BODYZONE.
HEADING IN THE right DIRECTION WEIGHING 5KG OR MORE AND BALANCED ON JUST SEVEN VERTEBRAE OF THE CERVICAL SPINE, THE HUMAN HEAD IS HEAVY ENOUGH TO HAVE A PROFOUND EFFECT ON OUR
“L
ook where you want the horse to go,” we’re told, alludin to the in uence our directional a e can have on his performance. ccordin to arah ayne I, a list ud e, U level three dressa e coach and Equipilates trainer ( .sheep ate.co.u ), what happens in the
OVERALL POSITION, SAYS ANDREA OAKES. head and nec area can be very revealin , actin as a telltale for problems elsewhere in the rider’s body. hatever your level, if you re inclined to bob or tilt your head, to clench your a s or hunch your shoulders, somethin , some here needs addressin . roblems ith the head, nec and shoulders are more li ely a symptom than a cause, says arah, ho emphasises that everythin about the rider s position comes bac to
the pelvis. ather than ust tinkering with these symptoms, it is important to ensure that the buildin bloc s at the bottom of the ‘tower’, or torso, are arranged correctly. ny imbalance or asymmetry in the pelvis ill manifest itself further up. If the rider s pelvic shoc absorbers’ are not fully functionin , she explains, the horse s movement ill instead travel up the rider s spine to appear as an exa erated nod of the head ith every stride. nd hat oes up must come do n a clenchin can loc the rider’s body, to make absorbing that movement harder still. roblems can also arise from trying to sit too still in the saddle, or holding your breath,” arah adds. If you re ridin a spooky horse, you may be apprehensive about ho he ill react and adopt a sli htly braced position with your shoulders up around your ears. s a rider, you may not be aware of what you are doin . s an instructor, it s not al ays a case of addressin hat you see you mi ht have to di a little deeper.
o ho do e solve these problems ince so many of our biomechanical issues arise hile e re out of the saddle, arah believes that this is the best place to be in. “You may not be aware of ho ti ht or restricted you are in certain areas of your torso, so physiotherapy and upper body muscle releases ill help you to realise ho connected these parts are, says arah, ho also uses a ac in ction mobiliser. “Lying on a foam roller is great for puttin yourself in the correct position, ith a neutral spine. osition the roller len th ays, do n your spine, and roll off after two or three minutes to see how different you feel. lac of stren th and stability can result in head and nec issues, because a rider hose core is not established will hold tension in these areas, adds arah. “Targeted strengthening of the upper body ill also help. arah points out that any postural improvements need to be functional, so that your position can be maintained hile the horse is movin .
LEFT: IF THE RIDER’S PELVIC ‘SHOCK ABSORBERS’ ARE NOT FULLY FUNCTIONING, THE HORSE’S MOVEMENT WILL TRAVEL UP THE RIDER’S SPINE TO APPEAR AS AN EXAGGERATED NOD OF THE HEAD.
60 // Issue 5 2021 // BRITISH DRESSAGE
