Maintain Great Riding Posture without *too much* Tension
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- Опубликовано: 7 янв 2025
- Last week, I posted a blog video on "How to Stop Bouncing When You Ride". In that video, I proposed the idea that most "bouncing" comes from too much tension, and I demonstrated how by deliberately tightening an area of my body, through pulling my shoulders back or gripping with my legs for example, I would start to bounce, losing the easy movement I'd had with the horse.
But a really good question was asked... "How do I keep a good posture and alignment without tension?"
My response has two parts.
First, there is a term often used in fitness called positive tension. This is tension or tone in the muscles that still allows supple movement. It tends to involve more postural and stabilizing muscles.
Negative tension is characterized by contraction - think tight, hard muscles. This negative tension is what causes our bouncing. Positive tension allows us to maintain good posture in movement, negative tension or too much tension, prevents good movement.
The second part of my response is that when we have good alignment, we don't need to do as much work to hold ourselves in position.
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my goodness this was amazing! I have been told SO many times "pinch your shoulders back" and I can never hold it for more than a few seconds. I never thought about relaxing my hip/lower back and then expanding my ribcage. thank you so much Callie
Callie, I appreciate so much your kind, tactful way of speaking to equestrians of all levels. I live in outback Australia, where it is difficult to have a connection with such a thinking, encouraging and perceptive professional with your expertise and beautiful manner towards people and animals. I am enjoying your sessions greatly. Caroline, NSW, Australia
I find your lessons to help me tremendously. This sequel on "how to maintaining a natural posture" is great to help further "How to avoid bouncing on a horse"
I totally agree with all of this. My biggest question, now that I've gotten back into riding in an eventing saddle, is what happens when your leg naturally falls a bit ahead of your hip bone? Pulling my leg back tends to create more tension and back pain. This saddle is the only saddle I've found that fits my horse and the same thing happens to me with any jumping/eventing saddle I ride in.
I found your description of good posture without tension extremely helpful -- I am the rider who pulls her shoulders back adding tension to my riding posture -- today I rode without that tension in my shoulders and it allowed my entire body to relax and sit deeper in the saddle -- and my horse responded really well to the new feeling!
Hi, About exercise, I have found that to open the chest I stand with both hands on either side of a door frame and lean slightly in. I gently rotate my neck as I am doing this. I don't push I just let gravity take the lean as far as it will go without hurting. I do this for 3 minutes and at the end of that time I gently come out of the position. I have found that this has made a difference in my posture while riding and makes it easier to keep good posture as the day progresses.
That sounds helpful, I will try it! Thank you for the advice!
Excellent video! Have been working on this a lot lately. Finally achieved a soft spine, straight alignment a few times and my riding become so much EASIER! I was amazed. I am a long distance cyclist and the posture on my bike, over the front of the bike has been hampering me for a while. Now I am practicing opening up my chest while driving and that is helping a lot. A little thing, but every bit helps when you're busy and trying to devote time to two very different pursuits, in terms of posture. THANKS SO MUCH!
Your videos are a fantastic resource. I have only started riding recently and they've taught me so much (on top of what I learn at riding school). Thank you and keep it up :)
One more feedback, I really appreciate the way you explain things. Very calm relaxed and easy to understand and pleasing body language. 👌👍😊👏👏
Our posture is so very important in everything we do!! Thank you for this session. When I was in my 20s I learned several different martial arts disciplines which were of enormous benefit to my posture, as well as emotional, mental and other physical components of the human body. I have found that Tai Chi classes will bring you great balance and bring your spatial awareness front and center. Tai Chi has the potential to literally change your perspective of yourself and the world around you. I highly recommend it for everyone who gets on the back of a horse and wishes to continue their journey with this amazing beast.
I need to check out Tai Chi! It makes sense that it would be helpful with balance and posture...
I am just starting out on my equestrian journey and I can already tell that fitness will play a huge role in how well I ride! Thanks for the advice, I am excited to learn all I can and really do this right, it is my lifelong dream finally coming to fruition!
I used to teach skiing and I played tennis. The principals are the same in all of the disciplines. Alignment of the shoulders, hips and ankles. This can be achieved no matter how low you are or how stretched out you are. Riding has helped me with tennis and skiing. In skiing it's called the athletic position, but it's true for whatever you are doing, even walking.
rutontuton I ski, play tennis and ride, its so true!
This video was so helpful thank you. I have aways had issues with posture and especially when I'm cantering my coach tells me to pull my shoulders back, the classic 'squeeze the orange between your shoulder blades'. I always feel my back hollowing out and I know it might look better it feels so unnatural. Thank you for laying this out so simply. So excited to try tomorrow :)
Hi Callie it may sound weird but I do practise while doing my job as cleaner.it makes the work more interesting.I tend to safe my back and keep it straight therefore I need to bend my knees .when I mop I engage my core.if I dont focus I miss the dirt.I used to stretch a lot but lately I have become lazy.im getting older and my ethusiasm is not as great.this video reminds me to be kind and put the effort into it yet stay relaxed.
Thank you!! you really know your stuff! I can't wait to get back to horsemanship! Your videos are very informative and easy to comprehend.
You have the BEST videos! You are so kind and good at explaining things in a way that makes sense and doesn't belittle even the most inexperienced beginner, you have helped me immensely with my posting, and I can only imagine how helpful your videos will be as I progress!
Thank you so much for your spot-on advice and expertise!
You are great! Learning so much from your videos. Thank you!
Thanks a lot for the amazing 7-day course .. You really made me a better rider
Hi.. Thanks for the video. I used to watch most of your videos. I am a bigginer rider and your advices on trotling did help me to learn it almost well within just 6 sessions. But still my trainer used to say that I am not sitting straight. He says I am leaning forward. My doubt is here that as the horse trotles in a medium speed, it's natural for the rider to have leaning slightly forward to prevent falling back. Am I right or at any speed of trotling a rider should be 90 degree to the saddle?
Pls advise me.
Thanks and regards
Naushad 🤗
I hold tension in my shoulders, & have to check in with myself, to releast that shoulder tension.
Ive been doing lessons for two years with little improvement. My hips lock, i feel like an ironing board when i ride.
Im rewatching your videos so hopefully ill be able to put it into practice. But its so difficult when the trainer has ideas of what to do on a lesson to make you think youre improving but leave out the fundamentals.
Yoga helps! At first it doesn't seem like it but it makes you more flexible and aware of your body.
I need to try yoga... I just recently started riding, taking lessons actually, and I started doing push ups and squats and stuff, and I could tell a huge difference just by the next lesson (I WAS wildly out of shape when I started lessons, so even a little exercise woke some muscles up!) It improved my posting immediately, I can only imagine what core strength and flexibility yoga would add...
I’ve done circus for like 6 years and a lot of the stuff we do is similiar to yoga but I’ve ridden for 5 years so I don’t even know how my body would work without it
Pilates teaches you to use your smaller muscles ....... for proper mechanical balance in assisting those larger muscles
please do a video on the importance of correcting 'forward head posture' this is so crucial to spine health and balance. It affects your whole position ease of movement. Also use of arms.
often times when I give thought to relaxing my body I end up curling my toes or grip in the groin area In the Canter.
Great instruction, easy to understand!!!!
What do I do to have more confidence over a jump and not lean forward to much?
Great tip thank you 🐎🐴
TX this was really useful
Can I ask you do I keep my hands still and my legs still win I ride my horse thank you Nannette
Great video, thanks! Just started to follow you. I used to have a pair of stiff riding boots, and they would cause my calfs to cramp quite often while riding. Is there a way to get did of that? Sometimes I thought it’s the boots’ fault. Thanks!
Thank you so much. after driving I often have pain in my left long back muscle, in my left shoulder there is a specific spot which is very painful and tense. Shoulder/neck muscles are often also tense. Can you relate this with a wrong posture and do you have suggestions? My problems are related to my upper body, I guess
Thank you ❤
How do I stop seasawing my shoulders at the walk-it looks so horrible but without a mirror I cannot correct.
Question: Are you teeny-tiny, or are all of the horses you ride enormous?
AWESOME great tips!
like your channel ,cause you are a pretty thinking riding trainer !
hi I am 11 and I ride at hilltop and I like your videos and can you make more videos please
Good video! Love from India! :)
sitting well in a chair helps a lot too
👌
my problem with my posture is I end up hunching my shoulders a bit due to my breasts :(
Tai Chi focuses on posture.
Ok I'm out