If you're serious about taking your dressage riding to the next level, you've probably worked on your seat, legs, and hands. But have you ever thought about the importance of your pelvic floor in achieving the harmony and balance you desire with your horse?
The pelvic floor muscles are often overlooked, yet they play a crucial role in how we connect with our horses. Whether you're working on improving your seat aids or striving for the grace and precision of top level riders, having a functional pelvic floor is key to better movement, control, and communication with your horse.
Let’s break it down.
Why Is the Pelvic Floor Important for Dressage?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and ligaments that support our internal organs and allow us to move our pelvis. In dressage, this is vital because there is no other muscle group that can move your seat bones the way your pelvic floor can. When you’re aiming for those smooth, harmonious movements, your seat aids need to be precise—and this starts with the pelvic floor.
However, many riders experience two common problems with their pelvic floor:
Too weak, making it difficult to control movement.
Too tight, leading to stiffness and discomfort.
The Impact of a Weak Pelvic Floor
A weak pelvic floor means you’re unable to move your seat bones independently. Instead, you might rely on other parts of your body, such as your hands or legs, to compensate. On the horse, this often results in an unstable seat. When your seat is unstable, your horse can feel it, and you lose that vital connection.
As your seat becomes less reliable, you’ll notice that your aids become inconsistent—using more hands and legs to get the job done, which can confuse your horse. This can lead to frustration for both you and your horse, resulting in a less harmonious ride and possibly harsher aids (which we want to avoid).
The Problems with a Too-Tight Pelvic Floor
On the other hand, if your pelvic floor is too tight, your body will have trouble absorbing the horse’s movement. You might find yourself bouncing more in the saddle, increasing pressure points, which can cause discomfort for both you and your horse.
A too-tight pelvic floor also limits your ability to move fluidly with your horse, creating a barrier to that seamless, connected feeling you’re aiming for. Remember, stiffness hinders connection—if you can’t move with your horse, it’s harder to feel their movement and adjust accordingly.
The Secret to a Strong, Functional Pelvic Floor
A strong pelvic floor isn’t just about brute strength. True strength comes from mobility and control—the ability to move through a full range of motion while maintaining stability. A functional pelvic floor allows you to influence your horse with subtle seat aids, reducing the need for stronger leg or rein aids.
By developing a balanced pelvic floor, you'll unlock:
A better feel for your horse’s movement.
The ability to notice inconsistencies in your riding.
Greater accuracy with your aids.
The power to stop or slow your horse using just your seat—no reins required!
How to Develop Your Pelvic Floor for Riding
Most riders who are aware of the pelvic floor focus on developing the entire muscle group as a whole. But here’s the key for dressage riders: you need to develop these muscles independently—from side to side, muscle to muscle.
One muscle that’s often overlooked in this process is the piriformis, which I can give you a pro tip on. It’s the only pelvic floor muscle that sits outside the pelvis, running from your sacroiliac joint to the greater trochanter. It’s crucial for controlling the movement of your seat bones.
Try This Simple Piriformis Exercise:
Stand up and tap from your sacroiliac joint (near the base of your spine) down to the greater trochanter (the outer part of your hip).
Walk around and feel how each side of your piriformis moves differently. They alternate between contraction and extension.
Check for symmetry: Are both sides moving equally? Often, one side will be tighter or weaker than the other, affecting your balance in the saddle.
If your piriformis is weak, strengthen it with exercises like clam shells or anything that involves rotating your leg outward. If it’s tight, stretches like the figure-four stretch or a cross-legged forward fold will help loosen it up.
How to Apply This in the Saddle
Before you ride, tap your piriformis muscles again. While riding, especially in corners, use your inside piriformis to bring your inside seat bone back. As you go straight again, release the muscle. You’ll know you’re doing it right when you don’t have to actively position your body to turn—the movement will feel natural, and your horse will maintain speed and balance through the corners.
The Key to Accuracy and Connection
A well-balanced pelvic floor acts as a stabilizer for the entire body, allowing you to play with weight distribution, angles, and pressure. This creates a flowing movement, where each muscle has its own role, and nothing feels sticky or forced.
The best part? The more you use your pelvic floor correctly, the stronger and more effective it becomes. Over time, it will become second nature to engage it during more advanced movements like flying changes, or when your horse feels a little spooky.
Start Using Your Body’s Mechanics
I’m always amazed by how many riders—even the most advanced—don’t realize the power of their pelvic floor. It’s an incredible tool for achieving balance, control, and subtle communication with your horse. Why not use your body’s mechanics to get the results you want, instead of fighting yourself and your horse?
Join Me for an In-Person Pelvic Floor Workshop!
If you're ready to dive deeper into understanding how your pelvic floor can transform your riding, I’m hosting a two-day, in-person workshop where we’ll explore every aspect of this essential muscle group.
What to expect:
We’ll break down all the pelvic floor muscles and how each one plays a role in your riding.
You’ll feel these muscles in action on Joker, the horse simulator, so you can experience their importance in the saddle.
There will be practical sessions where we’ll focus on how to develop each muscle on the ground through targeted exercises.
This workshop will give you the tools you need to create harmony with your horse, improve your accuracy, and maximize your riding potential in the most ethical and harmonious way.
Spaces are limited, so be sure to secure your spot today at www.centrelinecollective.co.za!
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