Ready for endurance
By Derriere Equestrian Sponsored Endurance Rider Katie Bedwin
Endurance riding is fun, thrilling and addictive. But for
some people it can cause some physical discomfort while they are getting used
to the longer distances and the adaptions they may need to make to their conventional
riding position. This also applies to pleasure rides. Common issues for those
new to longer distance rides are tension and pain in the lower back, and
fatigue in the knee joints.
There’s an excellent article by
American endurance rider Priscilla Lindsey called ‘Equitation for Distance
Riders’, whereby Priscilla states that riding in harmony with the endurance horse's
movement is achieved by riding in balance ALL of the time. “When the rider is
not in balance, excessive muscle tension (grip) is used. This results in rider
fatigue, and consequently ‘pounding’ the horse's back. Riding in balance
requires only good muscle tone, rather than tension, to keep the rider light in
the saddle.” Priscilla explains that the faster trot, gallop and up-hill rides
require the rider's centre of gravity to be over the heel, with the rider’s shoulder
AHEAD of the vertical line (the one that is drummed into us as beginners as
being ‘ear/shoulder/hip/heel’. The endurance rider’s hip, when taking the
ideal, forward, lighter seat, is behind the vertical line, counterbalancing the
rider’s shoulder. The successful endurance rider’s pelvis in a true vertical
position, neither tipped forward (e.g. where the rider has a hollow back) nor
tipped backward (e.g. where the rider has a rounded back). If you can easily
feel your seat bones, rock back and forth on them in the saddle until it feels
like they are pointing straight down at the ground beneath your horse's belly,
advises Priscilla in her article. 
Once you have honed this adaptability with your riding, you
will hopefully find that any lower back pain or discomfort in the knees that you
were experiencing over longer distances is reduced as you begin to use your body
differently.
Other areas that affect rider comfort when tackling
endurance or pleasure riders is tack and clothing. Gel, foam or sheepskin
saddle covers or ‘seat savers’ are very useful, and the saddle itself makes a
difference - if you’re not investing in an endurance saddle, a GP should
suffice; choose wide stirrup irons to spread the weight distribution across the
ball of your foot.
The Derriere Equestrian Treviso Training
breeches work in harmony with the Derriere undergarments, ensuring all
fabric surfaces come together in a symbiosis that completely eliminates
chaffing, abrasions and discomfort in the saddle.
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