Improve Your Posture! Improve Your Riding!

Your goal is to have your horse respond to the slightest of touch. Good riding posture not only helps to develop your confidence and balance, it is the foundation of excellent horsemanship. Proper riding form takes consistency. How many times have you heard the following comments from your instructor, “Shoulders back, stomach in, heels down, and keep a straight line.” If any of these nitpicking comments sound familiar to you, here are a few reasons why these corrections are important and can help you safely become a better rider.

Keep a Straight Line:

Keeping a straight line from ear, to shoulder, to hip, to heels is key for a balanced riding posture and can assist with improved communication with your horse. If you have trouble maintaining a straight line, try performing the posture astride a physioball or a hay bale.

Shoulders Back/Stomach In:

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The shoulders back/stomach pulled in are all part of finding a balanced riding posture and helping to create the straight line. By pulling your stomach in, you develop strength in the core muscles needed to consistently hold a balanced posture. If you allow your shoulders to roll forward, you lose your core engagement and your spine is no longer in a straight line. To improve your shoulder and core strength perform the following exercise astride a physioball or hay bale, holding a resistance band in your hands. Engage your core and squeeze (retract) your shoulder blades together, repeat for 30 repetitions.

Dr. Tara Caberwal PT, DPT, DSc, OCS, FAAOMPT Tara has been a practicing Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) in North Carolina for over a decade. She has spent the majority of her career as a civilian contractor on Fort Liberty working with elite athletes and service members for US Army Special Forces as a part of the THOR3 program visit www.elitephysionc.com to learn more.

Toes Up/Heels Down:

Keeping your heels down is crucial for balance and helps create more contact between your thighs and pelvis, to the saddle. It also helps keep you from losing your stirrups. If you have limited ankle mobility and struggle with keeping your heels down try the following stretch to improve calf and ankle mobility. Hold for 30-60 seconds, 2-3 repetitions.

Use Your Seat:

Your goal is to communicate with your horse using your hips and thighs to absorb the horse’s movement. Experienced riders utilize the reins as a last resort to cue the horse. If you struggle with shifting your weight in the saddle, try the following hip drop exercises with one leg elevated and resting on a higher surface, such as a foot stool or a physioball. Focus on dropping the elevated hip down towards the ground as you shift your weight towards the stance leg, repeat for 30 repetitions.

Dynamic Equine

Saddle Fitting