18/02/2026
The importance of regular rider physio,
I say it quite a lot and Iโm also guilty of not being seen enough but i feel as equestrians we always get physio sessions for our horses but not often for us if ever! even better if you can get the same physio for both you and your horse you will see a
Massive difference in the ridden work ๐๐ป
ARE YOU STANDING EVENLY?
This was a force plate output from a clinic last week. The rider was asked to stand evenly, and when they confirmed they were standing evenly we recorded data.
We always see differences between left and right (sidedness) when standing, seated and rotating, but what is interesting here is the position of the right foot (rotation), relative to the left. This was what felt โequalโ to the rider when standing on a solid platform.
Whilst we canโt explicitly determine a relationship, on the horse, the rider shifted their seat to the left (no saddle slip left or right), and rotated to the right. Their right foot was rotated outwards, and right knee drawing up with the right thigh gripping. The upper body had a concavity of the right trunk (collapse) and rotation to the right.
An interesting example of what can be seen off-horse, and how it โmayโ influence riding position. Reinforcing the importance of โoff horse assessmentโ and exercise to improve riding biomechanics, and to understand the complex interactions between the rider-horse-saddle.
How many people see one foot/knee externally rotating when riding (coupled with the other foot / heel being pushed down or braced)?