Hidden Rider Habits That Affect Your Horse.

Most riders want the very best for their horses—soundness, comfort, and peak performance. But sometimes, the biggest influence on your horse’s way of going isn’t their saddle fit, training plan, or feed program. It’s YOU.

At B Diamond Physio, I often see riders who don’t realize that small habits in their own body can have a big impact on their horse’s movement. These patterns often develop without awareness, but once you know what to look for, you can start making changes that benefit both you and your horse.

Riders, Holding Your Breath

It happens when we’re concentrating, nervous, or even just working hard: we forget to breathe. When riders hold their breath, tension builds through the chest and shoulders. This stiffness can block your horse’s movement, especially through their back.

The FIX - Lateral Breaths:

1. Place your hands on the outsides of your ribcage, with thumbs pointing toward your back and fingers just below your sternum.

2. Inhale slowly and think about expanding your ribs laterally—out to the sides.

3. Notice which side expands less.

4. On the side that is moving more, place your opposite hand on those ribs. (For example, if your left ribs expand less, place your left hand on your right ribs.)

5. Do 5 breaths focusing on sending the expansion into the side you’re not holding.

6. Return both hands to your ribs and complete 10 more breaths, aiming for equal expansion.

This balances your breath pattern, reduces tension, and helps create even movement in your upper body—something your horse will immediately feel.

Collapsing Through One Side

Many riders unknowingly sit heavier on one seat bone or collapse through their waist to one side. This imbalance pushes weight unevenly into the saddle and asks the horse to compensate, often resulting in crookedness, stiffness, or difficulty with bend.

The FIX - Neutral Pelvis:

• Sit tall and place your fingertips on your hip bones—imagine they are the ends of a ruler.

• Slowly rock your pelvis forward and back, feeling how your seat bones move underneath you.

• Then gently shift side to side, noticing if one hip tends to drop more than the other.

• Aim for a balanced, neutral position where the “ruler” feels level.

Practicing this off the horse builds awareness that carries directly into your riding.

Gripping With Your Hamstrings

Have you ever noticed one pant leg creeping up your thigh as you ride? That’s often a sign your hamstrings are gripping to stabilize you because your glutes aren’t doing their job. This creates tension and reduces your ability to sit deep in the saddle.

The FIX - Glute Squeezes:

• Sit on your hands, palms cupping your buttocks.

• Squeeze both glutes without using your legs or thighs.

• Hold briefly, then relax.

• Decide which side is weaker and which is stronger.

• Activate just the weaker glute (no thigh help) for 10 reps

• Then switch to the stronger glute for 10 reps.

• Then complete one extra set on the side to build balance.

This helps strengthen the correct muscles to stabilize you in the saddle—reducing hamstring gripping and giving your horse a clearer, lighter seat.

Why These Habits Matter

Riders and horses are mirrors of each other. When you develop awareness of your hidden habits, your horse has the freedom to move straighter, softer, and more comfortably. That’s where specialized equestrian physiotherapy makes the difference—we work on both rider biomechanics and equine physio to create true balance.

Ready to Break the Habits?

If you’ve been searching for equine physio near Calgary or an equestrian physiotherapist near Black Diamond who understands both sides of the partnership, B Diamond Physio is here for you. Through individual sessions and our Ride Right Clinics, we help riders discover and correct these hidden habits—leading to better balance, less pain, and happier horses.

Because when riders ride right, horses move right.