Rider Asymmetry: Its Biomechanical Impact on the Horse and Solutions to Address It with Dr. Russell MacKechnie-Guire

Thursday 30th October 2025 2 19:00 HRS GMT

Rider Asymmetry: Its Biomechanical Impact on the Horse and Solutions on How to Address It with Dr. Russell MacKechnie-Guire Riders communicate with their horses through the application of subtle aids, shifts in weight, changes in pressure, and targeted and precise signals that guide the horse’s movement. The ideal riding position is often described by a straight line running from the rider’s ear through the shoulder, hip, and heel, with the rider being level across their shoulders, pelvis and heel. While this provides a helpful reference, achieving and maintaining this position is far more complex in practice. Rider asymmetry is a challenge all riders face, whether due to habitual movement patterns, physical imbalances, or past injuries. When a rider is not biomechanically efficient or effective, it can compromise communication, alter the horse's movement, lead to conflict behaviour and disrupt rider-horse interaction, leading to performance, training and management issues.

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