Issue #406
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
Horseback on the Reformer
by Brett Miller
Horseback has become one of my favorite exercises (even though it is very challenging) because it really deepens my awareness of how to use my whole center in relation to how I use my extremities. I think it can do the same for other people as well.
A lot of people will avoid Horseback on the Reformer because it is very difficult – and also because it can hurt the inner thighs when they squeeze the box. To mitigate the latter issue, I place a yoga mat on my box (as you can see in the pictures below).
So let’s get started with a Prep Exercise that will be quite simple, but even though it is simple, it’s not easy!
I suggest using a light spring to begin with (I use a 1/2 spring on my Stott Reformer).
Sit upright, straddling the box, your head balanced at the top of a long spine. The feet are flexed; the hands are high and at the side of the body.
Pause there, the neck is stretched – your arms are stretched forward by your ears. – the legs are stretched.
And that’s enough.
Sit down slowly and with control, bending the arms and legs back to the start position. Establish and FEEL your balance once again.
That’s a nice prep for getting into that difficult (and maybe painful) ‘standing’ balance. Success with the prep itself is a big achievement!
Let’s move forward to the full version.
Begin by ‘Standing up’ on the box as we did in the Prep Exercise.
Stand up as high as you can and be careful not to get tense in your neck and shoulders.
They are doing work, but they shouldn’t get overly tense.
Keep your arms long and take the arms down so that they are vertical and in line with your torso. Everything else stays the same.
Simultaneously pull back in the center and stretch your arms forward again up around your ears. Do that again…and then a third time!
Pause here at the end of those 3 reps:
Next, in a very slow and controlled manner, stretch your arms far out to the side, maintain your “standing” stance on the box.
Pause again.
Now finish beautifully by coming down with consciousness to re-establish your balance sitting high on the box.
That’s it!!
I hope I’ve given you some things to think about when doing Horseback on the Reformer, or perhaps even motivated you who have never done it to give it a try?
This video demonstrates Horseback on the Reformer as described above, plus a bonus ‘extra perk’ at the end.
Good luck!
Brett Miller is the founder of Pilates Intel, he started his professional life in the world of ballet, working with various companies in the US. Later on he moved to New York and branched out into modern along with the ballet. Since then, he has lived in Finland and now in Stockholm Sweden.
Brett became a Pilates instructor in 2005 and has been teaching ever since. The intelligent technique that Pilates is, and the chance to continue to be physical, attracted him to this field after being so long in the dance world. Along with teaching Pilates and publishing Pilates Intel, Brett is a software developer for Ericsson.