Equestrian Pilates

EQUESTRIAN PILATES

SMALL Group Equestrian Pilates:

Please see Clinical Pilates page for class times
Other times available upon request. Grab some friends and make your own class.

Equestrian Pilates is a specialised form of Pilates designed to enhance the strength, flexibility, and balance of riders. By focusing on core stability and body awareness, it improves riding technique and performance. Equestrian Pilates promotes a deeper connection between horse and rider. Whether you're a trail rider, or a competitive experienced rider, Equestrian Pilates can elevate your riding skills and overall fitness.

Benefits include:

Creates a deeper more stable seat
Switches on the ‘right muscles’ and turns off the ‘wrong ones’
Improves body awareness
Improves flexibility and mobility
Increases balance
Improves core strength and a supple pelvis allowing the rider to absorb the horses movement
Gives you a better ‘feel’
Provides a good mind/body connection therefore improving concentration
Assists in supporting the body to avoid collapsing
Create the ideal riding position

Pilates Principles

The Pilates Principles are similar to the dressage training scale: rhythm, relaxation, suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness and collection. The Pilates principles are building blocks for training each focus. They are as important as each other as they are inter connected.

ALIGNMENT

BREATHING

CENTERING

FLOW OF MOVEMENT

CONTROL

PRECISION

Pilates is progressive. The longer you do it the more you gain. Whether your a weekend trail rider or compete internationally don’t hold back on your dreams. Equestrian Pilates will allow you to be the best version of yourself in and out of the saddle. Equestrian Pilates will give you the skills needed to become a competent, efficient, well balanced/ aligned, flexible rider with great core strength and matched flexibility. Pilates becomes a way of life for many of its participants, as they put into practise daily what they learn from their regular Pilates sessions.

Left: Melanie Knill riding Alpha Domus in the 2* (now 3*) at Camperdown HT

I have recently completed my first ten sessions and can definitely feel the difference. Melanie runs a great session, individual attention, targeted exercise each week, individual feedback and activities that challenge the brain and the body without being unachievable.

As a horse rider, I can feel the benefits including improved pelvis stability, as well as knowing I am activating the all-important core muscles. Remaining lean, long and elegant is the goal of every rider (especially a dressage rider) and Pilates definitely supports the hours of training in the saddle. As a coach I feel better equipped to assist students overcoming postural alignment problems. I would encourage all horse riders to attend Pilates sessions and feel the benefit for themselves, improved posture will also help the horse too! I am enthusiastic to continue with my Pilates journey and can’t wait to see the difference in my body after 20 sessions."

Brooke Charteris-Deighton M.Ed(SW)

EA level one dressage coach

NCAS PCA level one general coach