Hi,
The rider who submitted her photo and question for this weeks' blog has asked about a common issue I see quite a bit when doing clinics: getting a straighter back.

Depending on your physiology and your body's compensating patterns, your version of this problem might be completely different from your friends'. Even two people that look like they have the same posture in the saddle, might be that way for slightly different reasons. Of course, mounted posture takes into consideration not just how you sit when you are still, but how your body maintains your posture as you move, and your body moves in constant reaction to the horse's movement under you. It's easier to sit pretty at halt!

Most riders can benefit from doing more work on core strength. It's really important to remember that core strength means everything on your torso: not just your abdominal muscles. In fact, I find that even those riders who are consciously doing situps and other abdominal work on a regular basis, often neglect their obliques (your sides- ribs and waist), and their back. While good abdominal tone may assist upright posture, your back muscles are a major force in keeping your spine erect. When a rider is straight but kind of stiff, very often this is a sign of weakness in the core. A strong core- including back- does not have to be held in rigid tension to create straightness. The muscle tone itself simply supports upright posture with very little effort.

Let's get to this weeks' rider:

The Rider
Here is Veronique's request in her own words:
I really enjoy reading your blog. I've ridden a lot in the past when I was 8-11 years old, but about six years went by and now I'm starting lessons again at 17. I'm having some trouble with keeping my back straight and keeping my balance, and was wondering if you could maybe help me out? Thanks so much...

Postural Analysis
If you look at Veronique's picture in the comment box below, you can see that her back is indeed scooped. Her pelvis is tilted back which pretty much sends her feet forward. She is trying to keep them under herself, but the angle of her femur (thigh) forward means that to bring her feet under herself, her heel is lifted. She is kind of crouching on top of the horse. Her chest and abdominal area are collapsed downward, and her shoulders are rounded forward. I dont' know how tall Veronique is, but she seems to be fairly tall, and at her age she has been experiencing rapid growth in the past couple of years. If she has not been engaging in other sports, it would be safe to say that her muscular development has not kept pace with her height. Being 17, she is, according to the Equine Canada Long Term Equestrian Development stages, at an age where she can definitely take on additional weight bearing cross training activities to develop more muscle mass and endurance. In fact, she should be doing what she can to build some muscle because by 18 or 19 she will be at her physical peak as far as new muscle tissue development. Muscle developed between 15-20 years old for women is very important, because it becomes the base you work with the rest of your life.

When I say mass, I don't mean we expect Veronique to take up body building. With her body type, it would be very unlikely she would risk becoming bulky.

Veronique appears to also have shortened hamstrings and calves. The caving in of her chest area would normally also produce shortened muscles fibres. To get her shoulders back, back straight, and heels better placed under her hip and heels down, she needs to:

1. Stretch her chest, hamstrings and calves on a regular basis

2. Strengthen her entire body in exercises done in vertical alignment to also create muscle memory for 'straightness'. I would suggest wide leg squats with shoulders in as much an upright posture as possible, and overhead press with 3-5lb freeweights. Squat down with weights held at shoulder/ear height, then stand up and push the weights straight up overhead. Have the added work of keeping arms and weight above the shoulders with pretty nearly force more upright posture in the back, and use of back muscles.

3. Strengthen her core. A really quick routine to get all abdominal, oblique and lower back muscles could be a) 30 'supermans' lying on the floor lifting arms and legs up and down, b) 30 pairs of bicycle crunches (knees pedalling in and out with opposite elbow/armpit moving toward opposite kneww, and c) 30 full crunch (lie on the floor, and as you bring knees in and feet off the floor, also crunch with the upper body lifting shoulder blades off the floor.)

Since she has also mentioned balance, adding an element such as doing her squats on a balance board (not wobble board which would also tip her forward and back) would also be a very good idea.

I'm looking forward to your submissions and questions for this week. Please be encouraged that if you don't have a picture, you can still submit a question or problem for discussion. There are bound to be others with the same question who will appreciate your courage in doing so.

Until next week, happy riding!