Will Lower Back Exercises Improve My Horseback Riding?

Have you ever noticed that you and your horse are a lot alike? Have you ever observed that if your right lower back is tight or painful, your horse may also have a tight or painful right lower back? If so, why is that? Does your body’s compensatory movements for tightness or pain effect your horse’s movement? Could that cause eventual pain for your horse?

If a rider cannot allow their body to move freely, then neither can your horse. Over time, your horse may need to learn movement patterns to compensate also. Once your horse begins to imprint these motor patterns, they become less supple and prone to injury.

Ultimately, we want to enhance our horse’s beauty and not inhibit their movement. Therefore, our ground work is just as important as our horse’s ground work!

If a rider is more relaxed in her seat (pain-free), then the spine can be more supple. In order to maintain a ‘good seat’ while riding, you must have a strong core. You also must be in good postural alignment. It also helps to have your body balanced, symmetrical, and good body awareness. These concepts are improtant for a lower back exercise program. It is important for these principles to be grasped on the ground.

One way to acheive these principles of a lower back exercise program is with the hoola hoop. As a physical therapist with advanced certifications and Pilates certification, I have found that hooping is a fun and beneficial tool to meet these goals. As you gain core stabilization, improve posture, increase balance, symmetry and body awareness, you will notice your seat and riding will also improve. As your movement improves on your horse, so will your horse’s beauty and movement.

Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT

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