improving your "feel" in the saddle postpartum

"I am a mum returning to the saddle after having a baby. I am really struggling with my 'feel' in the saddle. It is much harder to feel the horse moving under me, and I struggle to know if I am in the right position. How can I fix this? ”

Read on to hear Hannah's (physiotherapist) response to this.

This is one of the most common issues I hear from women, whether they are currently pregnant, returning to the saddle soon after birth, or even after a long period of time off. We touched on this in our last blog post but will delve deeper into here.

Our 'seat,' or our connection to the horse through the saddle, is a really important aspect of riding. We can feel how we are sitting on the horse and also how the horse is moving and feeling under us. Our ability to know where we are and feel the horse's movement comes from our 'pelvic proprioception.' Proprioception is the ability to perceive the position and movement of the parts of your body within space, allowing you to interact with the environment around you without having to completely rely on visual feedback.

Why does this change happen during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, your joint mobility increases. Tendons and ligaments become more relaxed because of hormonal changes to prepare for the delivery of the baby. This changes the way joint positions are interpreted by the brain and thus how your body feels. After birth, impaired proprioceptive awareness doesn't automatically improve without proper training. (1,2).

How might you tell if this is a problem you’re having?
If this is a problem for you, you may feel 'disconnected' with your horse. This may feel like:

• Being unable to smoothly follow the motion of their back in any or all of their paces.
• Feeling 'bouncier' in sitting trot and canter (because your pelvis is unable to move fluently with the horse's movement)
  
  

You may also find your coach keeps telling you that you’re sitting crooked, but you can’t feel it! This could result in:

• Your horse struggles to move in a straight line or bend without falling in or out of their shoulders.
• Having an uneven feeling in the horse's lateral work. For example, your horse being able to do a beautiful shoulder in one way but struggling to get enough angle the other way.
  
  

How can you improve this?
In this situation, more riding may not necessarily be the solution. The more we ride with your brain telling our body to be crooked, the more ingrained it will become. These issues will only begin to resolve as you 'reprogram' your pelvic proprioception.nA tailored exercise program that you can complete both on and off the horse will be instrumental in this change.

At Equimotion, your physio session will take into consideration the discipline-specific requirements for riding as well as your individual body needs. For postpartum women this particularly includes:

• Strength and control in your pelvis and abdominals
• Training in front of a mirror to help 'retrain your brain'
• Postpartum considerations such as your pelvic floor control and diastasis recti.

Our team offers consultation both face to face in Sydney and the Central Coast, along with online consultations. To book an appointment or to simple have a chat with our physio, click here.