We all bemoan the fact that we should be riding better, should be achieving better dressage marks, should be able to avoid falling off in the ménage! So what could we do to improve matters?
Being balanced is integral in enabling our horses to move freely – we know this – we spend fortunes getting them in shape and seeing the horse osteopath/chiropractor/physiotherapist. And then what do we do? Get right back on board not realising it may be us that are unbalanced and contributing to our horses back/neck/shoulder/leg problems .
We usually concede that we could ride better and of-course good quality riding tuition will help us achieve our potential and become more balanced, but if you have been told that you appear restricted or stiff –maybe it’s time to address that?
At About Backs & Bones, Paula, one of our osteopaths, understands the problems riders face and knows exactly how to address them. If your body is built to allow the movement, osteopathy will coax it into complying. If your particular shape does not allow it –we are all capable of different ranges of movement –we can look at ways of compensating.
Often we are stiff in our shoulders – sometimes a legacy of our day job in front of a computer or driving. This restricts the amount of feeling we have down the rein and often causes the horse to lean or fight against us. Or we may have back problems, common amongst those who work with horses- not surprising when we lug horse feed, hay bales and water all day! We may be stiff in our hips, pelvis or low back, meaning we cannot follow the horse’s movement with as much fluidity as we would like, restricting their paces.
We keep treatments to a minimum as we know finances for the horse come first! This is still effective as long as you do the exercises prescribed!
If good riding tuition is needed –we can link with the experts; recommending people we trust. If your own instructor want to talk to us, or jot down the problems being experienced, we will work specifically on those, communicating with both of you if needs be.
If your horse has a problem, again we can recommend a qualified person to help –with your vet’s permission.
And if you need insurance to cover you –we may be able to help with that too!
