🫖 Spilling the Pilateas – Edition 9 Straight Starts on the Mat
We think we’re straight.
We’re usually not.
Whether you’re practicing Pilates at home or riding without mirrors, it’s easy to reinforce asymmetry without realizing it. One rib pops. One hip grips. One leg works harder. And slowly, that becomes your “normal.”
Before we go upright next week, we’re staying on the mat — but we’re adding one very honest teacher:
The wall.
The wall doesn’t judge.
It doesn’t over-coach.
It simply reflects the truth.
If you’re willing to listen.
Why the Wall?
When I work with riders, straightness is never just about the horse.
It’s about:
Even weight in the saddle
Equal length through both sides of the waist
A pelvis that isn’t subtly rotated
Ribs that aren’t flaring to compensate
If your body isn’t organized on the ground, it won’t magically organize in motion.
So this week we use the wall to bring awareness to three foundational mat exercises:
Roll Up
Single Leg Circle
Single Leg Stretch
Let’s get honest.
1️⃣ Roll Up Using the Wall
Set Up:
Lie on your back with your heels lightly pressing into the wall. Legs long. Arms overhead.
What the wall tells you:
Do both heels press evenly?
Does one rib pop as you initiate?
When you roll down, does your sacrum land centered?
As you roll up, feel the back of your ribs widen instead of thrusting forward. As you roll down, aim to place each vertebra evenly without shifting weight into one hip.
Rider Translation:
Rib control = quieter half halts.
If your ribs flare, your hands often do too.
Follow along with the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc8d8srGdjA
2️⃣ Single Leg Circle Using the Wall
Set Up:
One leg long on the mat. The standing foot gently presses into the wall for feedback.
What the wall reveals:
Does the anchored hip stay heavy?
Does the pelvis rock as the circle crosses midline?
Does the standing leg press evenly?
The goal is not a big circle.
The goal is a stable pelvis with a femur moving cleanly in the socket.
If your wall foot pressure changes as the leg circles, you’ve found your compensation.
Rider Translation:
An effective inside leg doesn’t grip — it organizes from a stable pelvis.
Here’ the video to practice with:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRomXv6AkGs
3️⃣ Single Leg Stretch with Wall Feedback
Set Up:
Head and shoulders lifted. One foot lightly pressing into the wall as the opposite leg extends.
Switch slowly.
Notice:
Does one hip hike when the leg extends?
Does your pelvis rotate?
Does the pressure through the wall change side to side?
This is where asymmetry hides.
Slow it down enough to feel it.
Rider Translation:
Even rein contact begins with even hip stability.
Follow with the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEXkVx1bNE8
Straightness Isn’t Forced
It’s organized.
When we rush to standing exercises or try to “ride straighter,” we often layer tension on top of imbalance.
This week, we organize on the mat.
Next week, we take that organization upright and test it against gravity.
Because before you stand taller…
you need to get honest on the floor.
🫖 Spill the Pilateas:
Which side surprised you?
Cheers,
Brooke
P.S. These wall-based exercises are foundational pieces from my Straightness Intensive- a live, small-group rider alignment experience offered virtually or as a private barn intensive for riders ready to refine with precision.