Equine Biomechanics: The Basics

When you ride, do you ever think about how the horse moves, or how you as a rider affects the horses ability to move? If you have, then you are considering the biomechanics of the equine body and how the rider affects it. Biomechanics boils down to the study of how forces act on and, in the body, and how these forces affect function and movement. Biomechanics is extremely important in understanding how the horse and rider influence each other’s motion, performance, and success. By learning about and considering biomechanics in your riding, you are helping you and your horse to develop better harmony and partnership and are reducing risk of injury. Let’s take a deeper look at equine biomechanics, what factors play into it, and how you as a rider can implement this knowledge into your training.

The Equine Musculoskeletal System

The first step to learning about equine biomechanics is to understand the musculoskeletal system. This is the combination of bones, cartilage, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The musculoskeletal system facilitates all movement in the horse’s body and protects the organs, amongst other functions. Once you understand how the equine body is made, you can begin to understand its biomechanics.

1.       Skeleton: The equine skeleton consists of 205 bones. About 40% of these bones are located in the legs, which confirms the understanding that the legs of the horse are very important and delicate. The main function of the bones is to provide structure for the equine body, supporting motion and facilitating movement.

2.       Muscles: Muscles are the part of the body that contracts and releases to create movement. While contraction may be voluntary, release is not. This means that if the horses’ muscles are unable to release strain is introduced to the muscle, which can lead to tearing overtime. This is why rest and release are important in equine training.

There are two types of muscle fibers in the equine body: Slow twitch and fast twitch. Slow twitch muscles need oxygen and are more meant for strength and endurance. Fast twitch muscles do not need oxygen and are meant for short bursts of speed. These muscles can be increased with careful training over an extended period of time.

3.       Tendons and ligaments: The tendons and ligaments hold the body together, for all intents and purposes. Tendons attach the muscle to the bone, and ligaments connect the bones together. They allow the muscles to do their job by creating movement. Tendons and ligaments are one of the most common sites of injury and disease due to the high level of stress and strain they are under on a daily basis.

Now that you have learned about the basic parts of the equine body, it’s time to learn about the actual biomechanics.

Biomechanics Basics

As we begin to understand equine biomechanics, let’s start with the gaits of the horse as each gait has a significant effect on both the horse and the rider. Horse gaits are separated based on symmetry, suspension phases (times when all four hooves are off the ground) and how the horse’s body moves in three-dimensional space. The horses’ gaits are split into four main types of movements: Walk, trot, canter, and gallop.

1.       Walk: The walk is a symmetrical gait with a four-beat lateral sequence and no suspension phases. This means that at least one hoof is always on the ground, and the movement pattern is the same every time. This makes the walk an easy gait for the rider to sit.

2.       Trot: The trot is a symmetrical, diagonal gait where the horse’s legs move in diagonal pairs with suspension phases between strides. This means that when left fore goes forward so does left hind, and vice versa, and there is a very brief moment between the switch from left to right that all four hooves are off the ground. During this gait, there is significantly more movement of the horses back, shoulders, and hindquarters as compared to the walk due to the diagonal movement and constant shifting of weight on opposite sides of the body. Therefore, the rider will experience more vertical motion, especially at faster trotting speeds, which is why the trot can be difficult to sit.

3.       Canter: The canter is an asymmetrical gait with a rocking motion as the horse’s body tilts and pitches between suspension phases, giving the impression of a “leap”. The sequence of limb movement is trailing hind, leading hind with trailing fore, followed by the leading fore, which is how we have leads of the horse. For the rider to sit this gait, they must develop core and leg strength to simulate the rocking motion of the horse’s gait, allowing the body to flow with the movement.

4.       Gallop: The gallop is very similar to the canter but a bit faster. While it is still an asymmetrical gait with a four-beat rhythm, at higher speeds a horse can achieve multiple suspension phases. These multiple suspension phases mean there is less vertical movement, often leading to a smoother ride.

As a whole, equine biomechanics focuses on how a horse’s body moves, distributes weight, and responds to external forces. Movement originates from the hindquarters, where power is generated and transferred through the back to the forehand. Proper engagement of the hind end allows for fluid motion, balance, and efficiency in gait transitions. The spine relies on core strength and correct posture to support the rider effectively, which is where collection is introduced. Collection requires the horse to learn to support his spine through tightening the core and avoiding a hollow back, which is much better, physically, in the long run.

Understanding these mechanics helps trainers and riders develop conditioning programs that promote flexibility, strength, and longevity in performance horses. The importance of engagement and collection cannot be overstated, as horses that move correctly with proper hind-end activation and spinal support experience less strain on their joints and soft tissues, reducing the risk of injury. Additionally, understanding the mechanics of each gait—whether walk, trot, canter, or gallop—allows riders to refine their cues and enhance the horse’s natural athletic ability.

Rider Influence

Now that we have discussed the basics of equine biomechanics and how the equine body functions, we can begin to learn about how the rider’s movement affects that of the horse. The riders’ posture significantly affects equine biomechanics. An independent seat, where the rider maintains stability without interfering with the horse’s natural rhythm, is critical for effective communication. Proper alignment of the ear, shoulder, hip, and heel ensures that weight is distributed evenly, allowing the rider to move with the horse rather than against it. You should be able to draw a line between the ear, shoulder, hip and heel, and hold this position through the ride. Any imbalance or additional asymmetry in the rider’s body can create compensatory movement in the horse and further exaggerate their natural asymmetries, leading to inefficiencies and potential discomfort. A stiff or unbalanced rider may inadvertently block the horse’s movement, while a rider who moves fluidly with their mount enhances the horse’s ability to engage and work correctly. Through specific groundwork, stretching routines, and riding exercises, both partners can develop better coordination and symmetry, leading to improved performance and reduced strain on the musculoskeletal system. Core strength plays a crucial role in a rider’s ability to remain stable and absorb motion without bracing or gripping, so doing things like Pilates, yoga, and balance training can all contribute to improved body control in the saddle, leading to clearer aids and more effective riding.

Rider aids are also very important to equine biomechanics. How a rider uses their legs, hands, and seat to communicate with their horse directly influences their movement. When applied correctly, these aids can encourage the horse to engage its body, lengthen the stride, and perform advanced movements like lateral work and collection. However, improper use of aids can disrupt the horse’s natural movement patterns, causing confusion and stress, which impacts overall performance and can cause injury in severe cases. This again highlights the importance of understanding how the rider can affect the horse and working to improve rider aids to better complement the horse’s natural movements. Remember that often times the answer is quiet hands, more leg, and deepen the seat.

Now that you are aware of equine biomechanics, I highly recommend watching some videos on horse movement and how a rider can affect movement. I’ll link a couple of my favorite videos at the end of this post. After watching the videos, be more aware of how your movement affects your horse as you ride. Try to focus on your core strength, developing softer cues, and achieving better overall collection and movement. Take videos of yourself riding and review them later. Are you leaning a bit to one side? Are your shoulders hunched? Are your knees gripping your horses’ ribs? All of these things can be involuntary actions that you won’t even notice but will affect your horse significantly. Have some fun with your learning!

Please reach out to me if you have any questions, or if you would like to discuss this topic further. Thanks for reading!

Slow motion equine movement, perfect for watching gaits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoLg6aDqwUI

Using sensors to see how the rider influences the horse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=istbcb4ND4c

Exercises to balance your seat and your horse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4sY_XSyC4c

A great visual representation of collection, and using the horses core to support the spine.