Ensuring your horse is both strong and balanced is key for performance, comfort, and long-term health. The core muscles are a critical area that underpins the horse’s entire physical ability and training need to strengthen this area. In this article we explore the importance of core stability in the horse, the potential problems that can arise from weak core muscles, and how to help your horse build a strong, functional core.
What Is Core Stability?
When we are talking about the core, it refers to the group of muscles that support and stabilise the spine and pelvis of the horse. These include the abdominal muscles, the thoracic sling, pelvic stabilisers, the deep vertebral muscles as well as the lateral stabilisers of the limbs. These muscles work together to provide a stable base that enables your horse to move freely, balance and carry the weight of the rider.
Core stability in the horse is similar to what it means in humans - the ability to control the position and movement of the trunk effectively. A strong core allows your horse to carry himself correctly, in good posture, engage his hindquarters, and reduce strain on his limbs and joints.
Why Is Core Stability So Important?
Core stability plays a vital role in a horse’s balance and posture. A strong core allows the horse to maintain proper alignment through the spine and pelvis, especially during movements like transitions, jumping, or lateral work. Without a stable core, horses may struggle to co-ordinate their movement, which may lead to compensatory patterns.
Horses with good core stability are better equipped to perform advanced movements, carry a rider’s weight effectively, and sustain demanding activities. A strong core allows the horse to work in a more collected frame, engage its hindquarters, and use its body more efficiently.
Weak core muscles can lead to compensatory movement patterns, putting undue stress on other parts of the body. This, over time, may contribute to injury or lameness.
The horse’s spine is the central axis of its body and is heavily influenced by core stability. A strong core helps reduce excessive movement in the spine, preventing strain and protecting the horse from developing back pain or stiffness.
Potential Problems from Weak Core Muscles
A horse with weak core muscles may be more susceptible to a range of issues, including:
Hollowing of the Back
Horses with weak cores often struggle to lift and round their backs, resulting in a hollow frame. This not only affects their comfort but also limits their ability to engage their hindquarters and perform effectively.
Poor Posture and Movement
Weak core muscles can lead to a lack of balance and coordination. Horses may exhibit signs such as dragging their toes, tripping, or struggling with transitions.
Increased Risk of Injury
Without proper core stability, the horse may compensate by overusing other muscle groups, leading to strain, or injury. Common issues include kissing spines, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, and forelimb or hindlimb lameness.
Reduced Rider Comfort
A horse with poor core stability often lacks the ability to carry a rider smoothly. This can result in an unbalanced ride, making it difficult for the rider to maintain a correct position and apply the aids effectively.
Discover all the ingredients you need to make informed decisions to maximise your own and your horse’s potential, gain more enjoyment, satisfaction and improve their skills with our book Posture and Performance. This fascinating book goes into a lot more detail on the importance of good core stability and much more.
6 Ways to Strengthen Your Horse’s Core
Fortunately, there are many exercises and techniques that can help improve core strength in horses. Here are some effective methods:
Pole Work:
Walking, trotting, or cantering over poles on the ground encourages the horse to engage its core muscles to lift its legs and round its back. If you're looking for inspiration and would like to know more about the benefits of pole work, have a watch of our on-demand recorded webinar Poles for Posture.
Using slow-motion videos of anatomically painted horses, you'll learn the biomechanical advantages of pole work exercises. A variety of different exercises and pole configurations are demonstrated and you'll discover how pole work can develop balance, flexibility, coordination, lateral flexion, strength and control.
Hill Work: Walking or trotting up and down hills requires the horse to use its abdominal and back muscles for balance and propulsion. Performing downward transitions from trot to walk and halt whilst going downhill is an effective exercise for balance and core stability.
Canter: In this pace the body rocks between the hindquarters and the forehand. This makes it the most effective gait for strengthening the thoracic sling muscles. Canter is also the best gait for toning weak abdominal muscles.
Study this pace in detail with views from above as well as from in front and behind to truly analyse the gait and movement through the horse’s whole body with the on-demand recorded webinar, The Biomechanics of Canter. You'll also discover techniques and exercises to improve the quality of the canter, and top tips for upping your scores in the dressage arena.
Transitions: Practicing frequent transitions between gaits (e.g., walk to trot, trot to canter) helps the horse engage its core and hindquarters.
Perfect your transitions and understand the biomechanics by watching the on-demand recorded webinar The Biomechanics of Transitions - gain the knowledge and skills you need to ride effortless, harmonious transitions that will improve engagement, strength, balance, body control and posture. You’ll also learn in-hand and ridden exercises, and mobilisation techniques as well as Pilates exercises, that will all help you improve transitions.
Working in Water: Walking through shallow water has a similar effect to walking over a series of raised walk poles. Trotting requires extra effort benefiting the posture of the horse encouraging recruitment of the abdominal and core muscles. You can read more about this in a previous article - Beach Riding - Biomechanics, Benefits and Tips.
Stretching and Pilates Style Exercises: Specific stretches, such as carrot stretches, can activate the core muscles and improve flexibility.
If you would like to know more about which exercises will help strengthen your horse's core, take a look at The Complete Pilates for Horse Programme. This definitive toolkit will help you to improve and maintain your horse’s posture, core strength, body awareness, control and balance. This is an invaluable resource for all horse owners which includes a video tutorial course, book and planner.
It’s important to recognise that core stability is an integral aspect of your horse’s overall health, performance, and well-being. By incorporating targeted exercises into your training routine, it will help your horse to build strength, improve balance, and prevent injury. This is key for all horses whatever discipline they do.
Thank you for reading this article. We hope you and your horses find it beneficial. Do you have any other methods you use for strengthening your horse's core?
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