What Is Equestrian Fitness Training & How Can It Help Me?
Equestrian fitness training is a pilates based program I developed with a sense of playfulness & curiosity. I am passionate about The Pilates Method as well as science-based fitness training that is FUN! I hope to reframe negative thoughts about exercise & dispel some of the myths we hear about pilates & fitness training! It is for all riders, whatever discipline, who want to improve their riding. Whether you are a beginner and want to feel confident going out on a hack or you ride competitively in the show ring as a Hunter/Jumper, Dressage or Three-Day Eventer you will find something that will help you with your seat. I know how having your own fitness & pilates practice can completely change your body & improve your riding significantly…You don’t have to spend hours doing it…it just needs to be consistent!
The Six Pilates Principles and The Scales of Training Pyramid, used in training horses are fundamentally related, in fact they are almost exactly the same. The GOAL being to develop balanced correct movement with ease & grace…whether you’re on two legs or four!
My regular daily practice has helped me maintain my general fitness & ease of movement both in & out of the saddle! I have also had several serious injuries with my back & hip and know without pilates & regular cardiovascular exercise I would not be able to continue to ride!
Rocking Horse Fitness Training will specifically improve:
• YOUR connection with your horse
• Body awareness
• Core control & strength
• Balance & dynamic stability
• Joint Mobility
• Muscular strength & endurance
• Cardiovascular strength & endurance
• Use of aids
• Joy & Confidence
“The horse is a mirror of you soul”… and body! ”
I have witnessed other people’s transformation, both physically & emotionally, with a regular fitness program, heavy on PILATES…many have been my clients! They report less pain, less tension & better recovery time! They come with…
“I can’t always move my body the way my trainer wants me to”
“I’ve had an injury, nothing broke but I feel like it is still affecting the way I ride”
“My horse is stiff the right”
“My horse is stiff the left”
“I can’t get the right lead canter”
“I can’t get the left lead canter”
“I HOLD MY BREATH”
“My back hurts after I ride”
“My neck hurts after I ride”
“I can’t keep my leg still”
“I don’t know how to use my core”
“MY HORSE IS NOT LISTENING TO ME”
YOU GET THE PICTURE…( giggling )
I can help you connect the dots between you, your horse & your trainer! You will learn how to use your body correctly to influence your horse’s movement with more ease & suppleness. You will know when your are sitting straight in the saddle and improve your ability to correct any asymmetries you have. With better dynamic balance and a deeper understanding of the “core” you will be able to connect your seat with your horse with less effort & more Joy! Sorry if it sounds like you’ll be riding a Unicorn but you never know…
With training and practice…
“Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby, to be picked up and laid down like a game of solitaire. It is a grand passion. It seizes a person whole and once it done so, he (or she) will have to accept that his life will be radically changed.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY 101
You will learn the general concepts & methods of how to train the body in the way it was meant to work…EFFICIENCY, balanced strength & full range of motion(ROM) in all joints. We’ll take a deep dive into how the spine works…The SUPERSTAR of our bodies!
Basic exercise physiology is addressed as well as the common everyday habits & postures we all develop, that work against our success!
We won’t leave out our cardiovascular-metabolic health & training either…something I am PASSIONATE about as well! ( I’m a certified cycle instructor!)
Heart disease & stroke related incidents are still the #1 killer today and metabolic diseases, diabetes, kidney issues etc. are on the rise too! With a new way of understanding your own body and training it more effectively many aggravating pain issues with the shoulders, neck, back, knees or hips may decrease or possibly be completely avoided!
We start the process wherever you are and create a program that will help you reach whatever goals you have for your equestrian life!
LOVE YOUR HORSE LOVE YOUR LIFE!