EQUIPILATES -WHAT IT IS & HOW IT WORKS!
Almost all of the time, correcting rider alignment through activation of deep underused muscles dramatically reduces the horse's apparent one-sidedness, straightness issues, loss of bend/engagement in transition, contact problems. The reduction/removal of these issues clarifies the genuine training needs of the horse to trainer and rider- progress suddenly seems much more straightforward.
Precision postural alignment and deep muscle activation/release requires specialist knowledge of anatomy and movement- 'sit taller' or 'get your right leg on'unfortunately simply is not particularly helpful to riders who have no physical awareness of how to do so in the right way. You may have been struggling for years with exactly the same issue! Prescriptive Equipilates techniques to correctly align your body and improve core stability are key to achieving your full potential as a rider and progressively correct negative patterns, improve static posture and dynamic position and develop correct muscle balance; true athleticism. It is possible to make an immediate 25% improvement in muscle function by awakening pathways of the nervous system which have been in hibernation!
Equipilates develops both correct static posture and also the rider's dynamic position (posture whilst moving), using postural alignment, core-stability techniques and Pilates exercises. Equipilates increases rider effectiveness in each and every discipline, whether you are hacking a couple of times a week or a professional rider competing at FEI level. Exercises practised away from the horse help riders to realise their potential, and open doors within the body they may never have realised were locked- 'switching off' tight, overworking muscles is often more difficult than awakening weak underworking ones! Modified exercises practised on the saddle horse or on a lunge horse are invaluable to relate the 'feel' of correct static posture in the saddle and dynamic position respectively. Taking these corrections forward onto horses you ride normally has a profound effect on way of going, and improvements noted are often astonishing.
Professionals who struggle with muscular aches or back pain from riding multiple horses per day will find that they are able to ride for longer without soreness and loss of performance- reaching for the painkillers to ride the last horses of the day will be a thing of the past! You do not need to suffer any longer with sore backs, shoulders and arms from riding strong/leaning/ difficult horses or dread sitting the trot to those 'big movers'! Tight hamstrings, hip flexors and contracted calf muscles can be exacerbated by continually motivating lazy horses- Equipilates will initiate the stretching and lengthening of tight, short muscles, enabling leg aids to be more effective. Poor posture and muscle development assymetry can be improved and gradually corrected, both on and off the horse, whatever your age, stage of riding experience and current level of fitness.
Learning how to breathe correctly and efficiently so your body receives optimum oxygen levels whilst riding will prevent you from dismounting feeling completely exhausted, out of breath and excessively sweating. Ever been told that you need to 'open your hips' to improve your sitting trot/lateral work/ability to stay on board?! Correct use of breath whilst riding is essential for supple hips which will give you adhesion with the saddle and fluid motion with your horse.
Whether your goal is to reduce posture related back pain or access that vital extra per cent out of your competition horse, incorporating Equi-Pilates into your riding will:
- progressively correct postural asymmetry
- encourage fluid body motion with the horse
- promote empathy with the horse
- strengthen and stabilise core
- achieve true independence of seat, legs and hands (muscle separation/isolation)
- produce correct body alignment
- increase rider's sensitivity to the horse and vice versa
- combine appropriate strength with flexibility
- enhance balance between horse and rider
- create long, lean, supple and responsive muscle
- promote quiet focus, mind-body awareness and discipline
- assist in rehabilitation from injury
- reduce risk of injury
Embarking on a journey of discovery about their own bodies- what seems easy, what is more challenging- what seems impossible- as well as individual limits of flexibility and stamina gives many riders food for thought regarding the training demands they place onto their horses.
Equipilates teacher Lindsay Wilcox-Reid is the UK's only British Dressage Accredited Trainer who is also a qualified Level 3 Pilates teacher on the Register of Exercise Professionals. She is therefore in a unique position to train the rider's body and mind whilst incorporating correct development of the horse according to classical principles. She has an incredibly sensitive eye for the smallest detail, and through her insight and perception of asymmetric movement and postural imbalances (which may be barely visually noticeable) inherent in everybody, she is able to take your performance to a whole new level, whether you are a weekend rider or an international equestrian athlete.
Lindsay gives mounted and dismounted clinics, demonstrations and workshops nationwide in addition to private consultations and one to one tuition at The Dressage Studio, her base near Ripley, Derbyshire. She takes referals from other equestrian professionals (trainers, equine physios, vets and saddle fitters) to help their clients with postural issues which can affect the horse in ways ranging from difficulty with lateral movements in one direction to persistent saddle fit problems or lameness caused by poor rider balance/alignment. Lindsay also takes on horse and rider combinations for regular training at all levels who wish to ride and train their horses in balance and lightness- the art of dressage.
Studio work with a dressage and event rider from Kent