FITNESS Pilates For Riders

from Elite Equestrian magazine Jan Feb 2023 issue

MUST HAVES

As a professional dancer, I took ballet class every day before going to my “job” which was rehearsing with a dance company. Sure, I was a professional, but to keep up our technique and fitness as professionals, we took a dance class to conBnue training to keep our skills sharp for learning the choreography in rehearsals and then performing. Rehearsals and performing required us to be in peak condiBon, not just so we could be beDer on stage, but also so we could prevent injuries. And indeed, in the past 20 years, dancers not only take their dance class, but they are also now cross training so they can be stronger and ward off injuries. Story and Photos Provided By Janice Dulak

A mat class for dressage riders.

Janice has a very engaging teaching style The idea of being conditioned and fitter for a selected activity isn’t just a concept owned by professional dancers. It is common for anyone who performs a physical activity regularly. Cross-training their body means they can enjoy their sport even more! It is strange however, that I find equestrians don’t seem to think along the same lines. More often than not, riders finish work, head to the barn, saddle up and ride. After all, it is supposed to be our time to relax and destress, correct? Riding is supposed to make us feel good! And who doesn’t want to hug a horse after a stressful day? But, let’s put ourselves in our horses’ shoes.

Horses are living, breathing beings who also have a physical job to do. We ask them to bear the weight of our bodies and carry us around while we pursue our goals. Riding a trail, jumping jumps, performing skillful maneuvers in a dressage ring or one of the many other areas of riding. If we are diligent horse owners, we take the time to condition our horses. We do groundwork with them, we lunge them or circle them, create bend and flex in their bodies as they walk, trot and canter. In dressage, the “workout” is in the ride itself, with all the lateral movements that create strength and flexibility. We work them over ground poles or cavalletis. Most riders certainly take care of their horse’s conditioning, and I am confident the horse appreciates we help them to be fitter and stronger. After all, it makes it easier for them to do their job when we ride, but what about our own fitness and strength?

As riders, we need to ask, are we taking the time to condition ourselves? Are we aiming to be better riders for our horses? It is a question I have been posing for over a decade. Are we being responsible enough for our job as riders? Again, from the horse’s perspective, wouldn’t a fit, agile rider be much easier to carry around than someone who sits on their back much as one would sit in an easy chair?

As a dancer, I could not walk up to the ballet barre just as I would a bar in a restaurant. I had to lift my core, elongate my body, and be ready for the exercises. Riding requires us to do the same. How many times have we put a foot in a stirrup, swung a leg over and plopped down in the saddle without a thought to the weight we were landing on the horse’s back? If you consider the horse’s perspective, I think you will agree there is a responsibility on us to learn to be stronger and more nimble if we are to ride a horse.

Janice training.

Janice teaching ridden work.

Janice teaching at a clinic. Janice competing in dressage. 

Now, what kind of exercise is appropriate for equestrian sport? Another good question. Just as an American football player’s skills differ from a ballet dancer’s, so too does their style of training. Football requires a different type of strength and agility. Gym workouts are essential so they can do their job on the field, but that type of workout would hinder a dancer. Gym workouts develop bulky, strong muscles that would not allow a dancer to do their job at all well.

This is the reason dancers have been flocking to Pilates as a cross-training method over the past decades. As a former dancer turned dressage rider, I noticed that Pilates not only served dancers but was a great way to create the fitness and agility needed for riding horses. Not that it is the only path for riders, but in my experience, it is a complete fit for equestrians.

What Pilates is can be explained in three words: Strength, stretch and control. The benefit of this concept, of placing equal emphasis on becoming stronger and more flexible, is that it balances out the musculature in the body. Both dancers and riders share this need in able to be fit for their activity. You learn to be flexible where you are stiff, and stable where you are too flexible! The ability then, to control the use of strength and flexibility is a perfect fit for the rider. You no longer just sit on your horse like a moving sofa, but you learn to engage your core, elongate your body and find how to move with your horse in a way that helps him do his job.

Gaining the required knowledge of WHY you should be fit and agile, while also HOW will help you in your riding goals. Researching what style of fitness suits you and your interest is also important. It can help you find a program that serves you well and helps your horse do his job of carrying you on his back!

www.pilatesfordressage.com

Author submited article including photos and is responsible for permission for use. See credit page for disclaimer. EE

HEALING HORSES FROM THE OUTSIDE IN HEALING HORSES FROM THE OUTSIDE IN

DIRK HAMBLOCH: EQUINE MANUAL THERAPIST

Dirk works to ac�vate and enhance the body’s own way of healing itself. Manual techniques are applied to help restore op�mal func�on of the musculoskeletal system. By the use of manipula�on and adjustments, stretches and releases, and mobiliza�on techniques, it is an extremely beneficial non-invasive therapy for horses.