09/02/2026
You know how horses do what we ask even when it’s not that easy for them physically?
A horse can carry a rider and still be uncomfortable. They’re very good at coping, especially when they’ve been trained to be obedient no matter how they feel.”
“It’s a bit like asking someone to jog with a stiff neck or a sore back. They can do it, and they might not complain, but they’re bracing and protecting themselves instead of moving freely.”
Most horses are honest and forgiving. They’ll carry a rider and get on with the job even if they’re tight through the back and protecting themselves.”
When a horse is uncomfortable under saddle, they usually tense their back, brace their neck, or move in a way that protects themselves. Over time, that tension becomes their normal way of going. Years of this “normal” could develop into any different type of lameness.
The number one most important thing I’ve learnt in the last couple of years by undertaking many theory sessions in conjunction with doing and watching, is this:
When a horse carries a rider, the spine becomes the bridge between two moving bodies. True comfort doesn’t come from strength alone, but from the spine’s ability to rotate smoothly with each step. This gentle rotation allows the horse to swing through the ribcage, lift his back, free the shoulders, and step deeper underneath with the hind legs. Without it, the back stiffens, movement becomes braced, and the rider’s weight is absorbed as pressure rather than flow.
Training that encourages spinal rotation and correct bend teaches the horse to distribute the rider’s weight across the whole body instead of protecting one area. The muscles soften, the nervous system relaxes, and movement becomes elastic rather than forced. In that state, the rider is no longer something to be endured—the horse can move with balance, ease, and confidence, making rotation of the spine the foundation of true comfort under saddle.
We need to help horses feel physically safe and balanced with a rider first. Encourage acceptance of a light contact to give them a boundary between reins, seat and legs while using body language as the basis of all communication.
They need to carry weight without bracing, so they can relax their back and move naturally and most importantly with the correct rotation of the spine.
It is really about teaching the horse how to carry a rider comfortably — lifting with an upward swing in the back, staying balanced, and not having to brace.
Once they’re comfortable, everything else — steering, transitions, softness — becomes easier and more consistent.
- Fewer resistance behaviours
- Longer soundness
- Being able to work with less effort
- A horse that stays willing over time.
It’s not about riding less or letting the horse get away with anything, the horse doesn’t just behave better — they last longer, stay healthier so they keep going for years and actually enjoy the work.
This knowledge is available to anyone as advances in the science of biomechanics, physiology and behaviour make it accessible. We owe it to our horses to learn all we can for its welfare and its longevity.
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