Improving your seat without a horse?

Mince Pie

Mince Pie

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I'm finally back in the saddle after a year out due to injury and selling my own horse, and it's painfully obvious that my seat has disappeared! I'm going to have some lunge lessons with the owner of my share pony but I was wondering if there is anything I can do at home as well? I can't do pilates or yoga as for some reason they really aggravate my back injury but I was wondering about getting one of those Swiss balls and doing some exercises on it?
Any ideas gratefully received!
 
If pilates or yoga hurt your back you are doing it wrong or under incorrect supervision. Also a swiss ball would be similar exercises to pilates so unlikely to be less damaging to your back.

I would suggest individual pilates (or very small classes) with a Physiotherapist to find out why your back hurts while doing pilates. I have found that some people find it hurts because they are doing it incorrectly or sometimes actually because they are doing it right and the muscles are being made to work and become sore.

Reformer pilates is excellent -google it, very different and makes a huge difference to my riding.
 
Batgirl said:
If pilates or yoga hurt your back you are doing it wrong or under incorrect supervision. Also a swiss ball would be similar exercises to pilates so unlikely to be less damaging to your back.

I would suggest individual pilates (or very small classes) with a Physiotherapist to find out why your back hurts while doing pilates. I have found that some people find it hurts because they are doing it incorrectly or sometimes actually because they are doing it right and the muscles are being made to work and become sore.

Reformer pilates is excellent -google it, very different and makes a huge difference to my riding.
Click to expand...

Amongst other things I have scoliosis and therefore my muscles are not where they should be. I'm wondering if pilates hurts because it's putting my muscles where they 'should' be, but for me that's not right? I'm not sure I've explained that very well! My left hip is higher than my right, and my right shoulder is higher than my left, my left leg is about 1/2 inch shorter than my right lol!
 
Have you tried chiropractic for your various misalignments? I go to the chiropractor every few months for a simple and painless realignment of my pelvis. (Apparently the muscles in my lower back are shortening on the left but not the right.) You could feel quite stiff and achey afterwards. Have you had any advice on posture etc? For example people with him / pelvis problems shouldn't sit with their legs crossed.
 
TheOldTrout said:
Have you tried chiropractic for your various misalignments? I go to the chiropractor every few months for a simple and painless realignment of my pelvis. (Apparently the muscles in my lower back are shortening on the left but not the right.) You could feel quite stiff and achey afterwards. Have you had any advice on posture etc? For example people with him / pelvis problems shouldn't sit with their legs crossed.
Click to expand...

Yes I regularly see a chiro, he, my specialist and my GP have said that it's a case of management with my back rather than fixing it. There are other issues as well - it's a bit of a list but:
Scoliosis
2 bulging discs
1 slipped vertebrae
Flat back syndrome
Twisted pelvis
Sacroiliac joint disorder
Sciatica

I also have weakness in my left leg due to nerve damage from a slipped disc in 2011 which was corrected by surgery in 2013.
 
how about some lessons on a mechanical horse. really helped me after my hip operations as i wasnt sitting straight and had trouble correcting this while on a live horse...
 
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