Dr Britta Schöffmann is Former Grand Prix Dressage rider, a trainer and competition judge. She has a PhD in Sports Science from the German Sport University in Cologne and did her Diploma thesis on ‘The Social Structure in Riding Clubs’ (Zur Sozialstruktur von Reitvereinen’) and her PhD thesis on ‘Equitation in a Subjective and Social Context (Reitsport im Subjektiven und Sozialen Kontext). Dr Schöffmann is also a journalist and prolific author of numerous books on Dressage.

I am a rider in my early 60’s whose lifelong passion is dressage. The classical concept that schooling and training a horse in dressage is “to increase the capability and appearance of the horse and to prolong its ability to work” has always appealed to me.

Spine Curls or Pelvic Curls as they are sometimes known are a wonderful pre-pilates foundation exercise that are often used as a warm up to prepare for more advanced exercises in a Pilates class or as a complete exercise within themselves.

Whether you are a competitor or a weekend pleasure rider using a foam roller for self-myofascial release can be an indispensable tool in keeping your body supple and pain free whilst increasing your riding pleasure and longevity.

If your New Years resolution is to improve your fitness and suppleness for riding, a good place to start is with some simple release techniques and stretches that can easily be incorporated into your daily routine.

There is a lot of discussion in the fitness and Pilates industries recently about functional fitness – exercises that can be related directly to our daily lives and our ability to function well within our lives.