Structural evaluation can help improve riding

Ask the Doc

June 2, 2010

By Dr. Lou Pack Lake Oconee Breeze Lake Oconee Breeze Wed Jun 02, 2010, 08:00 AM EDT

LAKE OCONEE — “I ride horses. Can a structural evaluation help me ride better?”

Absolutely! Whether you are standing during your sport like baseball players, or sitting like kayakers, cyclists or horseback riders, abnormal structure plays a vital role in your performance.

We all have structural abnormalities whether we’re aware of them or not. Even our right and left sides are not mirror images of each other.   Simply look in the mirror and you’ll see one shoulder that’s higher, one arm that’s lower, or one foot that flattens more than the other. And these abnormalities can not only decrease one’s sports performance, but can later cause arthritic changes.

Everyone for example, has one leg longer than the other. A rider with this problem will lean towards the shortened side. Not only can this cause you to have muscular soreness (like back pain) but it will make it more difficult for you to ride and jump because you’ll be out of balance. Indeed, every aspect of your riding will be affected.

I recently saw a competitive rider who after being evaluated noticed that her saddle was actually twisted because of riding like this for many years. In addition, the abnormal stress you place on your shortened side could also cause your horse to have problems on that side too.

Another common problem usually seen with all athletes is tight calf muscles. In runners, it makes it more difficult for them to lift their feet when running and results in shin splints, Achilles tendonitis and many other problems. Riders with this problem will have greater difficulty in keeping their heels down in the stirrups which is a very important part of riding well.

Most people also have a tendency to pronate or flatten their feet. Riders who pronate, put more pressure on the insides of their feet which causes them to internally rotate their knees resulting in a loss of power and strength. It also causes them to hold on to the horse with their knees instead of their lower legs. Note that there is a big difference in leaning on the insides of your feet as opposed to having feet that collapse, flatten, and are unstable.

Despite the fact that these and many other problems are quite common in riders, they generally remain either unnoticed or untreated, but could be easily corrected. This helps   avoid injuries and creats the winning edge you’re looking for.

So the best place to begin any sport (whether it’s playing golf or riding a horse), is by having a structural evaluation and not by taking lessons. Doing this will make your lessons much more productive, and often show an improvement noticed by both rider and trainer.

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