Welcome to Ready to Ride, where I hope to provide advice and support to riders of all abilities. You might well wonder why I can help, so here is a brief (ish) outline of my background, and what has brought me to where we are now.

I have been a Chartered Physiotherapist since 2001, and a Veterinary Physiotherapist since 2005. Out of professional curiosity I started on the APPI Matwork Pilates series in 2011, and quickly found that it was not only helping my patients, but also my own riding. Having come up through the Pony Club I initially wanted to pursue eventing as my hobby. The horse I had in my 20s (Baz) wasn’t really cut out for this though and his intermittent ‘commitment’ affected my own jumping confidence. One way and another we found ourselves joining BD, and with the help of Pammy Hutton we slowly but surely made our way up the levels. My eyes became ever more opened to the strength and fitness that a rider requires to perform adequately, and to support and allow the horse to perform too. This was where the Pilates came in; I even completed my 2nd – and final – PSG with Baz whilst pregnant.

I now run a small number of Pilates classes, with a focus on Horse Riders – although I have had to cut back since the arrival of my son. Over the years I have been regularly asked if I an put together a DVD so that clients can have regular reminders, or if I can sit on their shoulder and nag them every day.

Now I want to bring together all the aspects of my professional life, and my experiences from riding, to benefit you, your horse and your riding. I am not an expert, probably more a Jack of all trades, Master of none. But I have been through the same trials and tribulations, aches and pains (me and the horses) as you, and somehow continue onwards and sort of upwards. I have no real facilities – our arena is grass and when it’s wet I have boggy, sloping fields instead – and live on the edge of Dartmoor where the weather can be a challenge and it takes ages to get anywhere. I couldn’t do any of what I do without my Mother – Granny and chief groom – but if I can achieve what I have, so can anyone else.

Next time I’ll get you started on the real work, but for now I’ll leave you pondering the foundation of everything I teach – The Pelvic Floor!
Thank you for reading, Louise