Riding and Core Stability

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Fanatical

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I have been told that considering how much I ride, I have a very weak core. I do know that when I have been XC, whether it be schooling or at an event, I always have a sore back afterwards and the next day. I have always thought that I must be using the wrong muscles as otherwise no rider would be able to ride multiple horses round an event in a day. So, I must be using my back instead of my stomach to hold my upper body up.

I have been given a variety of exercises to do and intend to do some pilates, but I have also been told to ride and ‘use my stomach’ as well as holding my pelvic floor. I seem to forget until I am quite a way through riding but then remember and try to do it but can’t help wondering if others actually do this. Do you use your stomach muscles when you ride? Does it come naturally or do you have to think about it – or have you never even thought about it?
 
I had a lesson with one instructor and they tested all my core muscles. She told me they were really strong but weaker on my left side. This makes total sense as this is the side I collapse even when driving! My right shoulder ends up higher etc. I have played a lot of sport so think I use them without thinking but I have weaknesses especially tightness in my hips and weaker side.

Do not know where you are based but try a lesson with a Ride With Your Mind instructor as they are really helpful for dealing with this. Both Spotted Cat and I have had them (different instructors but both very rider focused and ride with your mind focused) and get a lot out of them as they are very clear. Lunging also really helps.
 
Just a thought, but how short are your stirrups for xc? I find that if mine are too long I ache, but if I have them short and a better length for me for xc, I don't
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I used to suffer with my back a lot and it would take me 2 days to recover after a show jumping show.
I went to a physio (after numerous other people) and he told me that I had weak core muscles too and that you have to used your core muscles to support your back but mine weren`t working so I had nothing to support my back muscles, hence I had problems.
He gave me exercises and they seemed to strengthen up my cores but about 3 months ago, I started having lessons with a RWYM instructor, in addition to my jumping lessons.
She taught me and my friend and we learnt in just one lesson how to ride with our bodies, our stomach muscles, and pelvic floor as well as other parts. We were told that the top and good riders did this automatically without knowing, but then people like us had to learn how to do it. It opened our eyes to a different way of sitting on our horses and how we are using our bodies.
She had us riding in this `new` way and although it felt a little different, our horses were going in self carriage in trot with a light rein and every time that our horses went a little iffy in their outline, we had to check our new positions that we had learnt and they automatically went into a lovely self carriaged frame again. Great. Its all about our position and using your body correctly. I have been riding for over 20 yrs but I have never been taught what to actually do with my body, even tho I thought my horses were going quite nicely.
 
Thanks for the replies – that’s really interesting. I am in Cheshire – how do I find out where to go for a ‘Ride With Your Mind’ lesson?

Lec…I jump with my stirrups pretty short. I have very long legs and can’t really go up any higher as my knees go over the knee rolls. I probably need a better fitting saddle (to me!) but can’t really afford one.

Peanot, it’s interesting isn’t it. I too have been riding for well over 20 years and have never really had that much focus on me. We concentrate so much on the horses and forget about ourselves.
 
CrazyMare - yes I do sit at a desk all day and I know I have really bad posture. But when I try to sit up straight i can't hold it for more than a few minutes!

Haha...I can just imagine the looks I would get if I was sat at my desk on a swiss ball! But I could maybe use one of those when sat down at home...
 
Start small, changing your posture for a few minutes a time. Your muscles will havve a more dominant memory of your poor posture than your new improved posture.

Remind yourself everytime you do something, so standing waiting at the post office for example, you could be standing there rolling your shoulders back - forget what everyone might think - think of those new improved result!!

My mother has often struggled with her posture, as a nurse doing lots of bending over during her working life. She has reccently got a Wii Fit, and it has exercises for balance, posture & core stability. Its helped her loads
 
well, i was a Ride With Your Mind guinea-pig once and what she asked me to do felt very very odd - she wanted my knees pointed down 'like torches aimed at the ground' and i felt like a beginner! long-term i don't think it made any difference at all to the way i ride, although it was interesting (and exhausting and quite painful!) at the time.
I have very strong stomach muscles and a week or two without riding and esp dressage and i feel them softening. my back muscles aren't fantastic though and i've found that a few sessions on the rowing machine are the best thing for those, i can feel the diff after 1 session, e.g. it stops me collapsing in simple changes, which is a v bad habit and v unhelpful to the horse!
i think i used to really lack core stability because i'd lose balance xc if the horse jinked etc but it just came with practise i guess, and/or with a more secure and effective leg position maybe.
i don't use my pelvic floor muscles when i ride (well, not consciously anyway) but i've been told they're very strong. i don't do that "bearing down" thing that good dressage riders are supposed to do either, because i'm not sure what it is! maybe it's using pelvic floor. i don't do the 'bracing the back' thing either.
actually... i must be crap!
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QR: I have had lessons with Mary herself and with people who follow the principles and were trained by her. Without a shadow of a doubt the ones with other trainers have been better and improved my riding no end.

The training I had in the US followed many of the same principles as I am being taught now by a RWYM trained person, although the trainer had not done anything with Mary or heard of her - so there must be something in it.
 
I can really feel my stomach muscles shouting at me when i ride my dressage horse properly, usually in sitting trot when doing collection work....i tend to feel them a lot more when doing dressage than i do when jumping! I have a weak back due to pulling all the muscles when i was younger, and it does get tight. I have bought a swiss ball to help a bit, but a rowing machine might be a good idea!!
 
Thanks Lec for the link…I may well try and get on one of their two day courses.

Thanks for the advice CrazyMare – I will continue to keep trying and hope that the muscles will start to get stronger…it’s remembering when you are so used to slouching (and that goes for when sat at my desk and when riding!).

Haha Kerilli..! Not quite sure how the rowing machine strengthens your back though as I thought it worked mainly the legs and arms – or is that where I am going wrong, should you somehow use your core for that too?!

I definitely don’t feel my stomach muscles when I’m riding so I must try to remember to start using them! We should all have six packs by the sounds of it!
 
Yes, stomach muscles are essential! From a posture point of view, I had years of going to physios/chiros/osteopaths/consultants and my mum was hot on posture. The key to it is primarily discipline (and the confidence to hold a good posture) but also finding ways of doing it which work for you. For example, if I try to hold my shoulders back I get tired and eventually give in. If, on the other hand, I lift my sternum upwards and slightly outwards (without hollowing my back) I find my shoulders naturally move to the correct posture and it is less strain to maintain it. You should also keep your pelvis slightly tilted ("tail tucked in") as a matter of course because it will help develop better core strength.
 
I have strong core muscles but until recently no-one had ever told me what to DO with them!!!
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Using them - and developing them - has made a big difference... I agree with all the above about RWYM. Swiss ball has helped me a lot too. Also browse around http://www.barnmice.com/profiles/blogs/ride-fit-123-more-stretches . There's some good stuff on core stability and actually there is some other good stuff on that site esp the Jane Savoie and Tim Stockdale blogs. Enjoy!
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Haha Kerilli..! Not quite sure how the rowing machine strengthens your back though as I thought it worked mainly the legs and arms – or is that where I am going wrong, should you somehow use your core for that too?!


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maybe i'm doing it wrong then, i seem to use absolutely everything i've got! it gives a good 6-pack so it must be doing something in the tummy region... either that or my arms and legs are weak so my torso muscles have to take the strain!
 
My friend and myself at the yard are very proud of our flat 'horse riding stomachs!' I think I rely on my core too much for stability and I dont use my lower legs enough
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. I did do pilates for a a bit and while I was stiff I actually found the exercises where you have to support yourself with the core very easy, so easy I wondered what all the fuss was about!

I do find when my horse starts to go badly that more often than not I have collapsed in the middle, when i sit up and hold with my stomach, especially with transitions my horse goes 100% better. I also find riding without stirrups much easier than with, my dressage trainer says this is quite common because it forces you to use your core.
 
Yes use my stomach muscles all the time- give almost every aid from the stomach muscles-
Halt
walk on
trot on
shoulder in
lateral work
collection
extension

All of this I use different parts of the stomach muscles to tell the horse what to do. The legs just guide the horse lightly, but they dont do much at all and the main aid always comes from different parts of the stomach muscles -either on one side ( for lateral work ) or from the whole core ( for collection/extension/halting)

The horse does have to be taught to be tuned in to these aids.

Its amazing how much more classical and cleaner their movement becomes when just using primarily different parts of the stomach to control and dictate to the horse!

Mind you, when Woody is being a silly hyper ass, all of the above goes out of the window!
 
Hi Fanatical,

I am in North Shropshire and am hosting a 3 days of clinics all about rider fitness, imrpoving core stability and preventing future injuries.

The guys taking the clinic are featuring in Horse and Hound tomorrow. They are called equicision and you can find more info about them if you google them.

I spent 10 minutes with them on the swiss ball and the difference was amazing.

If you would like more info please pm me and I can give you a contact number and tell you more about it.
 
Thank you all for your thoughts and advice...I really didn't think this thread would get so many replys! I think in conclusion I obviously should be using my stomach muscles and I currently don't...so need to fix that!

Thanks all..!
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Do not know where you are based but try a lesson with a Ride With Your Mind instructor as they are really helpful for dealing with this. Both Spotted Cat and I have had them (different instructors but both very rider focused and ride with your mind focused) and get a lot out of them as they are very clear. Lunging also really helps.

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Completely agree. I have been having lessons with a RWYM senior coach for 4 months. i have completely changed how I ride...no actually...learned to ride again. Its been hard work but now I CAN ride my horse properly rather than sitting on it (ex-pro horse) and have a stomach that is getting very strong. I am also finding hidden talents in sitting trot. By the end my stomach aches it works so hard. I understand the headlights and the baring down Kerrilli it all makes sense after a while!
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until i started having flatwork lessons regularly my stomach was average now its pretty strong and id say i use my core fairly well for a riding clubber. All the sit trot and being told to draw up straight etc, dressage lessons and xc hopping round the farm soon saw to that. i can see an extreme difference in before and after pictures.

I do the odd bit of yoga now and then but i very sprodically, it does help but riding 'properly' 5 days a week is all i usually do as i cant normally be bothered with yoga/pilates unless ive got some free time.
 
There is a feature about rider fitness and conditioning, including core stability, in today's H&H (13 August, 09). It is about a new fitness/conditioning programme which has been developed by a four star event rider and an athletics coach specifically for riders needs. Mike Pilato and Danny Warrington will be doing an online Q&A session on the H&H website on Tuesday from 12noon until 2pm to discuss rider fitness issues, including how you can combat common injuries such as back and neck pain. Log on now to register for a reminder at www.horseandhound.co.uk/equicision
 
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