Pilates For Ponies

28/01/2021

Mary Wanless changed the way the world thought about rider balance, here she looks at the chair seat: "When the rider is in an "arm chair seat" it is impossible to bring the horse correctly "on to the bit", for as she falls down into the "mantrap" she unknowingly perpetuates the hollow in his back. Meanwhile, she is probably over-using her hand, and worrying about the position of his head. This puts the horse into a horrible contortion: try hollowing your own back and pulling your chin in. Most horses will do their utmost to get out of this position, whilst the saintly ones "give in" and offer a rather unconvincing imitation of dressage." https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2021/01/top-tip-balance-over-the-stirrup-with-mary-wanless/

17/01/2021

If your horse struggles to balance, I can guarantee to you that it is not going to be fixed by placing the head and neck into XYZ weird position.

If your horse is falling through a shoulder, derailing on a circle or difficult to steer, I can guarantee that this does not need to be fixed by shortening the reins and towing their head in.

If you're struggling with any of the above you should look at how to train their back. Once a horse can mobilise their back, I guarantee that their balance and steering won't be a problem.

If you do anything with 2021, learn to loosen your reins and work the horses back not their head.

09/12/2020

Carl Hester tells us: “We want the horse in self carriage, and that means the rider has to be in self carriage and without a strong core, that is very difficult to do. It is worth riders spending the time getting the core strong, then you won’t need your arms or legs to hold you in the saddle – they must be soft and independent of your body.” For more Hester wisdom:
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2020/09/carl-hester-on-self-carriage-for-both-horse-and-rider/

06/12/2020

02/12/2020

🦄 Straightness allows the free flow and recycling of impulsion from the hind end; suppleness allows the release of tension and encourages elasticity and flexibility 🦄

06/11/2020

🦄 Pole or cavaletti work can be a fantastic tool for strength building...but that’s not all! 🦄

Poles are a great diagnostic tool and can help us to assess and improve physical development through various configurations, in areas such as:

✅ Straightness

✅ Body control

✅ Balance

✅ Core and hind engagement

✅ Propreoception

✅ Structured/low impact rehabilitation

✅ Range of motion

✅ Limb articulation

✅ Correct forward

✅ Rhythm

✅ Correct muscle development

All of these factors help to create a capable, relaxed and willing equine partner.

Balance and physical capability play a large role in preventing negative or unwanted behaviours, sometimes in scenarios that you may not connect immediately.

We are passionate about physical development, particularly that which keeps our horses sound and allows them to efficiently and comfortably carry a rider; we use pole work as a fundamental element of all of our training programs.

13/09/2020

15/07/2020

We use the train track analogy frequently...and we’re also happy to take the scenic route when it comes to training 😊🐴

In the "training scale" for horses that is generally considered to be a pretty good guide for someone trying to achieve decent results, without resorting to abusive and coercive methods, the word "straightness" is next to last.

Rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness, collection

Jack LeGoff, my former USET 3-day team coach, used to use the analogy of the straight horse as being a railroad train, with the left wheels on the left track, and the right wheels on the right track, except use "hooves" instead of "wheels."

It is easy for a horse to fall out of alignment, because when he is "straight" in the sense of having his hips perfectly in line with his shoulders, his hind limbs must carry the load, and carrying is a form of weight lifting, and weight lifting creates athletically induced discomfort, and the horse doesn't like it, and will normally evade it.

These, granted, are rather subtle and sophisticated riding concepts, and most riders won't bother.

But if it happens that you do want to become more "classically" trained, here is something that you will need to learn about.

Among about 1,000 other things---

06/07/2020

The Mythical Self Carriage.
Many years ago I was taught to push the horse into the bit with legs on into a fixed or "non-allowing hand" until I felt a light loop in the rein - and this was thought to be good. And I see many riders still doing this, and probably thinking they are doing the right thing or that this is self carriage.

In reality, Nothing is further from the truth. When the horse tucks its head in, down, under, behind the vertical, behind the contact, it may feel light but it's not accepting or relaxing into the hand. It is instead avoiding and fearing the hands, by hiding behind them.

"An over bent horse appears to be light. It no longer has contact with the bit. But contrary to what its rider may think, it is neither relaxed or in balance, and has instead shifted its weight to its shoulders and dropped behind the bit. "
Philippe Karl