Pilates for Equestrians

Riding is not just a sport for us as equestrians, it’s a passion, an obsession. It takes years to train, months
to prepare, a life time to perfect...
Dealing with a 1200 pound unpredictable animal can be quite dangerous for the rider especially when
horses spook. That’s why we, as riders, should be strong, balanced, focused, enduring and alert not only
to accomplish our riding goals but also to be able to continue riding until the very end of our life time...
yet everytime we get in the saddle we risk our lives...
On the other hand strength, flexibility and endurance are the most important things that determine our
success. If we are strong, our horses are strong, if we are flexible our horses are flexible, if we have
muscular balance our horses have muscular balance and so on.
So in this research paper I will point out some postural faults of equestrians which they acquire from
hours of riding and the things that can be done to correct those faults for the sake of their daily lives. I
will also mention the benefits of pilates to help your client achive his/her equestrian goals by providing
them the appropriate exercises.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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HORSE RIDING MUSCLES..................................................................................... 3
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EQUESTRIAN’S POSTURE AND UNIQUE PHYSICAL DEMANDS.................. 7
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EQUESTRIAN POSTURAL FAULTS...................................................................... 8
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BENEFITS OF PILATES FOR THE EQUESTRIANS............................................. 9
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AN INTERMEDIATE PROGRAM FOR THE EQUESTRIAN CLIENT BASED
ON THE BASI MAT BLOCK SYSTEM.................................................................. 10
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AN INTERMEDIATE PROGRAM FOR THE EQUESTRIAN CLIENT BASED
ON THE BASI BLOCK SYSTEM............................................................................ 10
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CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................... 11
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BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................................... 12
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HORSE RIDING MUSCLES
Posture is extremely important for the horse rider. The talent to riding is symmetry, balance, stability
and coordination. It is the rider that makes the horse. Many good horses have been ruined by bad riding
and many bad horses have been saved by their riders in the equestrian world.
Horse riding requires strength and endurance from all of the postural muscles in the body The muscles
for horse riding differ from many sports. Horse riding is a static posture, meaning there is little
movement in many of the joints in the body. The muscle action is by way of small range sustained
contractions. Unlike playing a ball sport or running which mostly involve fast body movements and
require cardiovascular fitness, in horse riding the posture adjustments are suttle , require strength and
endurance. It takes a different fitness to stand or sit in one position for many hours than to move around
continuously, because the body fatigues much faster in static postures than in dynamic postures.
Horse riding is a combination of static postures (dressage, western, pleasure riding) and dynamic
postures (jumping, vaulting, eventing). Horse riding uses all of the body's main muscle groups, but
specifically requires very strong and fit postural muscles.
On the other hand; riding is symmetrical with respect to the hands and legs, it requires a rider to use
both sides equally. Our daily activities, jobs are mostly likely one handed and repetitive. This is not
conducive to good riding posture. Riders need to build up and train both sides equally.
ABDOMINALS:
A vital part of the body that is so important for
correct riding, is the abdominal muscles. The area
between the solar plexus and the pubic bone needs
to be kept “open”. Strong abdominals are needed to
stabilise the spine and midsection when riding. If
the rider is weak in the abdominals he/she will
have poor core strength resulting in bouncing in the
saddle. A weak midsection will also doom a rider
to having to use too much hand when riding which
will affect the horse badly by hurting the mouth
with the bit and create a desensitization over time,
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whereas strong abdominals enable a rider to use the seat aids correctly and helps to isolate the
movement of arms from the torso. By using the abdominals the rider ensures his/her balance and center
of control, and by shifting the hips to either side cues the horse to move in a certain direction.
LOWER BACK:
The flexibility of the lower back muscles is crucial
in horse riding in order to create a deeper seat and
suppleness of the pelvis, especially in the sitting trot
with a better absorb of the horse’s movement. If the
rider is stiff in the lower back, he/she will brace
against your horse and cause him to react. Lower
back muscles together with the Transverse
Abdominus helps control the pelvis stability. They
also need to be strong to extend the lower back in
canter and sit as if “glued” to the saddle.
PSOAS AND ILIAPSOAS:
They hold the torso vertical when riding to stop you
falling behind the line of gravity which is behind the
hip joints. The psoas, engaged with the rectus
abdominis hold you into the centre of the saddle so
that your two seat bones are connected to the horse's
back muscles on either side of his spine. This is a vital
piece of information, for sliding off one side or the
other (usually to the outside through corners) is a
major cause of horses falling out through their
shoulder. If the rider’s muscles on the left hand are
holding him/her correctly over the horse's back muscle and the right hand side ones are somewhat soft,
the right seat bone will be floating off the back muscle leaving the horse at his discretion about where to
place his haunches and/or shoulder on that side.
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QUADRICEPS (Vastus Lateralis, Vastus Medialis, Rectus Femoris) :
Especially used by Show Jumpers. They allow to rider to
rise in trot and to grip the saddle in canter. Quadriceps are
one of the strongest muscle group of an equestrian rider.
HIP ADDUCTORS (Gracilis, Adductor Longus, Pectieneus, Sartorius) :
Because the leg is constantly bent when riding, the thigh needs to
grip.
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TENSOR FASCIAE LATAE :
The Tensor Fascia Latae Muscles turn the thighs inwards
and open the hips so that the rider is able to sit comfortably
and grip to the horse. Internally rotating the hips is crucial
when riding to avoid the spurs hurting the horse badly.
CALVES :
When riding the calves (or gastronomies) are
rested against the horses sides however are
used for delivering aids as by applying
pressure you are able to turn the horse or ask
them to speed up. You frequenty see the
equestrian coaches shouting their students as
“HEELS DOWN!!!” It is because it is quite
dangerous to lift the heels and point the toes
on horse back. The rider loses the support of the stirrup which has extreme importance especially when
jumping to absorb the impact of landing, and in case of any fall, rider’s ankle may be caught in the
stirrup and he/she may be dragged by the horse resulting in a severe injury even death. So to be able to
hold the foot up and heel down rider uses his/her Tibialis Anterior muscle.
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EQUESTRIAN’S POSTURE AND UNIQUE PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Many riders have found that early detection of positional faults has helped improve their competition
scores, giving them the edge on their competitors as well as avoiding costly injury to themselves and
their horses. Something as simple as a dropped shoulder or slight head tilt can over time have a
detrimental impact on the rider and on the muscular mechanisms of the horse.
It is important to recognize the unique physical demands of equestrian sport in two ways:
1- Specific musculoskeletal demands should be addressed to meet the needs of the client to become
a better rider
2- The postural faults acquired by the riding activity itself should be focussed on for both continued
better riding and the efficiency of their daily activities.
Detailed postural analysis should be done to highlight the following areas:
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Core strength
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Flexibility of the spine
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Suppleness within the lower back
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Levelness of shoulders and head
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Upper Back Extensor Strength to provide an open chest
•
Joint disassociation abilities in the shoulders and hips
•
Muscoskeletal imbalances, restrictions and asymetries which greatly affect movement and
alignment should be addressed
•
Common musculoskeletal dysfunctions and injury patterns encountered in equestrian sports
should be recognized.
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EQUESTRIANS’ POSTURAL FAULTS
As we’ve mentioned earlier correct posture, alignment, stability, muscular balance and coordination are
the key elements in horse riding. Before asking more from the horse, the rider has to be sure that he/she
has all these requirements for this sport.
On the other hand, after a period of time riders begin to suffer from the postural faults that they acquire
by doing this sport at least 5 hours a day, 6 days a week.
Common Postural Rider Faults are:
1- A forward head and dropped chin position : Again a very popular equestrian coach sentence
“ Don’t look at the horse, look where you’re going!!!”. No matter what riders do that! We look at
our horses, checking their softness of the bit, checking the flexion and the bend. This results in
tight neck flexors and weak neck extensors. It can cause headaches, neck pain and a wobbly head
especially in sitting trot.
2- Round Shoulders: Especially in show jumping, riders almost always stay in the position that is
called “en avant”, leaving the saddle, leaning forward and balancing themselves on the stirrups
to give less weight on the horses back and lessen the impact of landing. This position results in
round shoulders, a slumped posture, tightning of chest muscles and weakening of upper back
extensors. This is why riders are unable to keep their shoulders back in their daily lives.
3- Weak Hamstrings and Long Calves: Since riders always rely on their quadricep muscles to
bear the weight of their body and calf muscles to keep the heels down, the hamstring muscles are
mostly weak and the calves are mostly long in horse riders.
4- Tight Hip Flexors: This is may be the most important point that should be addressed because
together with tight lower back muscles, tight hip flexors results in hyperlordosis in equestrians
which will effect both their riding abilities and their daily lives by weakening of abdominals and
consequently causing severe back pain.
5- Tight Hip Adductors: Gracilis, Adductor Longus, Pectieneus muscles adduct, flex and medialy
rotate the femur. This position of the femur can be said to describe the leg position of the rider at
all times in order to grip the horses body, to cue the horse for more impulsion, and to avoid
hurting the horse with the spurs that riders have on their ankles to assist when performing
advanced level movements. That’s why riders have quite strong hip adductors.
6- Weak Hip Abductors: On the contrary to strong hip adductors, riders mostly have weak hip
abductors because of the same leg position mentioned above. This makes the external rotation of
hips quite hard for equestrians. Together with tight hip adductors, weak hip abductors can result
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in “Genu Varum” (bow legs), which is described by a medial deviation of the distal tibia relative
to the knee such as the knees are seperated while feet touch, and excessive supination of the feet.
BENEFITS OF PILATES FOR THE EQUESTRIANS
So for the equestrians, it is important:
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to stretch the chest muscles while strengthening the upper back extensors
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to stretch the lower back while strenghtening the abdominals
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to strecth the hip flexors while strengthening the hamstrings
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to stretch the hip adductors while strengthening the hip abductors and hip external rotators
By adressing the above mentioned postural faults, riders :
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Will have a flexible pelvis and good core stability that will make it easier to maintain the upright
position.
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Will achieve independent movement of the limbs: they will can freely and gently move arms and
legs around a stable, supple and flexible torso
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Will have a deeper and independent seat and will no longer balance on their toes or hands.
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Avoid collapsing and bouncing in the saddle by lengthening and softening their spine, using the
correct muscles to maintain a stable core.
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Will learn to coordinate their breathing and improve their concentration.
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Will have a stable head and leg position and will be able to use their inside leg independent of
their outside leg to gain more bend in the horse’s body.
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Will no more suffer from lower back pain and fatigue that many riders do due to the nature of
the sport.
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Will learn the importance of total body awareness and control.
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Will become sensitive, accurate and completely refined with their aids and have precise control
and strength in their lower leg which is crucial especially when performing advanced level
dressage movements.
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Will learn how to relax so that they may better absorb the horse's movements and move with the
horse, not against it.
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All of which will lead to increased comfort during and after ride.
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AN INTERMEDIATE PROGRAM FOR THE EQUESTRIAN CLIENT BASED
ON THE BASI MAT BLOCK SYSTEM:
Pelvic Curl, Spine Twist Supine, Chest Lift, Chest with Rotation, Single Leg Lifts/ Leg Changes, Hundred, Roll Up,
Single Leg Circles, Roll like a Ball, Double Leg Stretch, Single Leg Stretch, Criss Cross, Spine Stretch, Open Leg
Rocker, Hamstring Pull 1, Hamstring Pull 2, Hamstring Pull 3, Roll Over, Corkscrew, Saw, Side Lifts, Side Bend,
Side Kick Kneeling, Swan Prep, Single Leg Kick, Double Leg Kick, Swimming, Rest Position, Leg Pull Front Support,
Cat Stretch, Teaser Prep, Teaser 1, Teaser 2, Leg Pull Back Support, Seal, Push Up
AN INTERMEDIATE PROGRAM FOR THE EQUESTRIAN CLIENT BASED
ON THE BASI BLOCK SYSTEM:
1- WARM UP
Pelvic Curl, Spine Twist Supine, Chest Lift, Chest Lift with Rotation, Single Leg Lifts / Leg
Changes
2- FOOTWORK
Parallel Heels, Parallel Toes, V Position Toes, Open V Heels, Open V Toes, Calf Raises,
Prances, Single Leg Heel, Single Leg Toe, Prehensile
3- ABDOMINAL WORK
Hundred, Coordination, Round Back, Flat Back, Tilt, Twist, Round About
4- HIP WORK
Frog, Extended Frog, Extended Frog Reverse, Down Circles, Up Circles, Openings
5- SPINAL ARTICULATION
Short Spine, Bottom Lift, Bottom Lift with extensions
6- STRETCHES
Kneeling Lungle
7- FULL BODY INTEGRATION 1
Elephant, Up Stretch 2, Down Stretch
8- ARM WORK
(Arms Kneeling Series)
Chest Expansion, Up Circles, Down Circles, Triceps, Biceps
9- FULL BODY INTEGRATION 2
Balance Control Back
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10- LEG WORK
(Gluteals Kneeling Series)
Hip Extension Bent Knee, Hip Abduction Bent Knee, Hip Extension Straight Leg, Adductor Lift
11- LATERAL FLEXION / ROTATION
Side Lift With Push Through Bar
12- BACK EXTENSION
Pulling Straps 1, Pulling Straps 2
CONCLUSION:
As Pilates Instructors, our main goal is to provide guidence, tuition, support and expertise and to
help our client to have a strong, flexible and balanced body as well as a balanced mind. We have to
make sure that we help them preparing their body for the sport activities they choose and try to
correct the postural impacts of these activities on their bodies which may consequently begin to
affect their general well being in the long run.
As I have mentioned earlier horse riding uses all of the body's main muscle groups but unlike in any
other sport it mostly requires the use of those muscles in an isometric way. These muscles must have
endurance to cope with the long time they are expected to work. Since riders tend to spend many
hours in the saddle in a static posture, this will tighten all the horse rider muscles. The muscles must
be stretched or they tend to shorten and cause pain and poor function, when back in the saddle.
So proper strengthening and stretching those muscles will provide a better posture for the rider when
mounted and on the ground, giving the rider the ability to have a deeper seat and applying clearer
aids and most importantly a feeling of security on horse back.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:
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The Horse Riding Muscles and How to Train Them, Annette Wilson
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Horse-Riding-Muscles-and-How-to-Train-Them&id=4289743
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When The Problem Rider Causes a Problem Horse, Annette Wilson
http://ezinearticles.com/?When-The-Problem-Rider-Causes-a-Problem-Horse&id=5734066
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What muscles do you use when riding a horse?
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Applied Posture Riding, Annette Wilson, 2002
http://www.equestrianpilates.co.uk/
http://applied-posture-riding.com/
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Equestrian Pilates – Schooling For The Rider
http://www.equestrianpilates.co.uk/
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Epsom Physiotheraphy and Sports Injury
http://www.epsomphysiotherapy.co.uk/
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Equestrian Dynamics
http://www.equestriandynamics.co.uk/
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Riding Hurts, Dr. Thomas Ritter, 1999
http://www.classicaldressage.com/articles/hurts.html
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Zen & Horseback Riding, 2nd Edition: Applying the Principles of Posture, Breath and
Awareness to Riding Horses, Tom Nagel, Ko-gen Publications, December 2007
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Pilates for the Dressage Rider : Engaging the Human Spine Using Pilates, Janice Dulak, Katrin
Haselbacher, Half-Halt Press, August 2006
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Pilates for Equestrians: Achieve the Winning Edge With Increased Core Stability, Lisa Randall,
Kenilworth Press, December 2010
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