27/03/2024
Rider Biomechanics
One of the reasons I love my job is because of the challenges thrown up by something I find endlessly fascinating… the physical interaction between horse and rider and how one influences the other.
Take a rider who is perfectly aligned on the ground, on the saddle horse or whilst working out in my fitness studio then put them on a crooked horse and I’ll see the rider’s body instantly misalign in order to compensate for the horse.
Likewise a “wonky” rider will cause the horse to become crooked. So, it can be tricky to work out exactly where a straightness problem started.
We tend to readily spend a fortune on saddle checks, physio and the like for our horse but easily forget about ourselves.
Think about it; if it’s actually you that’s got the problem, your horse is always going to have to compensate for you!
No matter where the problem started, I will look at what the rider can do to solve it - because if I ask the horse to solve the problem, they might feel getting rid of the rider is the most effective solution!
I work with riders on their alignment and their ability to control their body through rider specific Pilates, strength training and by looking at their biomechanics both on and off the horse.
This rider was only slightly crooked on the saddle horse and this improved after a Pilates session. But she became more crooked once on her horse. After lots of off-horse work in the studio combined with coaching horse and rider together, both are becoming much straighter ❤️😃
Drop me a message if you would like to find out more or have a chat about your own situation.
