28/10/2026
First off, back pain is complex and multifactorial, and there is usually not one singular cause. If you have ongoing or worsening back pain, I would advise you to see your GP or physiotherapist for a full assessment and individualised treatment plan.
However as a Chartered Physiotherapist assessing and treating riders for over 25 years, I have seen a lot of riders with back pain when they are in the saddle.
So here are three of my top tips to try:
1️⃣ Check your saddle - make sure it fits you and your horse. If your saddle tips you forwards or backwards you won’t be able to move your pelvis with your horse. That makes it much harder for you to dissipate the forces your horse produces and can lead to jarring and pain.
2️⃣ Don’t brace through your core! No matter what instagram tells you! When you brace or tense constantly through your abdomen, you block your pelvis from moving and therefore you can’t move with your horse and dissipate the forces he produces. Instead work on breathing using your diaphragm. Think of breathing in a 360 degree manner so you breathe into the front, sides and back of your ribcage as you inhale. This allows your diaphragm, deep abdominal muscles and pelvic floor to work subconsciously in a coordinated manner to control intra abdominal pressure and allow you to better absorb the movement of your horse rather than bouncing and jarring yourself.
3️⃣ Work on eccentric muscle control of your hips, pelvis and trunk (muscles actively contracting into a lengthened position) to allow you to absorb the movement of the horse and dissipate the forces he produces. Train for this off the horse.
The Activate Your Seat exercises in the bungi are all designed to help with this - you can purchase your bungi and access to the online exercise video from my website www.activateyourseat.com (link in my bio). I post the bungis worldwide 🌎
💙 Breathe better, move better, ride better
Maeve
