An Investigation into Seated Postural Differences between Horseback Riders and Sedentary Non-riding Individuals

Postural problems are prevalent due to lifestyle factors. Horseback riding might have the potential to improve the postural configuration of individuals, but evidence is sparse. The aim of this study was to investigate the postural differences between horseback riders and sedentary non-riding individuals. In this small-scale study, quantitative and qualitative measurements were used to assess sagital plane, seated posture of a group of 43 individuals (25 females, 18 males) including 23 horseback riders and 20 non-riders. There were no statistical anthropometrical, age, gender or personality differences between riders and non-riders and the confounding factors of psychosocial and socio-economic profile were eliminated. Riders showed significantly better posture in some variables, namely cranio-cervical angle, neck flexion angle, position of shoulder and pelvic tilt. Thus, there is preliminary evidence that horse riding may aid human posture.