For the past five years I have taught Pilates and studied many different aspects of how and why Pilates is so beneficial. I have worked with many men and women and helped them achieve their physical goals. I started to work with some riders in my studio, and I began to explore my love of horses and to learn to ride. I quickly noticed that the skills I needed to learn to ride were the same skills I used in Pilates. I found that there were other teachers exploring the same things. I studied what these teachers were doing and began to teach my own clients who rode this work.
Why do Pilates if I ride a horse? What can Pilates do for me? These are the questions you may ask yourself upon hearing that there is going to be a class dedicated to Equestrians. Pilates has many benefits that transfer over to your riding, chief among them is it will improve how you sit your horse. It will give you better body control overall, teach you better ways to communicate with your horse by using your body and breath in the saddle, and you will be able to correct posture alignment using the same skills you learn in Pilates on your horse. Pilates is a mind body discipline, as is riding. The more you do Pilates and ride, the better your control and balance will be, both in and out of the saddle.
This series will introduce you to the basics of mat and reformer Pilates and some specific exercises that will aide you to better control your breath, stability, posture and alignment. Whether you are an accomplished Equestrian or a novice, everyone who rides can derive benefits from Pilates.
I look forward to exploring with you the ways we can use Pilates to benefit both you and your horse! ~Lisa
