52 SIDELINES JANUARY 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
e
By Maria Wynne
Sidelines Writer from across the Pond
Jon Pitts is a Performance Coach who has worked extensively
in the Sports Science of equestrian sports over the past eight
years. He works closely with some of the world’s leading riders, not
only with the Australian squads within the Olympic disciplines of
eventing, dressage and show jumping, but also with many leading
jockeys as a consultant to the Professional Jockey’s Association.
With a background in Sports Science and Neurology, Jon is
able to transfer the knowledge gained from innovative research
to the foundations of his program Fit to Ride. Jon is now teaching
riders what actually happens when they get on a horse – including
how to fall off (safely) as well as helping rider’s build confdence
and increase their performance.
Why did you start Fit to Ride?
My basic background is in sports science. I was frst invited to
meet our UK jump jockeys and while doing this, I began working
with the Great Britain Olympic disciplines. After the Beijing
Olympics I started working with the Australian teams. What is
most important is the knowledge and understanding of how and
why elite riders are so good and how it can be brought to the wider
equestrian public. This is why I started Fit to Ride, which I believe
can help riders to ride more safely and confdently.
How do you change the thinking of the individual?
When we frst learn the skills of riding we instinctively focus
on controlling the horse and staying safe, rather than becoming
conscious of how to physically do it well. Fit to Ride begins by
asking riders to become more conscious of what they are doing,
and then become more aware of how they physically ride better.
How does your “crash training” help riders?
The frst purpose of the crash training is to tackle the traditional
mindset of “It will never happen to me.” In a fall situation, we
Jon Pitts is Fit to Ride
The stability balls form an essential part of the ‘Fit to Ride’
training.
Jon Pitts
cannot afford a recall process, and the more we practice the
more responsive we get. An instinctive reaction should lead to us
dealing with the situation better.
Do you use any educational aids to help riders understand
the different perspectives?
Most of this is about the brain, but I do use balance equipment,
such as stability balls. These allow us to best create a seated
position off the horse where we can challenge balance in a riding-
specifc way. We also use lots of video, which allows us to make
the rider more aware and close the perception/reality gap.
How can riders access you and your work?
I passionately believe that we can ride better and safer, and that
we can make our horses lives easier and healthier. It has been a
long process getting equestrians to start thinking differently, and
I do this by presenting lectures, clinics and demonstrations to all
areas of the equestrian community. To aid this, we’ve developed
the website (www.fttoride.org) which is designed to offer everyone
access to interactive media and information that can help them
improve.
Do riders get less bold as they get older?
As we get older, we experience more and become more aware
of our own mortality. Our brain builds more detailed memories that
make us more wary. Riding pushes the human body to the limit
both physically and mentally and it is understandable that we fnd
it easier to be bolder when we’re younger. We need to help our
brains by being clear and concise, while also not letting irrelevant
and often incorrect information negatively damage us. Secondly,
we have to build these processes into training and competition so
that the horse and rider are working effectively and predictably.
How do you encourage clients to overcome this ingrained
mentality?
I have to gain a rider’s trust. This whole process can take a
fair amount of time, especially if methods have been ingrained,
and change only occurs if we’re able to produce repeatable. A
rider needs to see a positive change in the horse’s performance
and behavior from their new skills to associate the benefts, which
is why I do a fair bit of this on the horse rather than in a clinical
setting.
Photos by David Smith