The Rider
My 14-year-old daughter Ryleigh has been horseback riding since she was 5 years old. It is such a passion for her that she rides 5 days per week. She currently competes in the Pre-Children’s Hunter Division and is getting ready to advance to the Children’s Hunter, jumping at the 3 foot (0.90m) height.
For those not familiar with horse jumping, there are two main divisions with sub categories, often based upon jump height. Hunter classes were originally designed to test the qualities necessary in a field hunter: excellent manners, efficient and comfortable gaits, and a good safe jumping style. They represent the more artistic side of the industry. Jumper classes are the “spills and thrills,” requiring boldness and athleticism in both horses and riders.
When Ryleigh started training with Michael in early 2018, she had been dealing with a few troublesome physical challenges which had been persistent and at times became distressing and interfered with her progress:
Neck pain worsening after horseback jumping (both in training and competition)
Diagnosed ligament laxity manifesting in joint pain, especially the knees
Diagnosed Sever’s Disease at age 8. Sever’s Disease, also known as calcanea apophysitis, is an inflammation of the growth plate in the heel of growing children resulting in at times severe pain. Before working with Michael, she often had to wear a special boot when the heel was inflamed. With her young age, she still has a few years until the bone completes its growth.
As a mother, It was difficult to accept that there was nothing I could do to take away her pain and frustrating to see her sidelined, unable to do the activities she loved at such a young age.
Upon assessing her movement patterns, Michael made some key observations. Ryleigh had been compensating around the pain and joint instability, and it was altering her posture (overall body alignment). Her ability to move dynamically was hampered, which in turn drastically affected her ability to ride well.
While I knew that core function is important, I didn’t realize just how much impact it has. Ryleigh’s “Inner Unit” was very compromised with poor coordination and very weak gluteal muscles. In essence, rather than moving from her center, she was leading with her extremities.
Michael worked with Ryleigh once or twice a week depending upon school schedule and extracurricular activities. Within a few weeks, Ryleigh was able to squat without knee pain, her neck discomfort began to resolve, and overall movement and body awareness improved. It was amazing to see how quickly she was able to make progress and overcome her pain.
These changes carried over into her riding. She felt more centered and in control. Horses are very special in that they will not follow a rider who is uncoordinated or imbalanced. When the rider is under control, the horse is likely to follow.
One aspect of Michael’s work that I appreciated was that he asked questions about horseback riding. He wanted to gain a better understanding of the technique that is expected of the rider. Knowing what is expected helped him understand how to engage with Ryleigh to maximize results. Although not a rider himself, he was able to integrate the information we provided into the sessions to make them relevant not only to movement in general but to the unique aspects of horseback riding, capturing Ryleigh’s interest and creating a truly individualized approach for her.
Since Ryleigh has been working with Michael, she has returned to riding her horse and enjoying life again. Not only is she pain-free, but she has increased body awareness that I feel will serve her throughout her life. Michael taught her important life lessons as well–it’s important to find solutions to your problems, and they are available if you use common sense and don’t give up. Riding is giving her a great foundation for success later in life, and Michael has played an important role in helping her see that through.