Rider Biomechanics: How Balance and Asymmetry Affect Horse Comfort

When considering horse back comfort, much of the conversation naturally centres on saddle fit and padding. Both are extremely important—but they are not the whole picture.

A saddle sits between two moving bodies. However carefully chosen, padded and positioned it may be, it cannot work independently of the horse beneath it or the rider above it. Rider biomechanics—including balance, posture, strength and asymmetry—can influence saddle-pressure distribution and the way a horse moves.

A peer-reviewed narrative review published in January 2026 brings together current research into rider biomechanics and horse welfare. Its findings support an important principle: changing the saddle alone cannot compensate for every imbalance within the horse-and-rider partnership.

What are rider biomechanics?

Rider biomechanics describes how the rider’s body moves, balances and responds while riding. It includes:

• Pelvic position

• Trunk and core control

• Weight distribution

• Joint mobility

• Coordination

• Stirrup use

• The ability to move with the horse

Good rider biomechanics is not simply about creating an attractive position. It is about remaining stable without becoming rigid and following the horse’s movement without repeatedly tipping, bracing or loading one side more heavily than the other.

The horse and rider are two athletes moving together. What happens in one body can affect the other.

What did the rider biomechanics review examine?

The 2026 review explored factors influencing rider performance and horse welfare in equestrian activities.

The researchers searched five academic databases for peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and July 2024. Of 83 records identified after duplicates were removed, 17 studies met the inclusion criteria.

The studies covered three main areas:

• Rider biomechanics and posture

• Rider asymmetry

• Rider fitness, health and training

They included riders from different disciplines and experience levels. Researchers used pressure measurement, motion analysis, surveys and exercise interventions to investigate how the rider may affect the horse–rider partnership.

Across the evidence, neutral pelvic orientation, dynamic trunk control and more symmetrical weight distribution were associated with improved saddle-pressure patterns and aspects of equine gait.

In ordinary language, a rider who is balanced, stable and able to follow the horse’s movement is more likely to distribute their weight evenly than one who tips, braces, collapses through one hip or consistently loads one side.

How can rider position affect saddle pressure?

A balanced riding position is sometimes discussed as though it is primarily aesthetic: heels down, shoulders back and a pleasing outline for the instructor or judge.

In reality, effective rider posture is dynamic.

The rider needs sufficient control through the pelvis and trunk to remain balanced while absorbing the horse’s movement. The review found that pelvic orientation, trunk control and the position of the rider’s centre of mass could influence saddle-pressure distribution and equine movement.

Variations in rider position were associated with changes in how forces were distributed across the horse’s back.

This does not mean riders must hold themselves in a fixed or supposedly perfect position. Riding is movement, and no living body is completely symmetrical. The aim is a balanced, responsive and independent seat that can move with the horse.

Rider asymmetry: the imbalances we may not feel

One of the most interesting findings was that riders were not always aware of their own asymmetry.

A rider may feel central while:

• Sitting more heavily on one seat bone

• Collapsing through one hip

• Carrying one shoulder higher than the other

• Placing unequal weight through the stirrups

• Rotating the pelvis or upper body

• Consistently leaning forwards, backwards or to one side

Rider asymmetry can develop for many reasons, including previous injuries, pain, differences in strength or mobility, habitual movement patterns and activities away from the yard.

The horse’s natural asymmetry can also influence the rider. If a horse consistently moves differently to one side, the rider may begin to compensate. That compensation may then contribute to further unevenness within the partnership.

The relationship works in both directions: the rider can affect the horse, and the horse can affect the rider. This is why it is rarely helpful to consider either body in isolation.

Can rider asymmetry affect the horse?

The studies reviewed suggest that uneven rider loading can affect aspects of equine locomotion and saddle-pressure distribution.

If a rider repeatedly loads one side, that difference is not limited to a single moment. It may be repeated through every stride.

However, unevenness under saddle should not automatically be blamed on the rider. It may relate to several interacting factors, including:

• The horse’s conformation and natural sidedness

• Pain or physical restriction

• The horse’s current strength and condition

• Saddle position and stability

• Padding and girthing

• Rider posture and movement

• The demands of the exercise being performed

Significant or persistent changes in comfort, behaviour or movement should be investigated carefully, with veterinary or suitably qualified professional input where appropriate.

A saddle cannot correct everything

The review reinforces something we regularly discuss at Total Contact Saddles: no saddle can compensate for every issue within a horse-and-rider combination.

Correct TCS placement, padding and girthing are essential. The horse must also be physically ready for ridden work, with adequate back health, condition and strength for the work being asked of them.

Even a carefully considered saddle and padding set-up cannot automatically make an unbalanced rider symmetrical. Nor can equipment replace appropriate tuition, rider conditioning or professional assessment when it is needed.

This principle applies to treed and treeless saddles alike. Equipment can support the partnership, but it cannot remove the influence of the person using it.

What does this mean for riders using a treeless saddle?

The minimalist design of the Total Contact Saddle creates particularly close contact between horse and rider. Many TCS riders tell us that this helps them feel their horse’s movement—and their own position—more clearly.

That feedback can be valuable, but it may also reveal habits that were previously less noticeable.

A rider may become more aware of loading one seat bone, gripping with one leg or struggling to follow movement in a particular direction. This should not necessarily be viewed as a failure. Greater awareness provides an opportunity to understand and improve the partnership.

The TCS should therefore be viewed as a tool within a wider approach to responsible riding, rather than a product that automatically corrects either horse or rider. Riders who are new to the saddle may also benefit from reading our guide on how to ride in a TCS.

How can riders improve balance and symmetry?

Perfect symmetry is neither realistic nor necessary. The goal is to become sufficiently aware, mobile and controlled to avoid repeatedly placing unnecessary uneven load on the horse.

Useful steps may include:

• Working with an instructor who understands rider biomechanics

• Asking someone to film you from the front, behind and both sides

• Checking that stirrup leathers are genuinely equal

• Noticing whether you regularly lose one stirrup

• Observing whether one rein, turn or diagonal feels easier

• Including suitable core, mobility and balance exercises away from the horse

• Warming up your own body before mounting

• Seeking assessment from a qualified physiotherapist when pain, injury or significant asymmetry is present

• Reassessing the horse’s comfort, movement, condition, padding and saddle position regularly

Even experienced riders can develop asymmetries, and familiarity can make habitual patterns harder to notice. Objective feedback from a coach, video or qualified therapist may reveal something the rider cannot feel for themselves.

Listen to what the horse is telling you

Rider biomechanics should be considered alongside the horse’s physical and behavioural response.

Signs worth investigating may include:

• Reluctance during tacking up or mounting

• Unwillingness to move forwards

• Repeatedly drifting or falling to one side

• Unexpected changes in gait or performance

• Uneven or concerning sweat patterns

• Tightness, resistance or loss of freedom through the back

• Signs of soreness following ridden work

These signs do not identify a single cause. They may reflect the horse, rider, equipment, workload—or an interaction between several factors.

If a horse appears sore, uncomfortable or unwilling, ridden work should be paused while appropriate professional advice is sought. Padding can support a horse, but it cannot compensate for pain, insufficient condition or an underlying physical problem.

What are the limitations of the research?

The findings are useful, but they must be interpreted carefully.

This was a narrative review rather than a systematic review or meta-analysis. The 17 included studies varied considerably in their participants, design and methods of measurement.

Most were observational and cross-sectional, while only two involved a dedicated experimental intervention. Some studies used small samples, and dressage, show jumping and general recreational riding were the most commonly represented disciplines.

The review therefore identifies credible, recurring patterns, but it does not prove that one posture, exercise programme or saddle design will suit every horse and rider.

More high-quality, long-term research is still needed.

Horse back comfort means considering the whole partnership

Horse back comfort is rarely determined by a single factor.

The horse’s conformation, physical readiness and way of going all matter. So do saddle choice, placement, padding, girthing and workload. The rider’s size, balance, fitness and movement also contribute to the forces passing through the saddle.

For us, this is one of the most valuable messages from the research. Caring for the horse’s back means being willing to consider our own bodies too—not with blame or criticism, but with curiosity.

A treeless Total Contact Saddle may form part of a thoughtful approach to horse comfort, but the rider will always remain part of the equation.

Research source: Balog O, Havanecz K, Csányi T, Ökrös C, Tóth L and Berki T (2026), “A narrative review of factors influencing rider performance and horse welfare in equestrian activities”, Frontiers in Sports and Active Living.