If Your Position Won’t Stay, This Is the Real Reason (And Why Horse Riding Position Exercises Aren’t Fixing It)

If Your Position Won’t Stay, This Is the Real Reason (And Why Horse Riding Position Exercises Aren’t Fixing It)

by | Apr 9, 2026 | Articles

Why Your Horse Riding Position Feels Like It Won’t Stay

If your position won’t stay in the saddle, it rarely feels dramatic. It’s often subtle, inconsistent, and difficult to explain.

You can find your position, correct it, sit taller, steady your hands, and organise your body into what you know it should look like. For a moment, everything feels right. But then it begins to slip. Not completely, but just enough to notice. Your balance shifts, your body tightens, and something no longer feels as stable as it did seconds before.

Why Trying Harder Doesn’t Improve Your Horse Riding Position

This is where frustration starts to build, because it doesn’t make sense. You know what you’re trying to achieve. You’ve been given the instructions, and you’re actively trying to apply them. Yet your body won’t maintain it consistently. It feels like something you should be able to control, but can’t.

Most riders respond to this by assuming they need to do more:

  • More focus
  • More effort
  • More correction
  • More horse riding position exercises

The logic seems sound. If the position isn’t staying, then strengthening it or practising it more should solve the problem. So they try to hold the position for longer, think more about what their body is doing, and apply more effort to keep everything where it should be.

The Problem With How Most Riders Approach Horse Riding Position

The problem is, this approach is built on the assumption that your position is something you can simply hold in place. It treats the visible outcome as the starting point, rather than the result of something deeper. And that’s where things begin to break down.

Your riding position is not something you create in the moment. It is something your body produces based on the movement patterns, stability, and coordination it already has available. When you sit in the saddle, you are not building your position from scratch. You are expressing what your body currently knows how to do.

Why Your Horse Riding Position Changes When the Demand Increases

This is why your position won’t stay, regardless of how much you think about it.

👉 Your body cannot maintain a position it does not have the capacity to support.

It may be able to find it briefly, especially when you are focused and the environment is controlled, but it cannot sustain it when the demand increases.

As soon as that demand changes — whether through:

  • Transitions
  • Balance adjustments
  • Time in the saddle
  • Subtle shifts in your horse’s movement

— your nervous system steps in.

It doesn’t choose what you are consciously trying to do.
👉 It chooses what feels most stable and reliable based on your existing patterns.

Why Your Body Defaults to Familiar Movement Patterns

That is why your body defaults. Not randomly, and not because you are doing something wrong, but because it is selecting the most familiar and supported option available to it.

This is when you start to feel:

  • The grip through your thighs
  • The tension in your shoulders
  • The collapse through one side
  • The movement in your hands

These are not mistakes in the way most riders think of them.

👉 They are compensations your body is using to create stability.

Why Altering Your Horse Riding Position in the Saddle Doesn’t Make It Stay

This is also why many approaches riders use fail to deliver the results riders expect.

They often:

  • Focus on the position itself
  • Encourage you to replicate or hold a shape
  • Ignore the system that creates it

Rather than developing the underlying support that allows that shape to exist consistently.

Without that support, the position will always be temporary.

The more you try to force it, the more your body compensates.

👉 Effort does not create stability if the system underneath cannot support it.

Instead, it increases tension and reinforces the very patterns you are trying to change.

This is why progress can feel:

  • Inconsistent
  • Frustrating
  • Or completely stalled

Even when you’re doing all the “right” things.

Why Your Horse Riding Position Feels Inconsistent — Even When You Know What to Do

When you begin to understand this, the problem starts to make sense.

Your position isn’t failing because you’re not trying hard enough.
It’s not disappearing because you’re forgetting what to do.

👉 It’s changing because your body is responding to what it can currently manage.

That shift in understanding is important, because it changes the direction of improvement.

Instead of focusing on holding your position in the saddle, you start to look at:

  • What is enabling it
  • What is limiting it

You move away from trying to control the outcome and begin to develop the input.

What Actually Needs to Change for Your Horse Riding Position to Stay

This is where the right approach becomes effective.

Not as a way to force your body into a position…
…but as a way to build:

  • Strength
  • Coordination
  • Control

👉 So your position can stay without effort.

When your body has the capacity to support the position, it no longer needs to be held in place.

It becomes your default.

👉 The Postural Workout Bundle

How Horse Riding Position Exercises Should Support Your Position (Not Force It)

If your position has never felt consistent, it doesn’t mean you are behind or that you are missing something obvious.

👉 It means your body is working exactly as it has been conditioned to.

Using the strategies it trusts most.

And those strategies can be changed — but only when you understand what is actually driving them.

Why Your Horse Riding Position Will Only Stay When Your Body Can Support It

If your position has never felt consistent, it doesn’t mean you are behind or that you are missing something obvious.

👉 It means your body is working exactly as it has been conditioned to, using the strategies it trusts most.

And those strategies can be changed — but only when you understand what is actually driving them.

👉 Join my mailing list and access the How I Assess Riders video, where I break down exactly what I look for and how these patterns show up before they ever appear in the saddle.

Because once you understand the cause…you stop trying to fix the symptom.

And that’s when real progress begins.

If you’re already on my mailing list and would like it resent, email me at and I’ll send it over.

Your Body Isn’t Failing — It’s Responding

Your Body Isn’t Failing — It’s Responding

by | Mar 25, 2026 | Articles

Your Body Isn’t Failing — It’s Responding

When a Horse Rider feels tense, uneven, unstable, or physically exhausted after riding, the immediate assumption is usually failure.

“I should be stronger.”
“I should be fitter.”
“I should be able to hold this by now.”

But what if your body isn’t failing at all?

What if it’s responding — intelligently and predictably — to everything it has experienced so far?

What if it’s responding — intelligently and predictably — to everything it has experienced so far?

Every Horse Rider carries history into the saddle. Not just riding history, but physical and emotional history.

  • Old injuries that were never fully resolved
  • Long hours sitting at a desk
  • Protective tension after a fall
  • Subtle instability in transitions
  • Stress carried through the shoulders from life outside the yard

None of that disappears when you mount your horse.

The body does not reset when you pick up the reins. It organises itself according to what feels safest and most stable in that moment.

When something feels uncertain, the nervous system makes adjustments:

  • It tightens
  • It braces
  • It redistributes effort
  • It creates control where it perceives instability

That is not failure.
That is response.

Understanding that distinction changes everything for a Horse Rider. Because when you believe your body is failing, you fight it. When you understand your body is responding, you begin to work with it instead.

A Horse Rider’s Body Is Designed for Stability, Not Aesthetics

The primary job of the body is safety.

Not elegance.
Not symmetry.
Not textbook posture.

If at any point a Horse Rider experiences instability — even briefly — the body adapts.

  • A small loss of balance in canter
  • A tense moment in sitting trot
  • A horse that spooks unpredictably
  • A landing after a jump that felt heavier than expected
Rider on a horse in nature.

Each of these experiences teaches the nervous system something.

It teaches the body how to prevent that instability next time.

For one Horse Rider, that might mean tightening through the shoulders. For another, it might mean gripping with the knees. For another, it might mean collapsing slightly to reduce muscular demand.

These adjustments are not conscious choices. They are rapid protective strategies.

Over time, those strategies become habits.

  • A Horse Rider who grips is not weak
  • A Horse Rider who collapses through one side is not careless
  • A Horse Rider who struggles to maintain a consistent position is not incapable

The body is simply prioritising stability over refinement.

The difficulty is that what once helped the Horse Rider feel secure can later restrict fluidity, coordination, and endurance. The protective strategy remains long after the original instability has passed.

Adaptation Is Intelligence, Not Dysfunction

Adaptation is often mistaken for dysfunction.

If a Horse Rider has ever experienced discomfort in one hip, the body may subtly shift weight away from that side. If a Horse Rider works long hours seated, the hips and thoracic spine adapt to that posture. If a Horse Rider rides a forward or reactive horse, the nervous system may remain slightly heightened in anticipation.

These patterns are not errors.
They are intelligent responses to demand.

  • When a Horse Rider is told to “relax,” but their nervous system still perceives instability, relaxation feels unsafe.
  • When a Horse Rider is told to “sit taller,” but the body lacks endurance to maintain it, upright posture feels exhausting.
  • When a Horse Rider is asked to soften their hands, but tension exists further up the kinetic chain, the instruction cannot sustain itself.

The problem is not that the body adapted. The problem is that adaptation became the default.

The nervous system always chooses safety over instruction.

This is why so many Horse Riders feel they understand what they are being told, yet cannot hold it consistently. The body is not resisting the instruction. It is protecting itself.

Why Trying Harder Often Makes It Worse for a Horse Rider

The natural reaction to difficulty is effort.

A Horse Rider:

  • Concentrates harder
  • Engages more muscles
  • Tries to control more deliberately

For a few strides, it appears to work.
The position improves.
The outline sharpens.
The corrections stick.

Then the old pattern returns.

Not because the Horse Rider lacks discipline.
Because effort layered on top of protection reinforces tension.

If the body believes it must brace to remain stable, asking it to relax without increasing stability feels risky. If the body believes gripping prevents imbalance, asking it to release without addressing underlying control feels unsafe.

Trying harder does not override the nervous system. It amplifies it.

This is why a Horse Rider can feel increasingly fatigued despite improving fitness:

  • Compensatory muscles work overtime
  • Smaller stabilisers fail to contribute effectively
  • Larger muscles dominate to maintain control

The result is exhaustion without elegance.

The Horse Rider experiences this as frustration.
The body experiences it as necessary.

The Difference Between Failure and Response in a Horse Rider

Failure suggests inability.
Response suggests logic.

When a Horse Rider collapses slightly through one side, the body may be offloading tension from a previously irritated joint. When a Horse Rider lifts their shoulders during transitions, the body may be preparing for unpredictability. When a Horse Rider feels uneven in the reins, the imbalance may originate in pelvic stability rather than hand position.

These are not random behaviours.
They are organised adaptations.

The body constantly redistributes effort to solve perceived problems:

  • If one area lacks stability, another compensates
  • If coordination is inconsistent, tension increases to create control
  • If balance feels uncertain, the body stiffens to reduce movement variability

The Horse Rider interprets this as a flaw.
The body interprets it as survival.

Once a Horse Rider understands this, the internal dialogue changes.

Instead of “Why can’t I do this?” the question becomes:
👉 “What is my body protecting me from?”

That question shifts the entire approach to improvement.

What Changes When a Horse Rider Stops Assuming Failure

When a Horse Rider recognises that their body is responding rather than failing, something subtle but powerful happens:

  • Blame reduces
  • Curiosity increases

Instead of suppressing tension, the Horse Rider investigates it. Instead of forcing posture, they examine stability. Instead of chasing perfection, they build capacity.

This is where meaningful progress begins.

The body does not need to be forced into better position. It needs to feel secure enough to reorganise.

  • Stability must precede softness
  • Support must precede strength
  • Regulation must precede refinement

As those foundations improve, visible riding changes begin to occur almost quietly:

  • Balance becomes less dramatic
  • Transitions feel smoother
  • Endurance improves without excessive fatigue

The Horse Rider no longer feels as though they are fighting themselves.

Riding becomes quieter.

And that quietness is often the clearest sign that the body no longer feels under threat.

A Horse Rider Improves by Working With the Body, Not Against It

True improvement does not begin with correction.
It begins with understanding.

When a Horse Rider works with their body rather than against it:

  • Adaptation becomes information instead of limitation
  • Tension becomes feedback instead of frustration
  • Imbalance becomes a signal rather than a flaw

The body is not the enemy of progress.
It is the mechanism through which progress happens.

Your body is not failing you.
It is responding to everything it has learned so far.

But understanding that idea is only the starting point.

If your body is responding rather than failing, the real question becomes:

  • Where are you bracing when the pace increases?
  • Where do you collapse when fatigue sets in?
  • Where does tension rise before you consciously notice it?

Those patterns are not random.
They are organised responses.

And until you can see them clearly, you’ll keep trying to fix symptoms rather than causes.

That’s exactly why I created “How I Assess Rider Movement — and What It Shows Me.”

It gives you insight into the specific movements I use to assess a Horse Rider, and what those patterns reveal about how your body is organising itself in the saddle.

If you’d like that insight, sign up to the RiderCise newsletter using  below and I’ll send it straight to your inbox.

If you’re already on my mailing list and would like it resent, email me at and I’ll send it over.

Understand first. Then build properly.

Improve Your Riding: If Riding Still Feels Harder Than It Should, Here’s Why

Improve Your Riding: If Riding Still Feels Harder Than It Should, Here’s Why

by | Jan 14, 2026 | Articles

Improve Your Riding: If Riding Still Feels Harder Than It Should, Here’s Why

If you’re actively trying to improve your riding, but it still feels harder than it should, you’re not alone — and more importantly, you’re not doing anything wrong.

Many riders reach a point where progress quietly slows down or feels inconsistent. Lessons are still happening. You’re still showing up. You might even be stronger, fitter, or more experienced than you were before. And yet riding feels effortful in a way that’s hard to explain. Not dramatic. Just heavier. Noisier. Less fluid than it used to be.

Some days things feel fine. Other days you feel unbalanced, tense, or strangely disconnected from your body. You understand what your instructor is asking for, but your body doesn’t seem able to maintain it for long. Or you leave the yard physically tired rather than mentally satisfied, even after an otherwise “good” ride.

This is often when self-doubt creeps in.
Why does this still feel so hard?
Why does my body not do what I know it should?
Why does it feel like I’m fighting myself?

The issue here isn’t effort, discipline, or commitment. It’s that improving your riding requires more than riding more or trying harder. It requires understanding what your body has learned to do over time — and why it defaults to those patterns when you ride.

Improve Your Riding by Understanding What Your Body Is Doing

To genuinely improve your riding, you have to move beyond surface-level correction and cues, and start understanding how your body is organising itself in the saddle.

Your body doesn’t arrive on the horse as a blank slate. It brings with it years of experiences — not just from riding, but from life. How you sit at a desk. How you carry stress. How you’ve protected yourself through injury, fatigue, or uncertainty. All of that shapes how your body stabilises, balances, and reacts when you ride.

This is why two riders can be told the same thing in a lesson and have completely different experiences. One can apply it easily. The other understands it but cannot sustain it. That difference isn’t talent or effort — it’s organisation.

When riding feels harder than it should, it’s rarely because you’re incapable. More often, your body is quietly compensating — redistributing effort, tension, or balance to get the job done in the safest way it knows how. Until those compensations are understood, effort alone won’t resolve them.

Improve Your Riding Starts With Recognising Adaptation

Your body is designed to adapt. That’s how it keeps you upright, functioning, and safe.

If you’ve ever protected one side after an injury, braced to feel secure, tightened to stay in control, or collapsed to reduce effort, those responses weren’t mistakes. They were intelligent solutions at the time. Your body found a way to cope with the demands placed on it.

The problem is that the body doesn’t automatically discard those solutions once circumstances change.

Over time, short-term strategies become long-term habits. Habits become default movement patterns. And those patterns show up every time you ride, regardless of what you intend to do.

This is why being told to “relax” or “sit taller” can feel impossible. Your body isn’t ignoring instruction — it’s prioritising what feels familiar and safe. Recognising this removes blame and creates the foundation for real change.

Diagram showing asymmetry in a horse rider’s posture while sitting in the saddle

Why Trying Harder Doesn’t Always Improve Your Riding

One of the most frustrating experiences as a rider is doing more and feeling like you’re getting nowhere.

You concentrate harder. You apply more effort. You ride more deliberately. And yet the same issues keep resurfacing. Sometimes they even feel more pronounced the more you try to fix them.

This happens because effort doesn’t override adaptation.

If your body doesn’t have the stability, coordination, or awareness to maintain a position, trying harder simply reinforces compensation. You might hold something briefly, but it will feel forced and unstable. As soon as attention drops, the body reverts to what it knows.

This is why riders often feel they can “find it” for a moment, then lose it again. The issue isn’t understanding or motivation. It’s that the body doesn’t yet have the capacity to support what’s being asked.

Horse rider gripping and bracing in the saddle while trying to maintain balance

Improve Your Riding by Addressing the Root Cause, Not the Symptom

Most riders end up focusing on symptoms.

Uneven reins.
Collapsing through one side.
Gripping with the legs.
Losing balance in transitions.

But symptoms are signals. They’re the result of something else happening underneath.

When you chase symptoms, progress stays temporary. You fix one thing, another pops up. You feel like you’re constantly managing issues rather than moving forward.

Symptom

⬇️

Pattern

⬇️

Root Cause

When you address the root cause — how your body is organising itself and why — change becomes more stable. Positions feel easier to maintain. Balance becomes less effortful. Riding starts to feel quieter again.

How to Improve Your Riding Without Forcing Change

Lasting improvement doesn’t come from forcing your body into a shape it can’t maintain.

It comes from a clear order:
awareness first,
support second,
strength built on top.

When awareness comes first, you begin to notice patterns without judging them. When the body feels supported, it’s willing to change. Strength layered on top of that support actually transfers into the saddle, rather than being overridden by old habits.

Clare riding Annick - Ridden Sessions

Riders often describe this as riding feeling lighter. Not because they’re doing less, but because their body isn’t fighting itself anymore.

Improve Your Riding Starts With Understanding

If riding still feels harder than it should, it doesn’t mean you’re failing.

It means your body has adapted — and now needs a different kind of input.

Understanding removes blame. It replaces frustration with clarity. And it creates a path forward that doesn’t rely on pushing, forcing, or starting over.

You don’t improve your riding by fighting your body.
You improve your riding by understanding it — and working with it.

If this resonates with you, the next step isn’t more effort — it’s insight.

I’ve created a free insight called “How I Assess Rider Movement — and What It Shows Me.” It walks you through the key movements I use to assess a rider off the horse, and explains what those patterns reveal about how your body is organising itself in the saddle.

To receive it, sign up to the RiderCise newsletter using the box below, and I’ll send it directly to your inbox.

If you’re already on my mailing list and would like it resent, email me at and I’ll make sure you have it.

Understand first. Then build properly.

How to be Confident

How to be Confident

by | Dec 14, 2023 | Articles

How To Be Confident

Losing your confidence is something that many can’t grasp if they’ve never lost it. But it can and will affect nearly every one of us in one way or another. When we lose confidence in one area of our life, it affects our confidence in other areas.

How We Lose Confidence

Losing your confidence doesn’t necessarily come from having an incident in the saddle. It can occur when we have had a period out of the saddle, feedback from an instructor or individual, overhearing someone negatively talk about us, going through personal challenges and even suffering a fall at home or recovering from an illness or surgery.

As we get older, we are more likely to lose our confidence as we start to notice the signs of aging such as your hair going grey, getting wrinkles, hormone levels starting to diminish and play havoc with your moods, your outlook on life and maintain or losing weight becomes a battle. We also start to notice the things we could once do with great ease are no longer so easy.

All and any of these things affect our confidence.

When you lose your confidence, you become self critical and conscious of yourself. The way you move, feel, ride and look.

Whilst you may appear to be happy and content on the outside. The truth is. You’re not happy. You can be angry, frustrated, overwhelmed, sad and unsure of how to move forward.

Helen loves her Fell pony Wally, he is her retirement plan! They are going to spend all their time exploring the Yorkshire Dales together. Doing exciting things with friends and going to clinics and shows.

And they did, till Helen fell down the stairs at home and lost all belief in herself as she struggled to function day-to-day as she was recovering. Simple tasks like doing the washing, lifting items and cleaning the house was difficult. Not being able to do these simple tasks had a huge effect on Helen.

Helen couldn’t contemplate getting in the saddle, she couldn’t even bring herself to just go and enjoy being with him.

Losing your confidence makes you unhappy. And not being happy limits your enjoyment of your horse, your riding and your life.

Regaining Your Confidence

Seems simple but it’s incredibly challenging when you are not sure where to start or what to do. Having a plan, support and guidance and being realistic in the time it will take is key.

  • 1. You Need To Have A Plan
  • Whatever you decide to do, whether it be to have coaching sessions, join a program or set yourself small manageable tasks. You must understand that it will take a minimum of 6 months to make real progress or you risk being back at square one.
  • You should decide what you are going to do, how frequently you are going to do it and how long you will do it for. During that time, don’t change the approach. Stick with it. Give it time to work.

Examples: Hypnotherapy, NLP Sessions, Menopause Coaching, Going to the Gym/Class, Rehab Sessions with a Trainer, Having riding lessons on a school master, Join a Transformation program or simply setting yourself little tasks each week.

  • 2. You Need and Deserve To Have Support
  • Many of us feel that we don’t need help or are embarrassed to ask for help but there will be times when it feels like the world is against you and you feel low. Not having someone to listen and guide you is setting yourself up for failure.
  • You will naturally think negatively of the progress you are making, instead of remembering and celebrating all the wins.
  • Having support not only keeps you on plan and moving forward. It helps guide you, pick you up when you need it, drive you forward when you want to quit, and remind you just how far you’ve come.
  • 3. Transformations Take Time
  • It takes time to gain confidence back, acknowledge that. It’s not going to be a week or a month. But if you are consistent and keep moving forward you will become the confident rider you want to be. You will find joy in being with and riding your horse.
  • You will have a more positive outlook on life.
  • You will be happy in your skin and learn to make the most of every opportunity that comes your way.

Whilst Helen didn’t lose her confidence riding, it affected her confidence to ride and handle Wally.

Having been in a similar position before, Helen knew that to move forward she had to improve her daily function. She needed to build up her strength and improve her mobility so that every day tasks weren’t so difficult. This would make her believe in herself again. That she could overcome her injury, she was strong, physically and mentally and She could cope if Wally was a little overwhelming on a particular day.

Helen signed up for the Strong Confident Rider Program in 2022 with the goals of:

I want to be a calm, capable and focused rider. I want to be courageous and responsive rather than timid and reactive.

  • Change the pictures and narrative in my head!
  • I want my body to feel strong and confident
  • I want to develop a heartfelt connection with Wally, to ride with an awareness of how I’m using my body and how this affects Wally.
  • I’d like to be able to think something and Wally would respond with minimal aids.

 

Helen smashed her goals within months of joining and has continued on to the SCR membership program where she is living her best life with Wally.

    “I can’t quite believe just how much has changed over the last 12 months.

    I’ve gone from dithering on the mounting block to planning my next adventures with my beloved Fell Pony, Wally.

    I think he’s as happy as I am.”

    Helen

    Fell Lover and Countryside Explorer

    Take Action

    The most important step you can do right now is to take action. Life is too short to ‘do it tomorrow’. If you had done it yesterday, you’d be one step closer to becoming more confident. Taking action doesn’t need to be overwhelming.

    Simply take the time today to decide the first step in your plan. How do you want to work on your confidence?

    • If it’s the riding aspect, are you going to book some lessons with a schoolmaster?
    • If it’s more about changing the way you view yourself, are you going to work with a confidence coach or have Hypnotherapy/NLP sessions?
    • If is improving your mindset, health, well-being and riding, are you joining the Strong Confident Rider Program?

    Whatever route is right for you. Don’t waste any more time worrying. Take action today and be one step closer. Just imagine where you could be in 6 months time.

    Running for Rider Fitness

    Running for Rider Fitness

    by | Apr 11, 2023 | Articles

    Running for Rider Fitness

    Running is a great way to improve cardiovascular fitness and increase lean muscle mass. It is also Free!! You get to see areas from a different view, challenge yourself with different terrain, and get high on endorphins!

    For many, the feeling of being cardiovascularly challenged is the definition of fitness. If they are not sweaty, aching, and/or unable to continue. They have not worked hard enough.

    The sense of achievement and satisfaction, the endorphins, when you have run as much as you can physically endure is highly addictive.

    But is running good for Rider Fitness?

    What benefits does Running provide Riders?

     

    Running is an excellent way to improve your cardio fitness (cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF)) – Your ability to uptake and supply oxygen to skeletal muscle mitochondria for energy production. When oxygen is used for energy production it is known as aerobic exercise.

    Anaerobic exercise means that the body uses different systems to produce energy. In the absence of oxygen.

    Cardio fitness is expressed as your VO2 Max – The maximum volume of oxygen you can take in through your lungs, pump around your body using your heart and blood vessels and then make use of the oxygen in your muscle’s energy expenditure.

    In addition, running can help develop lean body mass but this is highly dependent on whether you are fuelling your body correctly for muscle growth.

    Running for Rider Fitness

    Running improves your cardiovascular fitness. Improving your body’s ability to uptake and utilise oxygen for energy production. 

    Event Fit

    Why is Cardio Fitness Important for Riders?

     

    A normal heart rate at rest can vary between 60-100 beats per minute. The ‘ideal’ range is 50-70 beats per minute. The lower the resting rate, the fitter you are, and the less stress on your heart to pump blood around your body.

    When riding your heart rate will be higher than its resting rate. Mainly because you are actively using your body to ride but also because of stress, anxiety, and excitement.

    If you have a low level of cardio fitness, this puts excess stress on your heart and can leave you feeling weak, dizzy, or sick.

    In worst-case scenarios, it can also lead to stroke and heart attacks.

    Because your heart rate will fluctuate when riding, depending on what you are doing, how your horse is feeling beneath you, how you are feeling, and of course how fit you are.

    Cardio fitness is an essential component of Rider Fitness but not classed as Rider Fitness.

     

    Running Considerations

     

    Whilst running itself is not harmful to the body. The way in which you run can be.

    Your running technique will be influenced by your level of fitness and your posture.

    • If your posture is compromised it affects your body’s ability to run efficiently and absorb impact which can lead to injuries.
    • If your fitness level is low then you will be training anaerobically which can lead to lactic acid build-up (heavy legs / burning sensation) which in turn affects your body’s ability to run with good technique.
    Is Running good for Rider Fitness

    If you have a compromised posture you would be best advised to correct your posture first through corrective exercises (where possible) so that your body is able to deal with the impact effectively, reducing the risk of injuries and the damage to joints that can occur.

    Postural imbalances such as a Kyphotoic posture where your upper body is rounded and you will probably have a posterior pelvic tilt (bottom tucked under) can be made worse by performing exercise activities such as running, rowing or cycling. This is because the muscles that you should be using to perform these activities will be shortened/tight:

    • Hamstrings
    • Abdominals
    • Glutes
    Pelvic Tilts - Posterior

    This will inhibit their ability to function correctly because these activities typically force you into a crouched/rounded position (running because it’s hard and how the majority of runners run). It further shortens those muscles and contributes to the weakness of your hip flexors and lower back

    If you have a low level of fitness, start gradually by walking with small intervals of jogging. There are many running programs available on the internet for beginners. Take your time and build up your fitness slowly.

     

    Running Technique

    • Posture: Ensure that your posture is in the best alignment possible before starting running.
    • Function: It is important that you run by pushing yourself forward by using your glute (bum), not dragging yourself forward. Using the incorrect muscles will cause fatigue quicker and also alter your body’s running posture which will reduce its ability to absorb shock.

    Watch this short video to see the differences between incorrect and correct running technique.

    Note: Sally has good posture and runs regularly and is coached in her technique. It is very difficult to run incorrectly when you have learned to run correctly. This means this video will not show the true extent of running incorrectly. It will be much worse.

    Summary

    Once you have gotten past the hardship of learning to run correctly and have built up a good level of cardiovascular fitness. Running is enjoyable and delivers high amounts of endorphins.

    It is satisfying and rewarding and improves heart and lung function. Best of all, it’s free and you can explore your area and participate in local running groups and take part in a variety of running competitions.

    But it’s not for everyone. Riders with a compromised posture are best seeking other activities to boost their cardiovascular ability. Once which doesn’t put them at risk of injury. Activities such as walking, swimming, and using a cross trainer. Cycling and rowing are also options if you don’t have a kyphotic or posterior pelvic tilt.

    Running can improve muscular endurance if you run long distances and can improve lean muscle development if you are eating for performance.

    • Muscular endurance and lean muscle development are not typically achievable or considered a benefit of running to the average runner. This is due to many running short distances and normally in a calorie deficit.
    • If you run as a sports activity. You will be combining your running with sprints, hill work and resistance training in order to enhance your muscular endurance and lean muscle. 

    Running is a beneficial form of cardio exercise for riders but running doesn’t make you rider fit. There are 7 more components that make up rider fitness: Balance, Coordination, Stability, Agility, Mobility,  Muscular Strength and Muscular Endurance.

    Rider Biomechanics

    Rider Biomechanics

    by | Mar 28, 2023 | Articles

    What is Rider Biomechanics

    Rider biomechanics refers to the study of how a rider’s body movements, positioning, and muscle activity affect their riding performance, comfort, and safety. It encompasses the analysis of various factors such as balance, posture, and the interaction between the rider and the horse.

    Rider biomechanics is important in equestrian sports, where small changes in the rider’s position or muscle activity can have a significant impact on the horse’s movement and performance. By understanding the principles of rider biomechanics, riders can improve their riding technique, reduce the risk of injury, and enhance their overall riding experience.

    In addition, rider biomechanics can also be used to evaluate and select appropriate equipment, such as saddles, stirrups, and reins, to optimize the rider’s position and comfort while riding.

    What does Rider Biomechanics Assess?

    When assessing rider biomechanics, several factors are typically considered, including:

    1. Alignment and posture: This refers to the rider’s ability to maintain a neutral spine and aligned body position, which helps distribute their weight evenly across the horse’s back and allows for clear communication between the rider and the horse.

    2. Balance: Good balance is essential for effective riding. It involves the rider’s ability to maintain their center of gravity over the horse’s center of gravity, which is important for staying in control of the horse’s movements.

    3. Joint angles: Proper joint angles, such as hip, knee, and ankle flexion, can improve the rider’s stability and balance, while also allowing them to move with the horse’s motion.

    4. Muscle activation: The rider’s muscle activation patterns can affect their balance and stability, as well as their ability to influence the horse’s movement.

    5. Rein contact: The way the rider holds the reins and applies pressure can impact the horse’s response to their cues.

    6. Movement: The way the rider moves with the horse, such as their ability to absorb and follow the horse’s motion, can affect the horse’s comfort and overall performance

     

    Rider Biomechanics

    By assessing these factors, riders can identify areas where they may need to improve their technique and develop a more effective, efficient, and comfortable riding style.

    Event Rider

    Considerations of Assessments

    It is important that any rider biomechanics assessment takes into account learned behavior, habits, and body responses that come from riding experience, as well as any injuries or traumas that a rider may have experienced.

    These factors can play an important role in shaping a rider’s biomechanics.

    For example, a rider who has experienced a fall or riding trauma may have developed habits or muscle activation patterns that are designed to protect them from future injury. These patterns may not be optimal for riding performance, but they can be difficult to overcome without the help of an experienced coach who understands the rider’s history and needs. Similarly, a rider who has developed a habit of leaning too far forward or gripping too tightly with their legs may need to retrain their muscles in order to achieve a more balanced and effective riding position.

    Pros & Cons

    Pros:

    • Improved riding performance: By optimizing rider biomechanics, riders can improve their balance, stability, and overall riding technique, leading to better performance in the arena or out and about.
    • Reduced risk of injury: Proper biomechanics can help riders avoid injuries such as falls, muscle strains, and joint pain, by distributing forces and stress evenly throughout the body.
    • Enhanced horse welfare: Optimal rider biomechanics can also benefit the horse by reducing interference with the horse’s movement and allowing the horse to move more freely and comfortably under saddle.
    • Improved communication between horse and rider: Good biomechanics can help the rider communicate more effectively with the horse, by using clear and subtle cues that are easy for the horse to understand.
    • Increased rider confidence: By improving their technique and reducing the risk of injury, riders may feel more confident and comfortable in the saddle.

    Cons:

    • Focus on form over function: Some riders may become overly focused on achieving a “perfect” position or technique, to the point where they force their bodies into positions they are not designed or conditioned to perform. A riders ‘perfect’ position is individual. Where their skeletal structure may mean it is not possible for them to obtain the ear, shoulder, elbow, hip, heel alignement. 
    • Potential for injury from over-correction: In some cases, riders may overcorrect their biomechanics in response to coaching or training, leading to new injuries or imbalances. As above, the ‘perfect’ alignment is not possible for some riders. This should be recognised and advised by coaches.
    • Overemphasis on individual technique: While rider biomechanics can be an important factor in riding performance, it should not be seen as the only or most important aspect of riding. Factors such as horse training, rider conditioning, and nutrition can also play a significant role in achieving success in the saddle.
    • Time and resource-intensive: Coaching or training for rider biomechanics can be time-consuming and require riders to understand that correction is a process.

    Taking Action

     

    Following a Rider Biomechanics assessment you will need to work on yourself off the horse to improve upon the areas identified by your Biomechanics Coach. 

    Whilst you can improve upon the identified areas in the saddle it is important to understand that your body is used to a particular way of functioning in the saddle. It has created muscular memory, recruitment and activation pathways that cannot simply be undone by adjusting your posture and function in a session. It takes time.  

    Rider Fitness Made Easy

    Research shows that improving functional movement on the ground can lead to improvements in functional movement on the horse. Developing proper functional movement patterns, such as good posture, core stability, and balanced weight distribution, can help riders maintain a stable and effective position in the saddle, which can in turn enhance their ability to communicate with the horse and improve overall riding performance.

    Summary

    Overall, rider biomechanics is a complex and dynamic field that takes into account the individuals skeletal structure, needs and experiences of each rider, as well as the unique characteristics of the horse they are riding. The key to improving the your riding biomechanics is working with a knowledgeable instructor or coach. And understanding that is is a process. Results are not achieve overnight but the benefits are improved technique, reduction in the risk of injury, and enhance yours and your horses overall riding experience.

    Improving functional movement on the ground can have a positive impact on riding performance, by enhancing core stability, balance, and overall fitness. It allows you to focus solely on yourself without having to worry about a negative impact on the horse as you learn, develop and adapt. 

    Other key points to remember is that riding is a unique and complex activity that involves many different factors beyond just functional movement, including horse training, communication, and tactical decision-making, that also play a significant role in achieving success in the saddle.

    References:

    • A study published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science in 2016 found that riders who participated in a six-week core stabilization program experienced significant improvements in riding performance, including increased stability in the saddle, improved leg position, and better overall balance.

    • Another study published in the Journal of Equine Science in 2017 found that riders who engaged in Pilates training had significant improvements in their riding posture, including better alignment of the pelvis and spine.

    • A review of the literature published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science in 2020 found that strength training and core stabilization exercises can have a positive impact on riding performance by improving riders’ ability to maintain a stable and effective position in the saddle.

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