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Horse World - Fitness for Horse & Rider

Article: Staying Fit to Ride - Pilates

By Sarah Martin 

Published May 2007 Issue

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n my experience, as a rider and a teacher, I have repeatedly seen the benefits of cross training for a rider wanting to improve their skills. While pursuing many different modalities over the years, the absolute connection and relation of Pilates to the development of self carriage in a horse and rider has impressed me over and over again.

    No matter what your age, Pilates can help! I have students in their late sixties who are in better shape after two years of weekly Pilates sessions than they were in their 30’s. I have teenagers who use Pilates to connect and control their growing frames.  Pilates done right illustrates to the rider what their horse is going through as we attempt to teach them to balance, focus and stabilize from their core.

   I personally cross train with a    combination of Pilates work and jogging for my cardio vascular fitness. This helps me remember when I am teaching or training something new, how hard it is to accept that things take time. I find when I intellectually grasp something there is an immediate expectation that my physical body will follow suit. How frustrating when it still moves in the wrong direction   DESPITE my determination for the “new” range to be in place! One of the biggest lessons I learned, in my years of Pilates training, is to show a muscle short and correct versions of what you are asking. The repetitions in Pilates rarely exceed eight. Yet over and over again, the short repetition performed correctly and left alone will take hold. This resonated with me as I thought of how I teach my horses to piaffe. Short periods of teaching them the “thinking” of piaffe in their body leading to longer and happier sessions of true, sustained piaffe.

   The very sound logic behind short, correct repetitions is that the muscle has a memory of its’ own. Stopping while it is still strong leaves no memory of fatigue or stress.  Therefore returning to the movement the next time is an easy memory; one where the muscle is willing to go. This is what correct interval training is all about. The hardest thing to control is our own desire to “do it again” as we just feel the edge of what a movement should feel like and we want to experience more!

   The most difficult aspect of cross training, in my experience, is finding the time. I have always stood in awe of my students who come to ride after work, on dark, cold nights. I am not sure if I did not do this for a living that I could be as hard core as they are! It is not easy to tell someone whose plate is already way over full that they need to add cross training into their schedule! However, I have found Second level to be the cut off for amateurs who have an office or sedentary job and only ride as their exercise. The amount of understanding for developing the subtleties in your seat and true separation of the aids needed for effective self carriage in horse and rider become quite  difficult to define without developing a fair degree of core strength and  suppleness. The understanding of how to use a muscle in a supple way becomes essential after second level. This is again where I defer to Pilates, though Martial Arts can teach this as well. Weight training does not teach supple connection. It is already in    our intellect culturally that flexing a muscle means you are making an   effort, and at this stage of riding the connection focus must be far more on supple strength than muscle strength.

   So, how to find time? What I did  was I told myself that a weekly Pilates session was my riding lesson. I set a time for a private session so I could get the most out of the hour. I find that if I am committed to someone else, I tend to show up. If I am responsible only to myself, anything can take priority. I tell my students the same thing. I am such a strong believer in the value of a good Pilates session that I tell them to substitute one of their lessons with me with Pilates. Whether that takes them to one lesson a week, or one lesson every other week, they have invariably made more progress over a six month period than they did with more dressage lessons but no Pilates training. 

The other tips I can share about time commitments, is don’t promise yourself “daily” workouts if you know    that is impossible. Once a week, whether you are speed walking, going to a gym, adding anything outside   the normal hectic routine, is an      EXCELLENT start! For me, that is my commitment- and it often leads to finding another moment just because I start to remember how GOOD it feels to be in shape. The other tip I have is what has made “Curves” so successful, and it’s true, thirty minutes is enough. Give yourself thirty  minutes to add your new activity. Thirty minutes can get you started, whereas trying to find an hour is    impossible!

   To all of you struggling to run your business, have time with your family, and to improve with your horse; I  salute you! Just remember that sometimes all three of those things can  improve by not “doing” any of them- but treating yourself to an hour of  Pilates with a good instructor!

Sarah Martin is an USDF Certified Instructor through 4th Level and a “L” judge graduate with ’distinction’. She is an USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medalist. Located in Colorado.

Fitness is a section that benefits every equestrian. Building correct muscles, raising endurance, increasing fitness, supporting the back and other important topics for creating a fit horse and rider.