By leading British endurance rider and Derriere Equestrian ambassador, Katie Bedwin
Have you ever thought about your hamstrings,
and whether they’re tight or unrestricted, and how you use them when you ride?
Hamstring health is really under-valued within our riding regimes – yet these
muscles can revolutionise our performance, albeit subconsciously, even aiding
safety in the saddle by improving balance and seat strength.
Working in synergy with the glutes
The hamstrings are a group of muscles and
their tendons at the rear of the rider’s upper leg. They flex the knee joint,
and extend the thigh to the back side of the body. They’re attached to the seat
bones (or sit bones), so they run from hip to knee.
For jumping riders, the hamstrings will be predominantly engaged for maintaining a balanced jumping position with a bent knee, firing and accommodating the rider’s changing position over a fence, and working in synergy with the gluteal muscles in the seat. For flatwork and endurance riders, the hamstrings are enabling the hip to extend, so the leg becomes straighter, and are also functioning whenever we’re using our seat and thighs to convey aids; even just ‘keeping the leg on’. In endurance, our posture is somewhat different to other disciplines – we often use a two-point technique so we’re off the saddle, with the weight in our stirrups, and our calves contacting the horse. This means we’re matching coordination patterns with the horse to make everything comfortable over distances of up to 160km, and our hamstrings are always hard at work!
Lots of people have tight hamstrings, especially if they have an office job. This does make a long, loose leg position harder to achieve; and in fact, unless we actively do some work to lengthen and stretch the hamstrings, whether in the saddle, or within exercise such as pilates, yoga or stretching, we may experience lower back or knee pain. A muscle that has a good range of motion and elasticity is a stronger muscle, meaning your position will have more power if your hamstrings and gluteal muscles are strong. The individual muscles will also have a more varied range of movement if they’re supple.
Exercises to boost hamstring suppleness
A great way to improve hamstring flexibility is riding without stirrups, allowing the thighs and hips to open and relax – working with a friend or instructor on the lunge is ideal. A nice rider stretch at the halt is to take the feet out of the stirrups and then take hold of one ankle, drawing it back towards your bottom and deepening the stretch, before repeating with the other leg.
Out of the saddle, you can try sitting up tall on the floor with the knees bent, and the feet together. Close the soles of your feet together and allow the knees to drop out to the side – see if you can gently convince them to go closer to the ground! Bringing the heels of the feet closer to your groin increases the stretch. (This is a nice stretch to do before mounting, if you have somewhere comfortable to sit, before you put your riding boots on.) Remember when you’re stretching to carefully go into the stretch without pushing too fast, too far – you can use your breath to increase the stretch as you go, one increment at a time.
Comfy undies and riding breeches
Remember that when the rider is comfortable within the saddle, they can move more easily with the horse’s gait. Comfy underwear and breeches are a must for both the male and female rider. Derriere underwear is fabulous; designed to eradicate seamlines visible through breeches and ensure no rubbing, chaffing or abrasions are created due to stitched seams, they are discreet and very comfortable. The padded panty and shorty versions also protect the perineal area from friction and the resultant discomfort to the rider. Their breeches are extremely smart and flattering too, working in harmony with the underwear range and move with the rider’s body.
With six 2019 national titles to
her name, Katie Bedwin now competes as a senior rider, and this year plans to
contest national competitive rides, and train for and compete at a 160km three
star with top ride, Phariz. Visit - https://www.facebook.com/katiebedwinendurance
