Pilates4Horseriders.Com

Hello my name is Steve Wright, welcome to Pilates4Horseriders.com
This website, besides acting as a window on the services I can offer horse riders, is designed a as learning aid to assist in the improvement of the horse and rider. The site will have articles and links to useful sites and, through discussion with you the reader; I want it to grow into a learning resource.
Who am I ?
I have practiced Pilates for fifteen years and have been teaching Pilates mat work and reformer for the last five years in the Northwest of England. I am based in Southport with Pilates classes in Preston Lancashire, Merseyside and Wigan Greater Manchester. I teach Pilates matwork and reformer sessions but I am more and more being asked to teach sports men and women Pilates that is specifically designed to improve their performance.
I came to teach Pilates to horse riders when I was asked by one of my students to introduce British Dressage riders, (www. Britishdressage. co. uk) to the benefits of Pilates. As I prepared the program I examined the biomechanical movements and skills needed to ride the dressage tests. I was not surprised to see the skills of dressage were the same skills that were needed to practice Pilates. But I was surprised at the very positive reactions of the first students to try it out.
Why do you need Pilates?
When I discussed the project with riders and teachers I was met with varying comments such as why do I need Pilates to improve my riding? All I need to do is practice riding more and I will become a better rider without Pilates. To an extent that is true, but what I have seen from teaching Pilates to a number of sports focused groups is that it can bring a mind and body focus which cannot be achieved by practice alone. The Pilates exercises give the horse rider the ability to gain the control and strengths necessary to ride well in a way that is not possible on the horse.
Horse riders are athletes, but they are human beings too with imbalances developed over a long time and they need to cross train to meet the demands of their sport without injury to themselves and their horse. The system I have designed uses specifically chosen Pilates exercises so the rider can correct their postural and muscular imbalances. It will challenge your strengths and expose your imbalances but most of all it will positively change the way you ride. Pilates enables better balance, a deeper seat and improved posture on the horse. The improvement of the rider that Pilates4horseriders offers is then beneficial to the health and wellbeing of the horse.
The benefits of Pilates4horseriders
The six principles of Pilates: - Breathing, Centering, Control, Concentration, Fluidity and Precision all fit the requirements of horse riding. As you work through the Pilates exercises you will be using these principles to improve muscle control, flexibility and postural awareness. Pilates develops your ability to keep yours and your horses centre of gravity in equilibrium with the minimum of effort and adaption. The only constant point should be your centre of gravity and the muscles needed to work towards maintaining it in the correct position on the horse. Disequilibrium on the horse requires the horse to work harder to keep its balance, this is easily observed in the gait of the horse as it moves to adapt to your position . These adaption’s can soon become postural imbalances in your horse and you taking months to correct.
The Pilates exercises will alter your perception of how you sit, stand and ride and most importantly how you breathe. The control and awareness of the breath is often neglected while riding with effect of stiffening the rider and reducing fluidity. Try a large movement of your body while holding your breath, see how it feels. Then try breathing in time with the movement and feel the difference. How would you like to bring your horse to a halt or back him up just by using your focused breath and abdominal control? no legs, no reigns. Pilates will help you discover your postural and muscular imbalances and work towards correcting them with in some cases a dramatic change in your performance on the horse. You will develop balance and symmetry and have a greater awareness of yours and your horses centre of gravity. You will be able to relax and transfer a quiet confidence that you are connected to your horse because you will be able to feel and switch on only the muscles you need, and your horse will respond. When you make the connections with your horse you will find reduced shoulder and neck tension a light contact and a lighter touch with your leg
Please feel free to browse the site and comment on anything you agree or disagree with or any areas in which you are interested and would like some more information. The site will develop over the next year to include exercises and tips on postural alignment which I hope you will find useful. Do email me Steven Wright at Stevenwright1@aol.com or call 07792281108 with your comments or questions, or for further information on the services I can provide.

Hello my name is Steve Wright, welcome to Pilates4Horseriders.com
This website, besides acting as a window on the services I can offer horse riders, is designed a as learning aid to assist in the improvement of the horse and rider. The site will have articles and links to useful sites and, through discussion with you the reader; I want it to grow into a learning resource.
Who am I ?
I have practiced Pilates for fifteen years and have been teaching Pilates mat work and reformer for the last five years in the Northwest of England. I am based in Southport with Pilates classes in Preston Lancashire, Merseyside and Wigan Greater Manchester. I teach Pilates matwork and reformer sessions but I am more and more being asked to teach sports men and women Pilates that is specifically designed to improve their performance.
I came to teach Pilates to horse riders when I was asked by one of my students to introduce British Dressage riders, (www. Britishdressage. co. uk) to the benefits of Pilates. As I prepared the program I examined the biomechanical movements and skills needed to ride the dressage tests. I was not surprised to see the skills of dressage were the same skills that were needed to practice Pilates. But I was surprised at the very positive reactions of the first students to try it out.
Why do you need Pilates?
When I discussed the project with riders and teachers I was met with varying comments such as why do I need Pilates to improve my riding? All I need to do is practice riding more and I will become a better rider without Pilates. To an extent that is true, but what I have seen from teaching Pilates to a number of sports focused groups is that it can bring a mind and body focus which cannot be achieved by practice alone. The Pilates exercises give the horse rider the ability to gain the control and strengths necessary to ride well in a way that is not possible on the horse.
Horse riders are athletes, but they are human beings too with imbalances developed over a long time and they need to cross train to meet the demands of their sport without injury to themselves and their horse. The system I have designed uses specifically chosen Pilates exercises so the rider can correct their postural and muscular imbalances. It will challenge your strengths and expose your imbalances but most of all it will positively change the way you ride. Pilates enables better balance, a deeper seat and improved posture on the horse. The improvement of the rider that Pilates4horseriders offers is then beneficial to the health and wellbeing of the horse.
The benefits of Pilates4horseriders
The six principles of Pilates: - Breathing, Centering, Control, Concentration, Fluidity and Precision all fit the requirements of horse riding. As you work through the Pilates exercises you will be using these principles to improve muscle control, flexibility and postural awareness. Pilates develops your ability to keep yours and your horses centre of gravity in equilibrium with the minimum of effort and adaption. The only constant point should be your centre of gravity and the muscles needed to work towards maintaining it in the correct position on the horse. Disequilibrium on the horse requires the horse to work harder to keep its balance, this is easily observed in the gait of the horse as it moves to adapt to your position . These adaption’s can soon become postural imbalances in your horse and you taking months to correct.
The Pilates exercises will alter your perception of how you sit, stand and ride and most importantly how you breathe. The control and awareness of the breath is often neglected while riding with effect of stiffening the rider and reducing fluidity. Try a large movement of your body while holding your breath, see how it feels. Then try breathing in time with the movement and feel the difference. How would you like to bring your horse to a halt or back him up just by using your focused breath and abdominal control? no legs, no reigns. Pilates will help you discover your postural and muscular imbalances and work towards correcting them with in some cases a dramatic change in your performance on the horse. You will develop balance and symmetry and have a greater awareness of yours and your horses centre of gravity. You will be able to relax and transfer a quiet confidence that you are connected to your horse because you will be able to feel and switch on only the muscles you need, and your horse will respond. When you make the connections with your horse you will find reduced shoulder and neck tension a light contact and a lighter touch with your leg
Please feel free to browse the site and comment on anything you agree or disagree with or any areas in which you are interested and would like some more information. The site will develop over the next year to include exercises and tips on postural alignment which I hope you will find useful. Do email me Steven Wright at Stevenwright1@aol.com or call 07792281108 with your comments or questions, or for further information on the services I can provide.