Riders might imagine themselves to be immune to the effects of postural problems, because of the intrinsic need to sit well on a horse. However, if any rider has suffered from lower back pain (and it is one of the most common complaints!) they will have suffered the effects that poor posture can bring. The cycle of poor posture will result in varying degrees of pain, discomfort and a reduced range of movement.
Good posture affects much more than aesthetics. It is essential for correct use of the lungs, core, hip and pelvic stability, not to mention the untold benefits for the horse! With so many factors of health and soundness out of our control, good posture is one variable that can be manipulated to the rider’s (and horse’s) advantage.
The difficulty with recognising poor posture in oneself is that habitual asymmetries feel normal to the brain. The brain tries to conserve energy, so will perform things in the easiest way. The cycle of poor posture, therefore, continues to turn until awareness is achieved.
Establishing good posture
Keeping it neutral
The term ‘neutral spine’ has been used in the fitness industry for years. Personal trainers use it as their default instruction for correct postural form, to ensure their clients are in the best possible position for exercise benefit and injury prevention.
To achieve neutral spine, two main areas are targeted for repositioning: the shoulders and the pelvis, with the aim being to place the spinal column into its natural curvature. This allows the spine greater shock absorption qualities and ensures it is in the strongest and most stable position possible.
Riders are very rarely taught about neutral spine, but more often than not told to sit up straight and put their shoulders back. This may be a reasonable suggestion in an attempt to create perceived good posture, but unfortunately, this terminology creates an artificial look, which is both forced and un-natural. The major area of correct postural form is overlooked (the pelvis) and the body suffers from a whole host of negative tension.
In order to maintain neutral spine, muscles (inevitably) have to do some work. With the main area of concern being that of pelvic alignment, the lower back and their muscular servants of the core are once again called up for service. Core engagement and neutral spine are married together so closely that you cannot have one without the other, so, as most people don’t work with neutral spine, it is probably safe to assume that most people do not have core engagement.
It is well documented how instability of the core increases the risk of acute and chronic injury to the vertebral column, most notably the lower back, and this is where riders should instantly become interested. Riders put their lower backs in a vulnerable position not only every time they ride, but every time they are doing equine chores; twisting and bending with no core activation signals eventual disaster for the spinal column.
To understand putting the body into neutral spine is to understand how the body fits together as nature intended. You wouldn’t drive a car that hasn’t been put together properly, and you wouldn’t use any piece of equipment that hasn’t been assembled correctly to do the job. Understanding neutral spine empowers the rider to utilise their body in the best way possible both on and off the horse, and dramatically reduces the risk of injury. And the best bit is, you just need you.
The human spine is arranged in a series of curves. As with everything, everyone is unique, so some people will be more or less curvy than others but the standard, natural curvature of the spine is shown below.
Neutral spine and correct curvature
(Above) Notice how the pelvis is level; there is a slight concave curve through the lower back, slight convexity through mid-spine/thoracic area and again a small concave curve at the neck/cervical area.
Examples of common poor postural form
These diagrams below represent the extremes of common postural problems. Most people will be more one than the other. Stand sideways in the mirror and see which one you associate with. Remember there are always variations of each type!
The diagram left represents a hollow back posture, or an increased lumbar lordosis. Notice the angle of the pelvis has changed and is tilting forwards. This puts the hip in a slightly flexed position, shortening the hip flexors and reducing their functionality and range of movement. The seat bones are pointing backwards, which tends to put the rider’s upper body in front of the centre of gravity. The lower back is vulnerable as the trunk has been pushed forwards, disengaging the core.
Unfortunately, a horse ridden by a hollow backed rider will almost certainly be hollow through his back too.
The right diagram shows a flat-back posture/absence of the lumbar lordotic curve. The pelvis is again unlevel but this time tilted backwards. By eliminating a spinal curvature, shock absorption is reduced and the hips sit in an extended position, again reducing their functionality and movement. This posture typically gives the rider a ‘slouchy’ look, as the core crumples and the shoulders become rounded. The rider will have a tendency to lean back, behind the movement. Flat back postures with seat bones pointing forward tend to drive the horse into a flat and over-bent posture.
Notice the positioning of the blue circles in each diagram. These represent the hip joint. By tilting the pelvis, it is quite clear that the hip joint is thrown off-centre. This has strong implications when considering good leg position for riders. When the pelvis is out of alignment, the hip joint loses functionality and range of movement and reduces the ability of the rider’s leg to ‘hang’ independently under the centre of gravity.
‘Scapula setting’ vs. shoulders back
Very few riders learn the techniques necessary to achieve correct posture at the shoulders/upper back and some will continuously be told to ‘lift the chest’ or ‘put their shoulders back’ with no direction on which part of the shoulder they should be moving. Correct postural alignment of the shoulders must be instigated by movement of the shoulder-blade (scapula). By drawing the two scapulae together and slightly downwards (very subtle movement) the shoulders and the chest are affected. Not only does this simple movement provide correct alignment, it does so without tension through the body and with no compromise to freedom of movement. By concentrating ONLY on moving the scapula, the rest of the body is not pushed out of alignment, as is so often the case when the brain thinks only of ‘shoulders back’.
The pelvis – a new base of support
Riding requires the human body to be in a position that it has not been intended for. People are designed with their feet as the base of support: neutral spine, pelvic alignment and correct sensory awareness (proprioception) originating from the feet is the ideal posture, and the position the brain is the most happy with.
As soon as people sit in a saddle, this natural base of support is eliminated. The feet are no longer providing information to the rest of the body on where it is in time and space. The body is, in effect, suspended above the ground it is so used to having a conversation with, and terra firma, the safety net, becomes obsolete. Not only does this have physical implications of how the body must adapt, but also psychological and neurological pathways are affected, and these too have an effect on how riders perform.
This is why it is so important to appreciate that the base of support when riding shifts from the feet to the pelvis and thighs. The feet have a much more passive role, although the body instinctively uses them for support (some riders will depend more on their stirrups than others!) but ultimately the pelvis is in charge.
The pelvis is now responsible for providing information to the brain about where the body is and where it is going to be. The rider relies on the pelvis, hips and thighs to be their foundation of support and movement, and only if the pelvis is in neutral can these attributes be realised, injury can be avoided and the horse can work correctly.
The main structures of the pelvis that riders need to be concerned with are the seat bones. When the pelvis is in neutral, the seat bones point straight down. Sitting on a horse in this way enables the rider to become the counterpart of the horse’s centre of gravity and ‘frees up’ the hips and thighs to do their job.
When the pelvis is tilted either forwards or backwards from neutral, the hip sits at an angle that becomes the enemy of functionality and freedom of movement for both the rider and the horse.
Moving the pelvis into neutral
To put the pelvis into neutral position, stand and tilt the pelvis through full range of movement; all the way from hollow back to flat back. Slowly start to lessen the angle of each tilt until you finish roughly half-way between the two. Check in a mirror to find the slight lower back curvature, set your scapulas and draw your tummy button towards your spine to engage your core. You are now in neutral spine and ready to ride!
