09/05/2025
🧍♀️Posture can change - in and out of the saddle
One of the biggest misconceptions in riding is that posture is fixed. Many riders think that if they habitually stand with an arched lower back or sway posture, that is how they will always sit in the saddle. But posture can and does change - both with training and with the way we bear weight.
In standing, the pelvis is supported through the legs. In sitting - whether on a chair or in the saddle - the ischial tuberosities (seat bones) become weight-bearing structures. This alone changes the lumbar curve and how the pelvis relates to the spine. Neutral in standing will not look identical to neutral in riding - and that is completely normal.
It is also important to remember that neutral spine does not mean flat back. Neutral includes the body’s natural curves - lumbar lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, and cervical lordosis. A rider can be neutral and still look lordotic in sitting if their natural lumbar curve is more pronounced. The difference comes when posture shifts beyond neutral, with the pelvis tipping too far forward, the rib cage out of alignment, and weight unevenly carried on the seat bones.
📚What the research says
➡️ Posture can adapt - studies show corrective exercise, core stability training, and glute activation reduce exaggerated lumbar lordosis and improve pelvic control. Posture also adapts with injury, pregnancy, training, weight changes, and even habitual sitting and movement patterns.
Rider-specific studies - research has shown that how riders bear weight through their seat bones and stirrups directly affects trunk stability, pelvic control, and coordination with the horse’s movement
➡️ Lower back pain - one study found that lower back pain is significantly more common in equestrian athletes than in the general population, with incidence ranging from 28% to 88%. Riders with back pain often adapt their posture and balance, which can affect the horse beneath them.
➡️ Impact on the horse - poor rider posture or imbalance does not stay with the rider alone. Asymmetry, reduced stability, or compensations can be transmitted into the horse’s back, contributing to discomfort, loss of performance, or injury.
⚖️ Neutral and why it matters
Neutral posture is not about “fixing” a tilt or flattening curves. There is no strong evidence that anterior pelvic tilt by itself causes pain. Instead, neutral gives riders the best foundation:
👉 the ability to use stabilising postural muscles without bracing
👉 access to the full range of pelvic movements needed for riding
👉 better balance and security in the saddle
Your hip structure, pelvis width, and femur length are fixed - but posture is not. Neutral will always look slightly different from rider to rider. The marker is balanced, even weight on the seat bones - not tipping forward off them, and not letting them point backwards.
Inclusivity matters
Some riders have structural or medical conditions that prevent this neutral posture - and that is ok. These riders will have different compensations and adaptations that allow them to ride effectively.
It is important to acknowledge that these adaptations do change weight distribution and balance though, which is why para riders’ horses often receive regular physio, chiropractic, or vet care to ensure they remain comfortable. This does not mean disabled riders “cannot” ride.
One lady recently commented that me promoting neutral makes it sound like riders with disabilities are being told they cannot ride. My response was that working off-horse can help many riders improve posture, but that does not mean riders with disabilities are excluded. For those with structural or medical limitations, their version of neutral will simply look different. But we still have to consider the horse as part of the partnership. If the rider’s posture is limited, the horse’s care needs to be managed to support that partnership.
🐴Why we do it- for the horse
Whilst a lot of my content is about rider position and movement, this is because - as an equine physio - I see daily how much rider posture affects the horse. One which lots of riders don’t realise.
Posture is not fixed. For most riders, developing the ability to sit in neutral alignment improves their balance, biomechanics, and comfort. For others, adapted postures and compensations work just as well for their bodies.
Either way, rider posture matters not just for the rider but for the horse too. Lower back pain in riders has been shown to affect rider balance and stability - and those imbalances are felt by the horse.
So when we work on posture, we are not only improving the rider’s security and effectiveness - we are also trying to help not hinder our horses.
I am writing a new blog about why I do not promote loading the p***c structures in the saddle. There is simply too much detail to cover in one social media post, so this blog will give the “why” behind my approach.
📸 The rider in this photo was between two rider physio sessions. These images show how she naturally sat in the saddle at the start of each session without any prompting. Yes, she was sitting further back in the saddle initially (which we then adjusted as she hadn’t even been aware of the seat given how she previously sat) but she had been working hard on her rehab exercises and was able to maintain this improved position as we worked on pelvic movements - lateral, anterior, and posterior in the saddle. The best bit- she had had no back pain or pelvic pain when riding after a few weeks of her exercises 💪.
🙌 I want riders to have the physical ability to be the best they can be for themselves and their horses when in and out of the saddle.
