“Spilling the Pilateas: The Spine Twist for Riders”

Hi there, and welcome back to week two of our Spilling the Pilateas newsletter and blog series! Things are going really well here in sunny Florida. The studio and horses are humming along at a nice rhythm. I even got to soak in a little inspiration at Friday Night Lights - watching those beautiful riders and horse moving to their music was pure magic!

So lets dive in and chat about how the Spine Twist exercise can add a little of that magic to your own riding!

Why do I love teaching Spine Twist for riders?

It’s one of those exercises that just brings so much balance and control into your riding. It’s so helpful from riding the perfect corner to nailing your halfpass, or pirouette!

The Spine Twist isn’t just about rotating evenly through both sides of your body—it’s about learning to stay balanced in your feet, lengthened through your spine, and able to turn your torso without shifting your seat. That’s powerful for riders because it means you can control your horse’s hind end evenly while adjusting their front end and shoulders. In other words, you get smoother turns, more consistent bend, and you help

your horse avoid falling in on those circles or leaning on the inside leg.

Ok So how do your do this beautiful exercise?

-Start seated facing the wall, your legs are together and your feet are pointed toes touching the wall. (If this bothers your feet or legs you can flex and put your heels against the wall)

-It’s important to sit up straight and tall like the capital letter “L” if this is hard for you use a block or book to sit up on.

-Start by lengthening up with your spine and out with your leg, this length with create a connection in your feet to the wall, keep it! Then reach your arms to a T position and for a count of 3, on your inhale, start to lift and turn to the right, remember to keep lifting the spine forward and up as you turn. On the exhale return with the lifted spine to the start position.

Things to notice:

-You don’t want your feet to shift, or leave the wall, stay even in your feet as you turn, this will keep your sits bones and hips even.

-Don’t fall or lean back to turn, lean a little forward and go up.

For a full guided video tutorial, click the link below to watch on my YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7a5IaseqWA

OK, so how do you do this beautiful exercise?

Start seated facing a wall. Your legs are together, and your feet are extended forward with your toes touching the wall.
If this position bothers your feet or legs, you can flex your feet and place your heels against the wall instead.

Sit up tall, like the capital letter “L.” If this feels difficult, place a block or a book under your seat to help you sit upright without collapsing

How do I have my clients incorporate this into their rides?

Simple.

Start by practicing this at the halt. You don’t need to reach your arms out to a full “T” in the saddle—holding the reins is absolutely fine (and actually helpful). This teaches you how to use each rein independently on either side of the horse’s neck while keeping your body organized.

From the halt:

• Lengthen down into your heels

• Lift tall through your spine

• Rotate your torso for a slow count of three

• Return to center with control, then repeat to the

  other side

  Focus on staying even in your seat bones and allowing the rotation to come from your torso—not from leaning or shifting your hips.

Once this feels comfortable, try it at the walk. Begin incorporating it through your turns and corners, noticing how much easier it becomes to create correct bend and maintain control without overusing your hands or collapsing your position.

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And there you have it! By adding the Spine Twist into your routine, you’re not just working on your own flexibility - you’re giving yourself and your horse the gift of better balance and control. So go ahead, give it a try, and watch how a little twist can make a big difference in your ride. Until next time, keep twisting and happy riding!

Cheers,

Brooke

Small changes in your body can make a big difference in your ride!