Applied Posture Riding

07/03/2026

Well I'm home from Broome, fit strong and in shape. The time at the gym was worth it.

Meanwhile my mares had a real lazy style holiday. Both are fat as a Boab tree.

04/03/2026

Yesterday I went for a bike ride. We rode around on the basketball courts.

Bike riding is fun, but not my thing. I don't like being bent forward with my neck in extension; I get a headache if I do too much of it.

Anyway, I found myself doing circles, serpentines and following the white lines.

What was interesting I noticed my left turns were smoother and better shaped than those to the right. I know this to be the same when I'm riding.

I also discovered that when I do weights, I lower the weight on my right a fraction faster than on my left. Maybe because my right arm has a bend in it from an injury.

Observations about myself, maybe I can use this when I get home a riding again.

03/03/2026

My pad is very versatile because it was designed and tested by me and others before settling on the final design.

To apply the (APR) red light therapy pad to the horse's back or rump area, lay the pad flat over the topline or secure it with the integrated straps around the hindquarters. This position is ideal for treating the sacroiliac (SI) joint, lumbar region, or gluteal muscles.

The APR Equine Red and Infrared Light Therapy Pad is a professional-grade device specifically designed for equine therapy.

The tri-wavelength system—660nm (red) for surface healing and 810nm & 980nm (near-infrared) to pe*****te deep into muscles, fascia, and joints. The deep infrared wavelengths pe*****te deeper to target muscle, fascia, and nerve tissue. Healing as well as cleaning inflammation.

Application for the Back and Rump is easy.

Duration: A typical treatment session lasts 5 to 30 minutes per area, and for best results, it can be used up to twice daily with at least 6 hours between sessions.

Portability: The system is designed for cordless use with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, making it easy to use in the stall or cross-ties.
PS, this can be used on humans

The APR Equine Red & Infrared Light Therapy Pad is a professional-grade photobiomodulation device designed to target deep muscle, tendon, and joint tissues that are commonly stressed in performance and everyday horses.

02/03/2026

Improving rider balance requires a combination of off-horse core strengthening and on-horse rider posture movement patterns that develop a "dynamic" seat.

I see a lot of programs and exercise routines that target riders. The marketing gives demos of all sorts of high-end (you need to be an athlete already) to do them.

Therapists have software that generates exercises "for eg. knne pain", on demand. Tick the boxes for that problem, gloss it up into a pdf and send it.

I see these when I get new patients who simply can't do them. Many are told they are not trying hard enough. Now this is from older as well as younger people.

Unlike many sports, riders can start at any age. Some of us have ridden our whole lives, and many take it up when life allows them.

Developing a rider's body is more than exercises suitable for riding; we need movement patterns targeted for riding.

What body posture we start with may be set in its ways and need resetting, add in our passion, cost and time and away we go, finally achieving goals.

If you need help with your journey, I'm happy to help.

Look Good Feel Good Ride Well. APR

27/02/2026

Goldilocks, I use this word in my work with patients and when training myhorses.

Nearly all prescribed workouts and routines include sets, reps, and loading. These should be determined for each patient, horse and not just standard. Goldilocks is hard to find.

Age, starting point, body, and medical history all need to be considered before setting routines.

I also consider "what is the aim and target" exercises.

As horse riders, we need to identify our deficiencies, reset our symmetries, and then build strength, balance, and coordination.

Testing your musculoskeletal function is my first step (as part of my online course). Strength routines are then added, followed by specific rider-designed movement patterns.

Goldielocks is set at a higher level for horse riders in line with our aims and targets. Remember, we train our whole horse because they can't do isolated reps, so think of your body as part of your horse and reset it accordingly.

27/02/2026

I am changing the image banner on my website,

27/02/2026

I read a news article, of all things, about new research on chronic nerve pain.

They have found that spinal nerve cells lack active mitochondria, which are essential for fighting inflammation and promoting tissue healing.

Activating mitochondria in every and any tissue will help the body self-heal.

This is a step forward in natural endogenous healing for both us, as riders, and our horses.

I use my own pad, a 660/810/940nm wearable pad, every day. This has considerably tamed my nerve pain.

I apply the equine pad 660/8810/980nm wearable pad on my horses when they are in work.

Mitochondria in the various tissues lack activity, and they fatigue. Red, and especially infrared, light targets these cells and triggers cellular action that promotes our tissue to self-heal.

The wavelengths, settings, size, and LEDs are important to get right for the best results.

If you are injured and/or older, RLT daily is a must, IMO.

26/02/2026

My gym sessions have been entertaining, educational and effective.

I am entertained by what people wear.

I am learning how people get it wrong.

I am now using the machines for maintaining my strength.

I also know my weight training program for horses is well-founded and based on the same principles.

Check my program out and ask any questions.

https://appliedpostureriding.com.au/introducing-weight-training-for-horses/

Send a message to learn more

25/02/2026

The use of a posture brace (not a joint brace) can be to
support a posture
hold a posture
train a posture

The riding posture is dynamic as well as static; it is functionally symmetrical and requires independent, isolated, and combined movement patterns. Your seat, legs and hands need to be independent as well as part of a pattern.

If you have a muscle imbalance, then training the riding posture for good riding will be one-sided. How you ride will be how you train your horse.

If you are not symmetrical with your application of pressure through your seat, legs and hands, then expect your horse to be the same.

Be aware that a lower neck injury can manifest as a shoulder neck imbalance.

I prescribe braces as needed. The posture shoulder brace is a very common rider brace.

If you have a question, flick me a comment.

24/02/2026

When does our body switch from performance mode to protective mode?

Pain
Fear
Stress
Exhaustion
and other

I my work, this is so common I can almost assume it as a person walks in.
As an instructor, there are many telling signs.

As the person in protective mode, you are most likely unaware of it, but can state a "since ...something" episode.

Common signs unmounted:
elevated shoulders with tight traps and headaches
mid back pain
lower back pain
poor sleep
muscle imbalances
lactic acid buildup

Common signs mounted:
tight hands
short reins
erect instead of an upright posture or leaning forward
elevated shoulders
toes turned out
poor body awareness
poor symmetry
poor balance
poor aid application

So what is the solution?
Well, you need to know what is going on in your body.
Learn why cause has created effect, and then effect has become a new cause.
Tight protective muscles rarely "just relax".
If they do relax, the inactive muscles have to be ready for action.

Resting under active muscle (especially the core) is essential before movement patterns can be introduced to regain "normal" movement and function.

I see this so often: the body has healed, but the movement patterns have not been reset. This will affect your riding forever. Yu will not "fix" this in the saddle.

22/02/2026

I'm in Broome with family and also working a locum Physio job. Hot and humid, and experienced rain in volumes as a treat.

I can't ride, too hot to walk, and the ground is flat, so I signed up for a short-term gym membership.

AC and multiple choices of cardio and strength machines.

My choice is the cross trainer, the walking machine, and the leg ABD ADD strength machine.

Google suggested I use the rowing machine! An exercise with high risk for disc injury and watching people use it was distressing. So much loading on the lumbar spine.
It is not just the machine you work out on, it is the "technique".

One girl ran for 30mins landing on her toes!

Another did a calf raise using his traps.
Another did arm pulls with an obvious trunk wobble.

I had 2 new patients with headaches and neck pain after gym sessions. Both had a strong core in testing, but a functional drop-off during loading.

So my sessions at the gym are proving to be a workout for me and a source of information on technique errors for patients.

As horse riders, the gym is a great choice, but choose your muscle-loading machines with a purpose in mind.

As horse riders, targeting core function, symmetry, balance, endurance, strength and coordination is a good use of your time.

The core crunch is still my no. 1 skill for all movement.

Core function with lumbo-pelvic flexibility will give you a body that rides well.