Phyllis Roberts RIDER Biomechanics

This is why 'stacking' is so important. Its not just about moving the pelvis forward or back, its about the positioning of the rib cage and ischium as well. Having a strong core helps in aligning the upper and lower building blocks.

Learn to turn your pelvis not just your head and shoulders. Sit on the floor and 'walk' using your seat bones but keeping your shoulders level and facing straight ahead. When doing circles turn your pelvis in alignment with your horses shoulders and eyes looking through the ears. Use peripheral vision to 'see' where you are going.

Great article from Pegasus explaining what a circle actually is. A circle is not a circle..its straight lines.

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Why a Circle Is Really a Thousand Squares - and What That Means for Rider Alignment This week online I have been focusing heavily on the rider’s position when riding a circle, particularly the instruction I frequently use: rotate your pelvis in the direction of travel. This single phrase creates more discussion, debate and resistance on social media than almost anything else I ta...

Great explanation on how the glutes work. Most riders have an uneven tilt to their pelvis. Fix the tilt using exercises to strengthen the weak side.

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⁣90 seconds on gluteus medius function in the saddle…⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Gluteus medius strength, function and control is hugely important for us as riders. Not only does it move our hip in three different ways, it is also responsible for controlling how level we keep our pelvis. This is key to controlling our seat and ensuring we give clear aids to our horse.⁣ ⁣ Strengthening gluteus medius in both of its functional roles will help to allow your pelvis to stay more level and controlled in the saddle, improve your leg aids and help your stirrups feel more level. ⁣ ⁣ I designed the Activate Your Seat exercise programme, done against the resistance of the bungi, to target gluteus medius and improve ALL of its functions in the saddle.⁣ ⁣ ⁣ What do you do to improve your gluteus medius control in the saddle? ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ 💙 Breathe better, move better, ride better⁣ ⁣ Maeve ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣

Without reading what is said from Pegasus...first look at the bottom photo of this customer's hands. What do you see? Did you see it? Do you pay attention to what your hands are doing? Has any coach ever told you your hands arent even. We need to be more aware.

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👀 What you do off the horse without realising it often shows up on the horse SymmFit

A rider came to the stand at .international yesterday to try the new Insight Gloves and was amazed at what she saw when she looked down.

One hand was sitting in slight wrist extension, changing the angle and line from bit to elbow. The other was dropping lower. To her, they felt straight - but they clearly weren’t.

She was mind-blown. No wonder she struggles with rein contact regularly- if her hands don’t line up off the horse, they won’t magically line up in the saddle.

She’s now a very happy customer of the Insight Gloves and excited to work on neutral alignment and control.

👉 Try the Insight Gloves for yourself

🔗www.symmfit.co.uk

Great visual

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🐴DRESSAGE SOLUTIONS🐴 Find Core Stability Without Getting Rigid

To find stability in your core without becoming stiff or rigid …

Imagine there is a birthday cake between your horse’s ears. Inflate your cheeks and exhale strongly enough to blow out as many candles as possible—or one candle with each trot step!
~ Susanne von Dietze

🎨 Sandy Rabinowitz

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We spend so much time trying to fix the horse, spurring them forward, fiddling with the bit, asking for softness, “more forward,” “more round”…
But what if the real fix starts with you?

Small rider imbalances like a heel lifting in the rise, or a pelvis that tips incorrectly in the canter send big signals to the horse. Signals that say:
⚠️ “Slow down.”
⚠️ “Brace.”
⚠️ “Something’s not right.”

It’s no wonder so many horses disconnect, resist, or struggle to “come onto the bit.”
They’re just trying to cope.

When we shift our focus inward on how we move, how we feel, and how we influence the transformation in our horses is undeniable.
💡 Riding becomes clearer.
💡 Communication becomes lighter.
💡 And the horse finally has space to move with freedom.

It’s not just better for their welfare it makes the whole process of riding so much more enjoyable.

Crookedness stems from the pelvis...both on the horizontal and vertical planes. This is the area that needs to be corrected first.

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Nice explanation and illustration showing if you weigh one seat bone over another.

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🐴DRESSAGE SOLUTIONS🐴 Understand How Crooked Riding Affects Your Horse ...

Load a wheelbarrow heavily to one side as in the center illustration. Now push the wheelbarrow, and feel how it pulls to the weighted side and how you are forced to lean in that direction to compensate. That’s how your horse feels when you sit unevenly in the saddle, as shown in the left image. When you sit evenly, the horse will be centered and balanced as shown in the illustration on the right.
— Sharon Sweet

Excellent visual on correcting raised heels. It's all in the pelvis!

🌍 "Heels Down" – The Flat Earth Theory of Riding? Now let me start this by saying I don’t want riders riding with heels up (i’m ok with then being level if the rider is balanced). But I get so many comments fixating on heels down (even when the video or post explains how it’s being worked on) like it’s the magic solution to all riding issues. 👉 It “creates a deeper seat” 👉 It “lowers your balance” 👉 It “puts your leg in the correct position” But does it? Because no one actually explains why. They just repeat the same phrases—"everyone says it," so it must be right… but not that long ago, everyone thought the earth was flat. 💡 If "heels down" was all it took to fix riding position, no one would struggle with their seat or balance. Yes, maybe *you* focused on heels down and felt it improved *your* position—but as this video shows, it’s not the heels part that fixes the problem, it’s the pelvic position. When you were focusing on heels down, you were likely problem-solving through feel and time in the saddle—adjusting your balance and alignment without realising it. But that doesn’t mean “heels down” is the magic fix to tell someone else. What actually helps riders? ✔ Understanding that if your pelvis isn’t stable, you’ll always be fighting your position, no matter how much you try to force your heels down. ⚠️ So what does this mean for you? If you’ve been told "heels down" over and over but still struggle with balance and stability, it’s time to stop focusing on the symptom (heels up) and start addressing the cause (pelvic position, alignment, and control). 💡 Try the movement in this video (if safe and able to do so) and notice where the balance actually comes from. 👍 ✅ Fix the foundation first, and heels down will follow. 📩 Want more in-depth explanations on topics like this? Sign up for my weekly newsletter for exclusive videos and blog posts breaking down biomechanics in a way that actually makes sense. 🔗www.pegasusphysio.co.uk #riderbiomechanics #riderfitness #riderphysio #horseriderproblems #horseriders #riderposture #horserider #riderposition #riderrehab #equestriansimulator #mechanicalhorse #horseriding