MURDOCH MINUTE
by Wendy Murdoch
Copyright© 2005. All rights reserved.

Your Lower Back Position

Does your horse pull you out of the saddle? Do you fall forward or back when jumping over the fence? Does your horse travel with his head in the air? Regardless of whether you ride western, English or soft-gaited horses here’s a quick tip to help improve your riding.

Next time you ride take you reins in one hand. Place your other hand on your lower back. Feel your back. Is it hollow (arched), round or flat? If you are unsure, looking at photos or video can help. A hollow back will pitch you forward, while a rounded position can cause your to fall back or brace against the stirrups. A flat back will give you the strength and stability you need for good riding.

The lower back is the lumbar portion of your spine. It is comprised of 5 lumbar vertebrae. Most people have a forward curve (lordosis) in this part of the spine, which is necessary for standing and walking. Usually when sitting the amount lumbar curve decreases.

You can increase or decrease the amount of lumbar curve by arching or rounding your back. When you arch (extend) your back, the extensor muscles (the muscles you feel on each side of your spine) increasingly contract. When you round (flex) your back the muscles on the inside of your spine (flexors) contract. You cannot feel the flexor muscles because they lie on the inside of the spine behind your internal organs. In a cow, the flexor muscles (psoas major and minor) are what we enjoy as filet mignon. When your back feels flat the lumbar spine is stabilized using both flexor and extensor muscles.

The lumbar portion of the horse’s spine is the area behind your saddle between the last rib and the croup. Most horses have 6 lumbar vertebrae, although some Arabs only have 5. The horse’s lumbar spine is slightly rounded and has the ability to flex (round) and extend (hollow) using the same flexor and extensor muscles.

The horse needs to be able to round his lower back in order to engage his hindquarters. Pressure on the lumbar area will cause the horse to hollow or drop his lower back. This may be caused by many things most commonly a poor fitting saddle, a poorly placed saddle, a rider sitting in a hollow position and/or a rider sitting too far back in the saddle.

To find a solid flat lower back position while sitting on or off your horse, gently arch and round your back. If mounted, you may need to sit in the middle of your saddle before you begin. Make very small, slow, movements so that you can sense and feel the changes. Do your back and abdominal muscles change shape, texture and tone as you move? Be careful. A little movement can feel good but you could make yourself sore if you do too much.

When you use your psoas muscles to align the pelvis you can support your position without excessively tightening your back or abdomen. Find the place where your back feels flat and solid without tensing your abdominal muscles. Notice how this affects the freedom of your hips.

Use this Murdoch Minute as a ‘body position self-check’. A solid back is especially important when jumping. While working over ground poles you can place your hand on your back (on a quiet, safe horse) to feel if your back is flat. Regardless of your discipline hopefully you will find with a flat back that you are more secure with less effort. In another Minute you see how to use your new back position to stop pulling back on the reins. And remember - enjoy the ride!

Wendy Murdoch resides in Washington, VA and is an international riding instructor/clinician. She travels worldwide teaching riders of all levels and disciplines how to improve the horse’s performance by improving their body position. Her book, Simplify Your Riding is available in stores and at www.wendymurdoch.com.

Photo 1. Rider with a solid flat back. The rider is secure in the saddle and will not need to pull on the reins.

Photo 2. The rider’s back is hollow or arched. She is forward on her crotch and will be unable to stop the horse from pulling her out of the saddle.

Photo 3. The rider’s back is rounded. She has pulled back on the reins (notice hands in relation to the horn of the saddle) and will brace against the stirrups to try to stabilize her position.