Does your saddle slip off to one side? Does your instructor tell you to sit up/ sit back? Shoulders back? Head up? Do you feel like you uneven in the pressure on your seat bones left to right?
There are a number of elements that can play a huge part connecting the rider to the horse and getting the best performance out of them both. As a rider you needed to be aware of yourself and your compensations and the effect they may be having on your horse and saddle. There are a number of things that need checking but if you have ever had an injury or surgery have you considered how that could be effecting your riding even if you do not have any pain!
Have you checked each of your joints that you can control them independently off of the horse? If not Try these …
Ankle up and down with out contracting your quad or using you toes
Ankle in and out without knee rotating
Pelvis tilts standing or laying but with no movement from above your belly button.
Cant do them or are they hard? Do you have to over think it? If so, you have got some work to do on you too.
In riders with a lack of movement or control in the ankle we see blocked ankles which then toes turned out or they have too much movement in the lower leg or brace and causes bouncing and lose stirrups or they lean forwards.
In riders with a lack of movement and control in the pelvis we see daylight between the saddle and rider in canter or sitting trot, we see the saddle slipping to the side if you have more weight in the seat bone, we see bracing in the hip flexors and full leg movements in swing or leaning forwards or backwards.
Joint isolation and control is key before you integrate them into multi joint movements like horse riding. At Neurocentric Rider Biomechanics and movement we look at you ability to move joint independently integrated them then put them into the saddle.
Comments