Sports therapyfor horse riders
To further improve saddle fit, horse welfare and rider alignment, we also provide Sports Therapy for Riders
Even the most technically accurate saddle fit cannot achieve its full potential if the rider’s body is not balanced and correctly aligned. That’s why we have developed a dedicated Sports Therapy programme for riders, designed to support optimal posture, movement, and performance in the saddle.
Our Specialist Sports Clinician
Alex Carey is an equestrian Sports Therapist and Rehabilitation Specialist with over 15 years of experience working with riders.
She brings together strong clinical expertise, first-hand equestrian insight, and a deep understanding of biomechanics to support each client individually. Alex holds a BTEC National Diploma in Therapy and Applied Sciences, with a focus on microbiology, and went on to specialise in Sports Massage and Injury Rehabilitation.
Based at a studio near Chichester, West Sussex, Alex also offers mobile sessions, travelling to riders’ homes and yards across Hampshire and Surrey to deliver tailored, effective treatment.
Alex Carey
sports therapist for horse riders
How a Rider’s Body Influences Saddle Fit
A saddle sits between the rider and the horse’s back, so the way a rider moves, balances and sits is fundamental to how the saddle interacts with the horse.
Rider Posture and Balance
The position of a rider’s pelvis and spine sets the baseline for how weight is distributed through the saddle.
A pelvis that is neutral and stable allows even weight transmission through both seat bones, helping the horse move with balance and freedom.
Conversely, an anterior or posterior pelvic tilt, dropped hip on one side or excess lumbar tension can shift weight unevenly and cause the saddle to rock, twist or place uneven pressure on the horse’s muscles and back.
Muscular Control and Core Strength
A strong, resilient core – including abdominal, back, glute and hip stabilizers – helps the rider remain centred and balanced through gait changes and transitions.
This core support reduces gripping with legs or calves, minimises bracing through the lower back and keeps the pelvis aligned with the horse’s motion, allowing the saddle to track consistently rather than shifting under load.
Without this muscular control, even small postural deviations can influence saddle behaviour, reducing how well the saddle maintains consistent contact and support.
Poor Rider Conformation and Its Effects on a Saddle
Rider conformation refers to the relative alignment of the hips, pelvis, spine, shoulders, and limbs at rest and in motion. When conformation deviates from neutral symmetry – due to habitual posture, muscle imbalances or flexibility limitations – it can affect the saddle’s balance and the horse’s comfort.
Uneven Weight Distribution
If one seat bone sits heavier than the other, or if a rider habitually leans to one side, this creates asymmetrical pressure through the saddle panels and an imbalance in the saddle flocking that will need correcting.
Over time, this can create uneven muscle compression on the horse’s back, cause the saddle to twist or shift, increase tension and discomfort in the horse and mask fit issues that are actually related to the rider rather than the saddle alone. This is something we look at when doing a saddle check,
Altered Dynamic Balance
In motion, poor rider posture often shows as collapsing through one hip, over-arch in the lumbar spine, stiff or locked hips, compensatory tension in arms and shoulders.
These patterns reduce the ability to follow the horse’s movement fluidly, making it harder for the saddle to settle with symmetrical balance in walk, trot, and canter.
Equine research shows that saddle fit outcomes are also influenced by rider ability – riders with better core strength, postural control and balanced alignment produce more desirable back shape changes during work, whereas imbalanced riders tend to show smaller or asymmetrical changes in back dimensions.
How have my own experiences shaped the treatments i offer
Turning Personal Setbacks into a Purposeful, Rider-Focused Approach
As a keen showjumper and equestrian for over 25 years, I’ve had numerous set-backs over the years, and it is these experiences that helped me to highlight the deep connection between a rider’s biomechanics and the comfort, movement, and wellbeing of the horse.
What are some of the treatments that can help horse riders
Trigger Point Therapy
Trigger point therapy focuses on releasing areas of concentrated muscle tension that can cause pain, stiffness, and restricted movement. Using targeted, sustained pressure, this technique helps reduce muscular tightness, restore normal muscle function, and improve mobility – supporting more comfortable and efficient movement.
Deep Tissue Massage
Deep tissue massage works into the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to address long-standing tension and soft-tissue restrictions. Through slow, firm pressure, it helps break down adhesions, ease chronic discomfort, and improve range of motion, making it particularly effective for ongoing muscular tightness and movement limitations.
Supporting Recovery Between Sessions
Alongside hands-on treatment, clients are guided through manual stretching and provided with simple home exercise programmes that require no specialist equipment. These tailored programmes help maintain progress between sessions and support long-term improvement.
Where appropriate, kinesiology taping is used to support joints and soft tissues while allowing natural movement. This is especially beneficial for knee pain, ligament injuries, and general joint instability, helping to improve support and confidence during daily activity and riding.
What are the benefits for the horse wellbeing
Sports therapy for horse riders focuses on assessing and improving postural alignment, muscle strength and endurance, pelvic and hip mobility, core stability and movement symmetry.
These elements contribute to a rider’s ability to sit in balanced alignment and maintain this alignment as the horse moves. By expanding physical capacity in these areas, riders better support the saddle’s function and promote a more harmonious connection with their horse.
The principle is simple, and this image really highlights the importance of straightness and the wheelbarrow is something all of us with horses have experienced.
Benefits of Incorporating Sports Therapy
A targeted sports therapy approach can help you:
reduce tension and compensatory patterns that interfere with balance,
increase body awareness while riding,
improve symmetry through tailored exercise programmes,
support sustainable strength and flexibility gains,
enhance your effectiveness in communicating with your horse.
This self awareness and re-balancing makes our lives as saddlers much easier as we’re dealing with the saddle and horse fit and not so much the rider when doing saddle fitting.
The importance of saddle fit for rider balance
As a very competent rider and showjumper, I’ve tried a lot of saddles over the years and have ridden in Kent and Master MJJ for a long time, but with the long points, it wasn’t the perfect combination with my mares wider shoulders and scapula.
I have a Connemara sports pony and wanted a new saddle to really improve her jumping performance. I tried a few different options, but when I rode in the Arena Monoflap Jump saddle, the difference was clear straight away. It just felt right.
The monoflap design gives a much closer contact feel, with less bulk between my leg and her side. My leg sits more securely and quietly, which helps with balance and communication. She also feels freer through her shoulders when jumping.
Overall, it’s improved our stability and confidence over fences. The Arena Monoflap Jump saddle has made a noticeable difference to both of us, so I am really hoping the dressage saddle will deliver that same feeling.
From a biomechanics point of view, this saddle has helped to improve my own alignment. Shoulder, hip alignment is vastly improved, and the saddle position really helps to give me a more upright position, compared to the Kent and Master MJJ, which had me more tucked and folded.
by Alex Carey Sports Therapist and Injury Rehab
How does a Booking Work
Option A) Ridden assessments
This will take place with both Alex and Ian attending, assessing both the saddle/fit and rider.
Option B) Static assessment
We can also do a general horse-less assessment using balance balls and various other methods that will help to define things we need to work on.
Follow up Treatments
We can offer treatment at our studio near Chichester in West Sussex or come to you at your home or yard across Surrey, Hampshire, or West Sussex if you have a warm private space where we can set up.
How to book a saddle fitting
We can run local clinics or group sessions at yards, or private premises
Contact
Tel: 0781 805 5691
West Sussex, UK and surrounding counties
Opening hours
9 am – 6 pm – Monday to Saturday
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