What Is The Lumbar Spine & Why Does It Matter?

What Is The Lumbar Spine & Why Does It Matter?

The spine in humans is comprised of 4 sections: the Cervical spine is the neck, the Thoracic spine is the mid back, the Lumbar spine is the low back, and the sacrum forms part of the pelvis. All these different areas have different roles to play in terms of function,...
Tapering: Do You Know?

Tapering: Do You Know?

The concept of tapering is a very obvious one, but one that is often seriously overlooked to the detriment of horse and rider. If you are unsure, tapering is basically increasing and decreasing the intensity/volume of work over a period of time. Through this method,...
Developing Your Contact

Developing Your Contact

Have you ever been given any tips on how to ‘measure’ your contact? The best one I’ve been told is to imagine that you have a small bird in each hand. I strive for that daily, but if I’m honest I rarely achieve that unless we are slopping along with the reins on the...
Symmetry Challenges – An Update

Symmetry Challenges – An Update

I am a bit odd perhaps, but I like to set myself challenges from time to time. I also try to make sure I can do whatever I advise my clients to do. So, this summer I decided to work on my symmetry a bit more. To say that I am one sided would be a massive...
Choosing Exercises That Work For You

Choosing Exercises That Work For You

A couple of times recently during my Pilates classes, we have discussed how different exercises work different class members in different ways. This comes about for example when we are working the gluteals, and one person will find that the clam really targets the...