by Rebecca Sparenberg
“Most equestrians
would never dream of taking a horse that was not physically fit into a competition,” says Lori Nelson, a certified personal
trainer and Pilates instructor and owner of Equestrian Balance, a company that specializes in Pilates based fitness programs
for equestrians in Riverside County’s Temecula. “Equestrians understand that their horses are athletes, but often
forget that they are athletes themselves and that their fitness level affects their horse’s performance. The more fit
you are, the better you can control your body and the better the horse-rider communication.”
A long time
athlete and horse enthusiast, Lori spent her youth riding horses and running track. As an adult, she was constantly looking
for ways to improve her riding for better performance in hunter and jumper competition. In 1992, she began her career as a
fitness professional instructing group conditioning classes. Then three years ago, Lori began personally training clients
and teaching Pilates. She discovered that Pilates improved her core strength, balance, coordination and flexibility on the
ground while also improving her posture, balance, coordination, and flexibility in the saddle.
“One of
the big things that Pilates taught me was an awareness of my bad postural habits,” says Lori. “I became aware
of my habit of arching my back and I was able to correct it. Pilates makes you aware of and corrects muscular imbalances that
cause postural distortions. If you are not training your body in correct postural alignment you are just reinforcing bad postural
habits that put you at higher risk of injury. Unlike other exercise methods, Pilates teaches you correct alignment and strengthens
the stabilizing muscles of the abdomen and back which helps you maintain a proper position while riding.”
Lori is a certified
personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the American Council of Exercise (ACE) and a Certified
Pilates Instructor (Retrofit Pilates). She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Kansas. Lori
has a passion for helping equestrians ride better through her Pilates based fitness programs. Diana Muravez, treasurer for
the California Dressage Society says, “Through Lori’s regimen of core strength training and stretches with resistance
(Pilates), I have regained my ability to handle horses on a daily basis without injury and with increased confidence.”
“A person that is physically fit is also less likely to be hurt,” adds Lori. “Having good balance
and coordination are essential to being a strong, confident rider. If you can’t control your body, how can you expect
to control your horse’s body?”
Lori equates a rider’s core to the foundation of a house; you can’t
have a stable house without a strong foundation. Equestrian Balance training programs are systematic and progressive programs.
They start by establishing a stable foundation of core strength and then progress to integrate total body exercises to improve
flexibility, balance, coordination and strength.
The
Carry Over Effect
“It comes down to this: the greater your ability to control your body, the more effectively you can communicate
with your horse,” says Lori. “Riding alone is just not enough for most adults. Equestrian Balance programs work
because the new patterns of movement learned in the program carry over to horseback.”
Lori asks all her students, whether
professional or amateur equestrians, to think of themselves as athletes. She says far too often she sees riders get frustrated
with their riding because they can’t meet their own expectations and that of their trainers. While they may need to
improve their riding skills to meet these expectations, Lori says often they also need to improve their own level of physical
fitness.
“Professional athletes have been cross-training for years,” says Lori. “They all participate
in activities other than their professional sport to improve their condition. Pilates does this for equestrians. It works
the body in a way that is similar to riding for a carry over effect. Riders often think I just need to ride more to get better.
When what they really need is to develop the skills to ride well - coordination, balance, and core strength. The rider can
focus on these skills without worrying about what their horse is doing.”
Many of the imbalances Lori sees in a person’s body and self carriage show up directly in their horse’s
carriage and attitude. A rider that has an arched back is not engaging the abdominals to support her riding position and as
a result will have difficulty following the horse’s motion. This causes the horse to be cranky because of the jarring
on his mouth and back. By correcting faulty posture in combination with core strengthening, riders provide themselves with
a “corset of stability” for the lumbar spine while riding, which allows the rest of the body to move freely.
As the owner of a 4 year old Thoroughbred gelding, Nico, Lori knows the challenges of working with young horses. When she
made the decision to adopt Nico, a retired race horse from Tranquility Farm in Tehachapi, Lori knew she had to be in top form
to meet the requirements of training a green horse.
“Horses are by nature unpredictable and any horse
has the potential to hurt you,” says Lori. “Young or green horses are especially unpredictable. If you’re
not physically able to meet those needs you increase your chances of getting hurt. Everyone who rides needs to take personal
responsibility for their own level of fitness.”
Lori currently works as a personal trainer and Pilates
instructor at the Rancho Sports Center in Temecula. She offers private and group training throughout Southern California.
In addition, Lori offers Equestrian Balance clinics, where she teaches body awareness and how it applies to riding, pre-riding
warm-up exercises and Pilates based exercises for equestrians.
For more information on Lori Nelson and Equestrian Balance
call 951-378-9531 or e-mail Lori at lori@equestrianbalance.com. Visit her website at www.equestrianbalance.com
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