The Archer Rotation Exercise - to Improve your Turns when Riding

When we are riding turns, either on 10,15 or 20 meter circles, corners or lateral movements, we need some ability to rotate through our thoracic spine.

Our thoracic spine is the segment of our back between the bottom of our neck and the bottom of our ribs. 

It is supposed to be quite mobile to turn. If it is not, you will tend to compensate with excess movement through the lower back and neck, or wiggling side to side! (All of which don’t help to influence the horse correctly)

Thoracic rotation affects our shoulder position, which in turn helps to influence the horses shoulder to keep them turning and stepping along the line we wish.

EXERCISE: ARCHER ROTATION

This exercise is a great way to strengthen and mobilise the muscles that turn your thoracic spine and also to test if you are stiffer one way or the other.

• Using a block or rolled up towel, place it between your knees (this is to stop you wiggling the hips and cheating!)

• Soften the knees, engage your neutral spine and place your arms out in front of you

• Bend one elbow and turn your body as if pulling on a bowstring of a bow and arrow. Turn your chest around, keeping shoulders down and relaxed and activating your mid back to turn.

• Stop your elbow by your side (don’t over pull and tip your shoulder forwards)

• Return to centre and repeat 10x each side.

Give this a go to test and strengthen your thoracic rotation and see if you have better control of your shoulder position next time you are in the saddle!

(Note: when we are riding our thoracic rotation is much more subtle, the point of exercises is that we are strong through our full range, so small ranges are easy!)