Rev up your engines, with horsepower, that is! Equestrian events are here! Whether it’s a trick, jump, race or show, pain, muscle spasms and imbalance can prevent your best personal riding performance. Pain in the lower back, neck, hips, shoulders, knees, and wrists often drives riders away and can limit their participation in the equestrian activities they enjoy. Research indicates that tens of thousands of people are injured riding horses each year. Often their conditions are the result of not only trauma and falls, but also abnormal spinal structure.
In the US, there are nearly two million American horse owners and seven million riders. According to the US Equestrian Federation, children under the age of 18 make up about 23 percent of its members. Although horse racing is the most publicized in the industry, four times as many people participate in recreational riding, with a staggering three million people participating in horse shows each year. Injuries are an unfortunate part of any sport and quite common in equine activities. The average rider is 13 feet off the ground when sitting on a horse, and an average horse can travel at a speed of 40 mph. If a horse stumbles or missteps, a rider can experience quite a shock. Approximately 80,000 riders each year are admitted to emergency rooms due to riding injuries; most of which occur in the head, back, pelvic, leg, and shoulder regions, often leading to fractures, concussions, and other musculoskeletal and soft tissue injuries.
A rider’s body undergoes a variety of stresses and structural changes to the spine, due to various equine activities, such as cleaning the stables, moving hay and bedding, grooming, removing hooves, holding and driving excited horses, and pushing the wheel bars. In addition to falls, all of these strenuous activities can cause shoulder, arm, and back injuries, as well as knee and leg injuries. These injuries, along with abnormal posture, can cause driving impairments. Have you ever noticed that when riding your horse, he continually drifts to the right or left, regardless of how you ride? Or maybe one of your legs is in more pain than the other? Or perhaps while jumping, your horse favors one side of the jump over the other side. Perhaps when riding, your horse doesn’t turn or bend well. This may be due to an abnormal spinal structure.
Rider’s pace and horse’s pace
Many cyclists have an abnormal gait due to falls, strenuous activities, and heavy lifting. Looking in the mirror, do you notice one shoulder higher than the other? Or maybe your head is tilted in one direction or your hips are twisted? Perhaps you notice that one of your hips is higher than the other? This is most likely due to abnormal spinal alignment, which can cause you to drive ineffectively. Misalignments in the spine and pelvis can also cause pain in the back, knees, and feet. When the spine is misaligned, causing the posture to become unbalanced, the resulting aches and pains typically prevent a person from competing or participating in a sport. Many times, this is because abnormal spinal structure can cause a rider to unknowingly over-balance his body, causing unbalanced weight on the horse. Ultimately, this can lead to lower back and hip pain. Have you ever felt that your sit bones were out of alignment? This can cause the horse to take one lead more easily than the other, creating a training problem and frustration for both rider and horse. If a rider has a crooked spine structure, he can make a horse walk with a corky gait. When the rider’s body is straight and properly aligned, it is much easier to keep the horse upright, allowing the rider to step forward and lean in circles correctly. A rider with even hips can lower the leg and “around” the horse more easily. Riders tend to blame their horse for their lack of balance and asymmetry, when in most cases; it is the real cyclist who needs spinal balance and structural chiropractic care.
Corrective spinal structural care
Our chiropractic practice is teeming with people with horses, who present with a variety of ailments. They choose to address their primary condition of abnormal biomechanics, with correction of the spine and extremities. Many riders find that their horses perform better due to their own spinal correction. When you present to our office, we do a comprehensive exam that includes a range of motion analysis, spinal structure check, and a variety of orthopedic and neurological tests. We then take X-rays of the spine that can conclusively show what specific corrective measures need to be taken. We then use a series of spinal adjustments and specialized restorative equipment to gently mold and shape the spine back to its normal position.
Whether you’re involved in dressage, jumping, racing, or any other equestrian activity, preparing before demanding physical activity is time well spent to avoid unnecessary injury and contribute to an overall healthier body. Chiropractic is a growing profession that not only cares for riders, but also for horses. In one of the most competitive and intense sports, gain an edge over your competition by correcting your own spinal biomechanics.