Happy Hips for Horse & Rider

 consideration the intrinsic connection to the lower extremity, the vertebral column, the pelvic floor and our old friend, the coccyx/tailbone. If you’ve ever fallen hard on your tailbone or on one of your hips, these seemingly insignificant compressions have the potential to affect your pelvis and spine big-time, not to mention the happiness of your horse under saddle. A hit to the tailbone can quite literally cause whiplash, or in some cases concussion, impacting the nervous system, the blood flow in the pelvis and lower extremity, and most commonly, limiting the mobility of the sacrum and with it, the innominate. When the hip joint is limited in its movement in horse or rider, the lower extremity, sacrum, or innominate bones compensate, and movement can become lopsided and a very real source of asymmetry in our horses. As for whole body connection in the horse, the supraspinous ligament is a continuation of the nuchal ligament, attaching from the seventh cervical vertebrae all the way to the sacrum, the dura mater protecting the spinal cord runs from inside the cranium to attach firmly on the sacrum, and the myofascial chains connect all the way from cranium to pelvis and beyond (see Figure 2).

So what is the pelvic floor and why does it matter? In riders, it is thought of as the foundation of our core stability, essential to our seat and balance in the saddle. This “diaphragm” of pelvic muscles is critical in pressure regulation and drainage, keeps our internal organs from sliding away on us, and weakness or tightness can cause some very uncomfortable issues in certain cases. Becoming friends with this region will make everyone happier, and part of this process is ensuring the skeletal system supporting it is functioning well. Kegel (pelvic floor) exercises are often suggested to strengthen the pelvic floor.

With the combined assistance of your favourite human and equine professionals, you can learn a great deal about the health and happiness of the pelvis and the necessary steps to move toward the fluid, following pelvis you’ve always wanted. As mentioned previously, I love osteopathy and it is my preferred modality, but listen to your body and to your horse to choose the right fit for you.

To maintain that mobility, get your yoga on. Your pelvis is going to need regular attention to stay fluid. I love pigeon pose, downward dog, child’s pose, and working with a full seated squat daily. I am also working to break my habit of crossing my legs, and to move my body in ways that open up this area, which includes Kegel exercises for my pelvic floor.