For this webinar we were joined by Dr Russell MacKechnie-Guire who has a wealth of experience in this area. Russell shows us how a horse’s movement changes in response to rider balance, how we can tell if we are unbalanced, and what we can do about it. Russell has extensive research experience in equine biomechanics, the horse-saddle-rider interaction, and the effects of rider asymmetry on equine back movement – all of which are relevant to this webinar.
Following his presentation, Russell was joined for a panel discussion by Richard Davison, a four-time Olympian and European medallist who has been at the forefront of the international equestrian world for almost four decades, and Tony Tyler, World Horse Welfare’s Deputy Chief Executive and Director of UK, who has been involved in in the horse industry for more than 35 years and who has extensive experience of training riders and horses.
Among other topics, the discussion covered what the most common rider faults are, whether suboptimal rider balance leads to over-reliance on artificial aids, and how riders can improve their position without spending a lot of money. The panel discussion was followed by a Q & A session in which our live audience had the chance to ‘ask the experts’ any questions.
