Align Equine

29/01/2025

Date for your diary! Lindsay will be returning for a clinic on 7th June. Contact me to register your interest 😁

26/01/2025

26/01/2025

New for 2025. Perfect for the winter when riding is limited 🙂

18/12/2024

Just because you only hack, doesn't mean you don't need to consider your saddle fit. Also consider this - do you always ride twisting the same way to talk to your riding buddy? Be aware that this can cause asymmetric patterns in yourself and your horse

“I don’t need a fancy, professionally fitted saddle, I only hack out and mostly in walk!”

I’m going to quote Dr Ian Bidstrup from a recent webinar he conducted on saddle fit from a specialist spinal vet’s perspective – and for those interested there will be a more in depth look at saddle design next year which will be fascinating.

THE SLOW DEATH

This is the terminology he uses to describe slow rides. Now slow walk is important, super important, when we’re building posture and balance for sure, I’m a big proponent. However, when we consider the pressure under saddles and its effect on the skin and blood flow then we have to think more traditionally and look at the role of the saddle in spreading that pressure.

If you sit on your horse in halt, it’s likely that the pressure under the saddle is already approaching levels that prevent blood flow. I’d have to go and look at a ton of research to try and get down to it but we know it’s not always that easy to get our hand under the front or anywhere else under the saddle, your weight and that of the saddle has to go somewhere!

What happens when we move at a pace that’s faster than walk?

Each part of the back under the saddle is at least partly unloaded at one stage of the stride pattern. In rising trot we shift our weight forward and back in the saddle, from our seatbones to the stirrup bars. In canter the whole saddle rocks a little, and the pressure under the saddle fluctuates and transfers from front to back and back again with each stride. Even sitting trot allows for some relief of pressure under the saddle in all areas within each stride.

Racehorses have pretty grim saddles with teeny areas underneath them, the reason that greater damage isn’t done is because whenever they walk any distance they’re generally going to the gallops where they will get immediate relief from the unrelenting pressure.

Walk does not offer any real alleviation of pressure. A lack of blood flow to the muscle will stop them functioning fully, and may be causing damage to the skin and to the fascia. Fascia are layers of connective tissue that wrap around muscles (you’ve seen it if you’ve prepared or eaten most meats) that are critical to the skeletal and biomechanical health of the horse and obviously the skin is pretty important too!

The long riding experts Be Professional. Look Cool. have also looked at this VERY closely in their work, the effect of saddle pressure on the horse’s back and, for riding long distances daily, back to back, for long periods of time where "mistakes" get hugely magnified. He recommends intervals for dismounting and loosening the girth, and for taking the saddle off. This should be done more than once every day, and that’s WITH doing faster work. Here’s a post of theirs on the subject https://www.facebook.com/beprofessionallookcool/posts/pfbid03369vorLPo4PeMYF49a7V6kp1HYm6qH7ixnywNMqApYvHrPzernmJBD13rCpQpuDyl

Remember, they’re not just poorly designed to carry us and a saddle, the way they function in the wild means that riding them will always compromise them immensely unless we’re super careful about how we load them with weight and how we prepare them to carry that weight.

Give your horse a break – if you’re not doing faster work then your need for a well fitting saddle is just as high, perhaps higher, as those working at supposedly higher levels. Take the fitting of your saddle deadly seriously.

05/12/2024

What a horrible day! With the fields getting wetter, we are very grateful for our all weather pens. The boys tend to go in the field for 8 hours a day, unless it's wet and windy when we make use of the pens for a roll and a mooch 🥰

24/11/2024

A great day of rider biomechanics in the fabulous indoor school at Marslands Farm Livery Stables . Beautiful horses and some real lightbulb moments 💡

04/11/2024

Monday evening pole lesson fun 🙂❤️ we missed you Laura Maydwell

08/10/2024

Love a Transformation Tuesday. This is Charlotte and Buddy who I have been helping for over a year. Buddy is an older horse and Charlotte has done an amazing job with him. Well done! These photos are less than a year apart.

05/09/2024

05/09/2024

What a weekend at Weston Lawns Equestrian dressage champs. Goose was bloody amazing finishing 5th yesterday and 7th today in the medium champs with 66%. I'm so lucky to have him. Massive thanks to super trainer Jem Bentley for giving me the confidence to get out and do it! It was great to catch up with some friends I haven't seen for too long. I was so proud of the fab riders and horses I help who all did amazingly 👏

05/09/2024

I recently found this old photo of Mushy. It was one of the first times I rode him after he came out of race training. He's changed shape beyond recognition! His back end was so tiny compared to his huge front end!

19/08/2024

Lovely afternoon teaching. Fantastic to see everyone progressing with their lovely horses 🐎
I also had a fab session riding Indi, the real life unicorn 🦄 I'm helping her mum rehab her after a few physical issues. Happy with her progress so far 😀 I also had an in hand session with Mushroom today with Demelza Hawes Dressage, working on correct posture. After all of his time off I really want to make sure I can get his posture and movement as healthy as possible.

15/07/2024

A great day of training yesterday for the LINDSAY WILCOX-REID BIOMECHANICS IN BALANCE CLINIC with EquiPilates Fascinating to watch everyone, looking at how small adjustments to our position and delivery of the aids can have a big impact in our horses. The sun even made an appearance!

07/07/2024

Lovely day teaching a rider biomechanics clinic. We had 4 seasons in one day, but saw some fab improvements 😁 My last pony was the absolutely gorgeous reacue pony May, who had the saddest back story being found with 30 other abandoned ponies. Only May and one other pony were still alive. She is an absolute credit to her owners 🥹

22/06/2024

Busy rider biomechanics day in the sunshine 🌞

05/06/2024

It's important to be as one with your horse 🤣 post your favorite horsey selfie to be in with the chance of winning an Equipilates Rider Biomechanic Session (mounted or unmounted)

19/05/2024

Love a transformation picture! First competition after his ks rehab 3 years ago to his most recent competition. A bit more uphill!