Articles

Posture & Alignment

Crookedness, collapsing through one side, upper body position, and staying tall without tension.

For riders thinking

  • “I lean back.”
  • “I collapse through one side.”
  • “I feel crooked.”
  • “My shoulders drift.”
  • “I can't stay tall without tension.”
Good posture is not about holding yourself rigidly. It is about helping your body stay stacked, balanced, and organised while the horse is moving.

This often connects to

upper body organisation · torso balance · shoulder position · neutral spine · asymmetry · how the pelvis supports posture

Explore Alignment

Posture & Alignment articles

51 articles found

The Corset Of Your Abdominals : Your TVA
Balance & CoreSeat & HipsPosture & Alignment

The Corset Of Your Abdominals : Your TVA

The Corset Of Your Abdominals : Your TVA, learn its role in your dressage position and how you can begin to strengthen it today.

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8 Key Muscles Involved When We Ride
Seat & HipsBalance & CorePosture & Alignment

8 Key Muscles Involved When We Ride

Learn what muscles horseback riding uses and discover the key muscles involved for creating a good dressage rider posture and how to improve.

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Strength Building For Equestrians
Strength & FitnessBalance & CoreSeat & HipsPosture & Alignment

Strength Building For Equestrians

Learn all about strength building for equestrians. Get workout ideas and discover the best sort of training to do as a rider.

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What Does It Mean To Have Neutral Spine
Posture & Alignment

What Does It Mean To Have Neutral Spine

You have heard me in the past mention the concept of a neutral spine and why it is an important element to understand in everyday life and when riding.

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Sit better, sit different, sit less
Posture & AlignmentSeat & Hips

Sit better, sit different, sit less

Understanding how your body adapts to your environment is a fundamental element in helping you improve your position in the saddle, and maintaining the overall health and longevity

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Upper Cross Syndrome In Dressage Riders
Posture & Alignment

Upper Cross Syndrome In Dressage Riders

Learn why upper cross syndrome develops and how it can impact your dressage position. Discover ways you can improve and prevent.

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Lower Cross Syndrome In Dressage Riders
Posture & AlignmentSeat & Hips

Lower Cross Syndrome In Dressage Riders

Learn about lower cross syndrome and how this can affect your position in the saddle. Discover exercises you can do today to help.

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Flexor Chain Stretches For Dressage Riders
Seat & HipsPosture & Alignment

Flexor Chain Stretches For Dressage Riders

Here are 14 stretches for dressage riders to help improve overall posture by focusing on their flexor chain to help lengthen their body.

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How To Improve Your Dressage Position
Posture & AlignmentSeat & HipsDressage BasicsBalance & Core

How To Improve Your Dressage Position

Here I explain how you can improve your dressage position and give you insights as to how it should feel when you are both in and out of the saddle.

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6 Dressage Exercises To Help Improve Your Riding Posture
Strength & FitnessPosture & AlignmentBalance & CoreSeat & Hips

6 Dressage Exercises To Help Improve Your Riding Posture

Here are my top 6 dressage exercises that you can do at home to help improve your position and posture in the saddle. Including step by step video to follow

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Equestrian Workouts To Improve Your Riding
Strength & FitnessBalance & CorePosture & Alignment

Equestrian Workouts To Improve Your Riding

Improve your horse riding fitness, no matter what equestrain discipline you do. Here are specific equestrian workouts & stretches.

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Improve Your Rider Shoulder Stability
Posture & AlignmentStrength & Fitness

Improve Your Rider Shoulder Stability

As a rider the key is creating an illusion of stillness and creating soft hands is part of this picture.

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How to Prevent Back Pain While Riding?
Balance & CorePosture & Alignment

How to Prevent Back Pain While Riding?

How to prevent back pain while riding? How your back naturally sits can be affected by a number of things. What is important though is that you understand the natural shape of your spine.

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What is Rider Biomechanics?
Strength & FitnessBalance & CoreDressage BasicsPosture & Alignment

What is Rider Biomechanics?

What is Rider Biomechanics? Dressage riders require a strength and fitness that is subtle to the unknown eye. What on earth is biomechanics and what does it have to do with dressage?

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Exercises To Keep Your Heels Down
Strength & FitnessSeat & HipsDressage BasicsPosture & Alignment

Exercises To Keep Your Heels Down

Ever since being a little girl bouncing around on my welsh pony "Smokey" at pony club, the words heels down have been drummed into my ears as I am sure you can relate.

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Improving Your Posture Off The Horse
Posture & Alignment

Improving Your Posture Off The Horse

Improving your posture off your horse has the potential to dramatically improve your dressage riding and your connection with your horse.

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How The Office Chair Affects Your Core Strength
Balance & CorePosture & AlignmentSeat & Hips

How The Office Chair Affects Your Core Strength

I’m sure you’ve experienced the feeling of tight shoulders, lower back pain and stiff hips after sitting for a period of time at your desk.

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How Mobility And Yoga Can Help Your Riding
Strength & FitnessBalance & CorePosture & AlignmentSeat & Hips

How Mobility And Yoga Can Help Your Riding

When you’re in your twenties, it seems you can go a 110 percent at the gym, a charity run, or a boot camp with ease.

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Breathe And Your Dressage Posture
Posture & Alignment

Breathe And Your Dressage Posture

Breathing is something we obviously do every day, but how you breath has a huge impact on how you feel each day.

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How To Relax When Riding
Seat & HipsBalance & CorePosture & AlignmentDressage Basics

How To Relax When Riding

I dislike like the word relax when it comes to riding and being around horses, because the truth is they are a natural flight response horse.

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How to Improve Your Sitting Trot For Dressage
Seat & HipsBalance & CorePosture & AlignmentDressage Basics

How to Improve Your Sitting Trot For Dressage

Do you find sitting trot hard work? Discover how you can improve your sitting trot so it becomes effortless and soft for your horse's back.

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Resistance Band Exercises For Dressage Riders
Strength & FitnessPosture & Alignment

Resistance Band Exercises For Dressage Riders

These 12 resistance band exercises for Dressage riders are easily done at home. Designed to improve your posture and position in the saddle.

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Strength & FitnessPosture & Alignment

Upper Body Exercises For Dressage Riders

Here are a selection of upper body exercises for dressage riders to help improve their riding posture and position in the saddle. Full video and guidelines

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