A possible mechanism of horseback riding on dynamic trunk alignment
Authors: Ryota Funakoshi, K. Masuda, Hidehiko Uchiyama, Mitsuaki Ohta
Journal: Heliyon
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Dynamic Trunk Alignment During Horseback Riding Maintaining optimal spinal stability and postural control during riding requires continuous neuromuscular coordination, yet the biomechanical mechanisms underpinning improvements in trunk alignment have remained poorly understood. Researchers from Tokyo University of Agriculture compared 20 young adult riders across two conditions—15 minutes of live riding on a Hokkaido Pony versus equivalent time on a horseback riding simulator—using surface electromyography (EMG), accelerometry, and gyroscopic measurement to track spinal and pelvic motion. Live riding produced a distinctive pattern of neuromuscular adaptation characterised by decreased erector spinae activity, alongside specific kinetic chain associations: the horse's saddle angular velocity correlated with both the rider's neck acceleration and pelvic angular velocity in the longitudinal plane, suggesting a coordinated movement strategy that the simulator could not replicate. The simulator, by contrast, only reduced rectus abdominis and erector spinae activity without establishing these directional synchronisations between rider segments and horse motion. These findings suggest that the three-dimensional, dynamic feedback from a living horse's movement drives fundamentally different neuromuscular coordination patterns than a static simulator, implying that ridden work offers distinct proprioceptive and postural benefits unattainable through mechanical alternatives—a distinction with significant implications for rehabilitation programming, rider development, and the design of training adjuncts.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Live horseback riding offers superior trunk and postural development compared to mechanical simulators due to the horse's dynamic feedback—use riding as a therapeutic tool when postural improvement is a goal
- •The horse's movement patterns appear to train stabilizer muscles through natural proprioceptive feedback; this cannot be artificially replicated with stationary equipment
- •Riding for 15 minutes produces measurable changes in trunk muscle activity; incorporate regular riding sessions into programmes targeting rider posture and core stability
Key Findings
- •Horseback riding reduced erector spinae muscle activity compared to simulator exercise, indicating improved trunk stability
- •Clear biomechanical associations found between horse saddle angular velocity and rider's pelvis/neck acceleration during live riding but not simulator use
- •Simulator exercise decreased both rectus abdominis and erector spinae activity but did not produce the same dynamic trunk alignment improvements as live riding
- •Live horseback riding provided specific neuromuscular feedback mechanisms for trunk alignment that simulator exercise could not replicate