Horse Rider Pilates
Horse Rider Pilates taught by Chartered Physiotherapists who are also trained Pilates Instructors.
Horse Rider Pilates enquiries/bookings email:
Horse Rider Pilates Youtube Channel & Videos:
Horse Rider Pilates equipment classes:
Horse Rider Pilates on the dressage simulator:
30 minutes each on Trojan the dressage simulator with Sonja Fitzpatrick (Chartered Physiotherapist, Pilates Instructor and Riding Instructor) at Wildwoods Riding Centre, Ebbisham Lane, Walton on the Hill, Surrey KT20 5BH for 2 riders £60 each. The Racewood Dressage Simulator has sensors on its reins and 3 each side of the horse’s sides showing rein pressure, leg pressure and your weight distribution in the saddle on the screen in front of you. Bring your own saddle and learn how to ride sitting trot, passage, piaffe, lateral movements and flying changes. This is a great way to refine your aids, improve your posture, balance and co-ordination in the saddle and especially to address crookedness. You will also learn how to use your pelvis to absorb the movement of the horse in walk, trot and canter which will improve your seat when you get back on a horse. There is also a huge mirror to one side so you can see what your body is doing to fully understand the feedback from the Instructor. Hats and boots must be worn for safety and insurance reasons.
ZOOM Horse Rider Pilates
Thurdays at 6.15pm taught by Sonja Fitzpatrick (Chartered Physiotherapist, Pilates Instructor and BHSAI Stage 4 Riding Instructor). £8 a class when you pay £32 monthly by standing order 48 weeks of the year. A 45 minute intensive class for all ages and abilities. Sonja incorporates all the Pilates and classical dressage principles to supple your body and strengthen your core, improve your posture, balance and co-ordination in the saddle, address crookedness of the rider, the effectiveness of your seat by improving your feel and body awarness so you know how to move your body in such a way that your riding becomes more effective and your aids become more harmonious with your horse. Classes are suitable for happy hackers to Grand Prix dressage riders, show jumpers, eventers and jockeys. You will need a gym ball 55cm for 5′-5’5″, 65cm for 5’6″-5’9″, 75cm for 5’10” or over, mat, head cushion (or folded towel), small 20cm Pilates ball, sticky socks, and a strong & long elastic Pilates band.
Horse Rider Pilates Team:
SONJA FITZPATRICK
Sonja Fitzpatrick (Pilates Instructor, Riding Instructor and Chartered Physiotherapist) rides all dressage movements up to Grand Prix level including half pass, canter pirouettes, tempi-changes, passage and piaffe and has experience in riding different breeds including Irish Sports Horses, Warmbloods and Spanish horses. Sonja has taught Horse Rider Pilates for many years to local riders and International Dressage riders. She teaches classes at Headley Village Hall, on the dressage simulator at Wildwoods Riding Centre and on horse back at Wildwoods Riding Centre and at other local yards in the Epsom and Headley area. Sonja has ridden all her life starting with all Pony Club activities and competitions from Prince Phillip mounted games to qualifying for the indivicual National Championships at Stoneleigh. In her teens she focused on affiliated show jumping with the BSJA. She also drove horses and carraiges for a wedding company while she was a student Physiotherapist. Now she focuses on dressage on her 16.3 hand Dutch Warmblood who is competing at Advanced Medium and working on higher level movements such as piaffe, passage, tempi-changes and the canter halp-pass zig-zag at home.
Sonja says, “I love teaching Horse Rider Pilates because it is so rewarding to see riders improve their core strength, stamina, balance and body awareness which ultimately makes then better riders. They love the classes and their horses love them for doing it too!
CHLOE SAKELLARIOU
Chloe Sakellariou is a Chartered Physiotherapist and qualified mat and reformer Pilates Instructor with the Australian Physiotherapy and Pilates Institute. Chloe has ridden all her life having done Pony Club activities and competitions when she was younger. She then went onto training and competing at Wellington Riding School in eventing. Chloe has a passion for show jumping, cross country and dressage having competed in all areas on various different horses that she shared and loaned throughout her life. Chloe has also competed in team gymnastics, hockey and kick boxing which has enhanced her physical fitness and flexibility. Pilates gives her the ability to maintain her core strength, balance, co-ordination and flexibility now that she is no longer continuing with these activities.
Chloe says, “What I love most about teaching Horse Rider Pilates is helping riders feel amazing by improving their flexibility, strength and balance. I believe this gives riders the confidence to do what they love by challenging themselves as they progress on their Pilates journey.
ALEXANDRA (ALICKY) MOYLE
Alexandra (Alicky) Moyle is a Chartered Physiotherapist and Pilates Instructor. Her final dissertation was on the biomechanics of dressage riding. She started riding before she could walk and started participating in all Pony Club activities at a young age. She competed at the National Championships in both the Show Jumping and Eventing teams on her Intermediate Event horse. She also has a passion for dressage which was inspired by living down the road from Carl Hester as a child. She was lucky enough to have lessons with him as well as some of the top Eventers in the area.
Alicky says, “I love teaching Horse Rider Pilates because the gym ball, Pilates small ball, band, rings and rollers offers so many possibilities to challenge riders, giving them better balance and core control, which in turn massively improves their riding.”
Horse Rider Pilates principals in riding can dramatically:
- Enable you to ride your horse with an independent and effective seat.
- Enable you to refine the timing of your aids.
- Improve your ability to ride in your chosen discipline and when you are out hacking
- Improve your posture on and off the horse.
- Improve your riding performance if you are a competition rider.
- Improve the connection with your horse from seat to bit.
- Improve the harmony between you and your horse.
- Improve your crookedness and the crookedness of your horse.
- Enable you to feel when your horse is on the bit and over his back.
- Improve your ability to balance and correct your horse’s way of going.
- Prevent your body imbalances from affecting your horse’s training.
- Improve the connection with your horse.
Horse Rider Pilates exercises:
- Identify and improve your postural and movement faults which affect riding position and technique.
- Improve your posture on and off the horse.
- Strengthen the areas of your body which are weak especially your core.
- Stretch the muscles which are tight especially those which affect your riding.
- Increase your spinal mobility and flexibility of your joints.
- Improve you body awareness and co-ordination.
- Improve your balance in the saddle whether you are a jockey, happy hacker, dressage rider, show jumper or eventer.
- Improve your ability to ride and compete in your chosen discipline or when you are out hacking
“There is no doubt that man and horse have a special affinity, unfortunately our bodies are not designed with this relationship in mind! With riding, as with all other sports, good technique is crucial to success, but also to the prevention of injury or strain. Our ability to ride not only relies on good technique, but on good posture. Pilates can help to improve postural faults and patterns of movement on and off the horse.”
Horse Rider Pilates enquiries/bookings:
Email for more information or to make a booking.
Horse Rider Pilates Youtube Channel & Videos:
We have a dedicated Horse Rider Pilates YouTube Channel: