!) :D

[Maddison's girl]

I do yoga, I think it has helped. I also go to the gym and pole dance (for keep fit reasons only I might add) :p which is great for the muscles. I used to be really unfit and found that trotting for long periods used to knacker me out!

Since starting yoga my posture is also much better which again comes in when riding!

[LMayhewtx]

I am trying to do some yoga and pilates, and am ordering some dvds to do it at home. There is a woman in my lessons who does pilates all the time and she has progressed so quickly. After just two months, she just canters around and always has a beautiful position! She can also post without stirrups longer than anyone else too! She says its pilates, and I believe her.

[Morganna]

I do Tae Kwon Do, mainly because I find pilates and yoga incredibly boring and as a result I find it terribly difficult not to go off into a daydream and miss half the instructions, and I inevitably end up looking like a total idiot :D

Tae Kwon Do works wonders for my balance and strengthens my leg and back muscles, and its great fun.:)

[eventerbabe]

i've been doing pilates for the last 4 years. i think it has helped my core stability and flexibility. don't do yoga, if you've any back issues it will make them a million times worse!!

Don't learn pilates off a dvd/book though. you really do need an instructor there to make sure you are doing it properly. But once you've mastered the basics then you can work away on your own :)

[nicolaj]

Used to do pilates at the gym when I was a member in my pre-hoss owning days, but it did help as used ot have regular riding lessons.

Do need to get back into it, but there are no classes that I can attend which don't clash with working hours!:(

[cvb]

Pilates
Alexander technique

used to do yoga mid week when I wasn't riding (worked in London, horse in Cambs)

I think Pilates help you understand how to use your abdominal muscles properly when riding.

But only if you are taught Pilates correctly ! We've just started having a lunchtime Pilates sessions at work and the teacher mentioned that she sometimes helps out with group classes and sees people who have been going to classes for a couple of years but have never been taught, for example, the correct neutral position so are doing all the exercises wrongly :eek:

A riding example would be the concept of "bearing down" (which is something Mary Wanless talks about). I have seen this done horribly wrongly, to the detriment of both horse and rider. But it is not the concept that is "wrong" - but the way it is being done. Its hard to teach a feel by distance learning or from a book !

Peggy Cummings (Connected Riding) does some interesting exercises with people that show that their position can be the same to look at, but their use of muscles makes a MASSIVE difference to what the horse feels. Its amazing.

[Hallmarked]

Thanks for all your replies.

I've started doing pilates in a class at gym close to home. It's in the evening and tends to be oversubscribed, so need to book early each week for a place. As demand seems to exceeding supply for classes such as this perhaps more may become available in the future, I hope so, but as so many other things in the UK, it's a post code lottery.

But I don't think 1 hour a week is enough, I've been doing the One Hundred excercise at home as this one builds up core strength, which is probably why my balance in the saddle has improved so much, the Corkscrew as I carry a lot of tension in my shoulders and Standing Curl as I am a bit tight in my back and hamstring areas.

Trouble is that starting from scratch it does take a little while to build up the strength and flexibility to do the excercises properly (which is why the easier versions were created, but they are still hard). It also takes a little while to loose bad posteral habits formed over many years, vertually everytime I check I am not holding my stomach muscles correctly or am standing with feet pointed in all directions with the weight on the outside of my feet.:(

Does anyone else have particular excersises they think particulary useful and why?

[cvb]

if you're desk bound during the day, like me, then the stretches that open your shoulders and loosen the spine are useful - our teacher suggests doing them every hour - but you try doing that on a swivel chair with a back :rolleyes: and its an open office floor so not so easy to stand and do them.

[lamprellsarah]

going to my first class of pilates on thursday wish me luck!

my dressage riding instructor goes so i have taken the plunge, as i want to schooling, breaking in and poss ride dressage as a job!

[Hallmarked]

if you're desk bound during the day, like me, then the stretches that open your shoulders and loosen the spine are useful - our teacher suggests doing them every hour - but you try doing that on a swivel chair with a back :rolleyes: and its an open office floor so not so easy to stand and do them.

Wow - I'm desk bound as well - I do stretch my shoulders two or three times during a working day - obviously this is not enough. My neck sinks into my shoulders as I work, which causes a lot of stiffness (and pain sometimes). The Pilates excercise the Corkscrew you can do on a swivel chair, although I was taught it standing up.

Sit tall, back straight, ears above your shoulders, imagine you have magnets on your body pulling you into a correct posture - pull your navel towards your spine to engage your pelvic muscles, arms loose by your side. Breathing sideways into your lower ribcage, breath in to prepare, breath out as you lift your arms sideways up towards the ceiling, reaching up. Breath out as you lower your hands on to your shoulders. Breath in and you scrunch your shoulders up towards you ears as hard as you can. Breath out as you lower your arms and shoulders back to a relaxed position.

Trouble is in an open office you sometimes get odd looks:confused: However I seem to have a bit of a reputation for being a bit odd anyway:eek: Don't know why they should think that:rolleyes: ;)

Any more tips gratefully received:)

[Hallmarked]

going to my first class of pilates on thursday wish me luck!

my dressage riding instructor goes so i have taken the plunge, as i want to schooling, breaking in and poss ride dressage as a job!


Good Luck and have fun:D

Good luck on your future career as well:cool: :D

[Hallmarked]

Peggy Cummings (Connected Riding) does some interesting exercises with people that show that their position can be the same to look at, but their use of muscles makes a MASSIVE difference to what the horse feels. Its amazing.

Can you tell me more about this, not heard of it before sounds very interesting?

PS I'm sure you know how to do the Corkscrew, just thought it is an easy excercise to stretch back and shoulders for anyone else interested:) You sound as if you have been doing it longer than me so feel free to correct me if necessary.

[harryhorse11]

yep I do Pilates and found that its brilliant for riders has really helped me to be balanced which is fab, I was introduced to pilates after having back surgery last year, I couldn't find any form of excercise to help with my rehabilitation that didn't hurt! Pilates really got me back on my feet, and I also found I lost inches doing it too:D

[cvb]

Can you tell me more about this, not heard of it before sounds very interesting?



Got a friend and a pair of reins, stand opposite each other and both take up reins as if riding, with knees soft and slightly bent. (It can help if one of you has their back against the wall for support).

One person is the rider and one the horse, and then you swap.

Without changing anything, rider half-halts with the reins.
Now, engage the abdominals as you would in Pilates, and repeat

Swap and repeat - see how diffferent each feels.

Play with this by doing the same by changing what you "ask" for (a small turn etc)

[Hallmarked]

I will try that, it sounds like an eye opening excercise.

Thanks:)

[loulou1972]

I don't know about you having a pain your neck what about poor old me putting up with you, I'm the one you keep practicing on, I can now stretch my shoulder blades and my bum mussles. But seeing you sat on the floor at the office was the funniest thing yet!!!!!:eek:

LOL:D

[Hallmarked]

You are welcome loulou.
Anything to help a friend.:mad:

[Harvey99]

Definately recommend Pilates. I started doing it after a back injury and surgery to help me with core stability and strength. I can't rate it highly enough.

I am thinking of starting back with it sometime soon to help my recovery after a nasty riding accident. Again I want to improve my posture and core stability and strength, without undue strain and excessive exercise.

Added to which, being the only bloke in a class full of young ladies in leotards is also a definate plus point :)

[Hallmarked]

Added to which, being the only bloke in a class full of young ladies in leotards is also a definate plus point :)

Pilates does seem to be a bit of a "girly" thing. In my class we have 14 ladies and only 2 chaps, and again one of those was recommended to do so after back surgery. No reason why either gender can not partake though:) Just a cultural thing I suppose.

[loulou1972]

I'm going to give it a go you definitely talked me into it.

I'm all for sorting my inner core out. hehehehe:D If it means you'll stop practicing on me in the office.:D

Will it help the wind issue as well????:p