Let me say this upfront: on average, we spend too much time sitting and not enough time moving around. Our modern lifestyle negatively affects our posture. Because we spend so much time sitting – at work, at school, in the car – our muscles shorten, and the muscles of our core lack strength. An unhealthy posture then quickly becomes habitual.…
“Upper body back, sit tall!” That’s a familiar instruction in riding lessons. After all, an upright, centered seat with correct ear-shoulder-hip-heel (ankle joint) alignment – one line that should be perpendicular to the ground – is necessary to give precise aids. That’s how the German FN manual describes it. However, achieving this perfect alignment isn’t as simple as it may…
Correct toe positioning is something many riders struggle with. Very often, everything looks great in walk, however once you go over to sitting trot or canter, or maybe if you need to put your leg on a little more to push your horse forwards, the toes rotate outwards. When it comes to toe position, it’s actually important to understand that…
„Our posture, especially that of your upper spine, is crucial for good, pain-free shoulder function”, explains Sports Scientist Marcel Andrä. And here is why: A slouched posture stops your upper arms from moving freely in the shoulder joints. „Unfortunately, this is exactly the position we usually take when we are sitting – in the car, at the desk and sometimes…
Every rider wants to be able to sit comfortably and ride in harmony with their horse using only very subtle aids. This requires a great deal of balance and coordination skills. To achieve this, the rider’s body and mind must work together. The rider’s brain must give the right commands at the right time and the body must then be…
As riders, we always ensure that the well-being and overall health of our horses is the best it can possibly be. An important aspect of which is to ensure that the horse receives the correct feed and nutrition in accordance with its training level. But what about the riders themselves? Their own dietary requirements are often overlooked and can be…
“Back pain, especially in the lower lumbar area, is one of the most common ailments world-wide”, explains Fitness Coach Marcel Andrä. “Luckily, in 95 percent of all cases the back pain occurs due to a functional disorder or imbalance, rather than there being any structural damage. The most common reasons for getting back pain stems from a lack of exercise,…
As dressage riders, we want to be supple and flexible enough to go with the horse and allow the movements to flow through the horse’s body from the back to the front. At the same time, you need a strong core and sufficient stability in order to withstand any of the forces acting on your body, so you can sit…
It’s important to know your body and to look after it. As soon as your body can’t compensate anymore, tension and pain occur. To make sure you can enjoy horse riding over many years to come, be aware of any warning signals such as back pain, even if it’s not very severe yet. Targeted exercises can help you release tension…
The term „coordination“ comes from the Latin word – „ordinare“, which means “to put in an order, to regulate, to bring in a certain sequence”. Coordination is about phasing, assigning and linking movements and it has always a specific, mostly complex purpose. In sports, coordination is defined as the ability to use your senses, peripheral and central nervous system and…
