In partnership with Wintec SaddlesHow often do you think about your posture and the way you are sitting whilehacking a horse? Its easy to underestimate how important rider position is outside of an arena. However, when youre riding for many miles and in the saddle for long periods of time, your position is intrinsically linked to both your long-term comfort and your horses.Sometimes we use an opportunity for a hack just to relax, and theres nothing wrong with that, but equally, if were hacking out a lot, its easy to get into bad habits, says biomechanics coach Hannah Irons.Say your horse suddenly spooks and shoots sideways if youre sat like a sack of potatoes, youre probably not going to be able to move with your horse as effectively as you would if youd been sat correctly.Staying on board during tricky moments isnt the only benefit of good posture out hacking. It willalso protect you from body aches and pains.The horse moves a lot underneath a rider, and if were not tuned in with them then were not absorbing that movement and force, so it can cause us to tense and strain, explains Hannah.Correct posture for hackingSo, how should we be sitting on a hack?Firstly, the most important and often misconstrued thing is being relaxed, says Hannah. We know we should sit up tall and have our shoulders back and down, but if you do that you may feel very tense or hollow your back. So when you sit up it should feel like a natural posture and not forced.If youre holding yourself bolt upright then youll be too tense and unable to absorb the motion of the horse beneath you.The ear-shoulder-hip-heel alignment is important, adds Hannah. Its a good guide for all riders, no matter their discipline.Whole horse effectRiding with the reins in one hand is a beneficial skill for horses and riders, but over time it can change your posture and the way you sit in the saddle, as well as how your horse moves beneath you.Its really important to have those moments to allow your horse to have a long rein and relax, but sometimes it becomes a habit, says Hannah.You see a lot of riders hacking out with the reins in one hand, and typically itll result in both rider and horse twisting to one side. When youre doing it consistently youll almost always have a slight flexion one way, and it will have a whole horse effect because they wont track up correctly and have stronger muscles on one side.Theres no need to completely stop riding this way, confirms Hannah, but do consider carefully how often you do it.Riding one-handed is expected from the BHS for when youre using hand signals or leading another horse, so its a very beneficial skill, she adds. Just remember to have some awareness so that you dont end up having that knock-on effect through the body.How to improve your postureYou dont need to be in the arena or mirrors to improve your posture. Hannah explains that there are small exercises you can do before you leave the yard or on your hack to help you feel more secure in the saddle.1. Check inA really good thing for riders to do is check in with themselves, says Hannah. If youve ever done mindfulness, meditation or yoga, then youll have an idea of what to do. Do a body scan and run down from head to toe to see how you feel.Ask yourself questions like:How does my head feel?Am I tilting to one side?Do my shoulders feel level?Am I equal through my seat bones?Have I got the same weight through each stirrup?Its really useful to do the with your eyes closed, but its hard to do while riding a horse for safety reasons, adds Hannah.Practise this on the ground with your eyes closed, and itll help you get better at doing it with your eyes open once youve mounted up.2. Loosen your shouldersIf your day job involves working behind a desk, chances are youll be sitting still for a long time and this can make us feel stiff.Theres a saying movement is medicine and its true, says Hannah. Simple things like shoulder rolls get everything moving. You can do this on a long rein.Roll your shoulders forward and then backward a few times. Next, shrug your shoulders up towards your ears, hold for a few seconds, and then let them drop back down. Repeat this a few times.3. Mobilise your anklesStretching your legs and ankles can also make you feel more comfortable. For this exercise, youll need to take your feet out of the stirrups. Practise this before you leave the yard or in the confines of an arena somewhere you feel safe and in control and just do one foot at a time, if you feel safe to do so.Take your foot out of the stirrup and do some gentle stretches. Flex your foot up and down, do some circles in each direction. Repeat on the other side, and youll be good to go, says Hannah, who is also a riding instructor, confidence coach, anda Franklin Method Equestrian Level 1 Educator and BHS Stage 2 Foundation Coach.This content is brought to you in partnership withWintec Saddles, durable, comfortable, easy-care, weather-proof saddles for everyone and proud support of #Hack1000Miles.Related contentSix signs youre a happy hackerJason Webbs 10 tips for dealing with a spooky horse out hackingOperation Snap: how and why more riders need to use it12 prize-winning through the ears photos taken out hackingThe post Rider posture when hacking: how important is it? appeared first on Your Horse.