In last week’s article I wrote about ankles. Now I am going to write aboutknees and what they should and should not do when riding. When first learning to ride, manypeople were taught to ‘grip with the knees’. In fact, in the good old days, people wereoften made to ride around with a coin or a dollar between their knees and the saddle so thatthey could learn better grip! This came about because of the largely unscientific teachingmethods that were common in the past.

Good riders that have emerged from that era are usually good riders because they havelearned, by trial and error, how to ride well despite what they were taught. Consequentlymany good riders today still teach what they were taught rather than what they actually do!If you want to find out what good riders do when riding ask them to verbalise as they ride.This often surprises them as they realise that they do not always do what they think theydo!

Griping with the knees actually makes the rider less secure. When riding correctly theweight of the rider (on a moving horse) should be able to transfer downwards and be absorbedby the knees and ankles. If the rider grips with the knees their movements are blocked atthat point and the kinetic energy that should travel downwards into the ankle and bedispersed, instead pops the rider upwards out of the saddle. This leads to the rider feelingeven more insecure and gripping even harder!

During flat work the knees should touch the saddle but not grip. In fact the whole legshould drape around the horse without inward pressure (unless giving an aid). The thighshould be at 40 to 45 degrees from the vertical. The lower number for more experiencedriders and the higher number for less experienced riders. Many riders ride with stirrupsthat are too long and are unable to utilize the dip and spring action of the joints (seelast months article). As a rider rises to the trot the angle of the knees should open andclose without any undue moving up or down. The thigh should behave like an upside downpendulum on an old fashioned clock, with the knee staying still and hip moving forward todescribe part of a small circle. Therefore ‘rising’ to the trot is not a very accurate termfor what the rider actually does. If the rider literally goes up and down they tend to getleft behind the movement. If instead they work on getting their thigh to work correctly,rising becomes much easier and smoother.

The knee joint is can suffer while riding but can also be improved throughriding in many cases. As riding (like swimming) is a non load bearing exercise the jointsget a work out without the jarring that occurs through running for example (what a greatexcuse not to run!). If you are experiencing pain you need to see a joint specialist. Youmay need to support your knees in the short or even long term while riding. It is possibleto buy knee braces that have been designed for riders (I think Professional Choice makeone). They key is to take it slowly if you are returning to riding and allow the softtissues to strengthen gradually. Again, warming up before you get on the horse andstretching the legs before you get off are a good way to reduce injuries. If you haveweak/problem knees be very careful when you dismount that you do not land heavily on lockedknees. Dismount slowly and carefully with the knees bent.

Happy riding!

Disclaimer: While the author and publisher have taken all appropriate care to ensurethe accuracy of this articles contents, no liability is accepted for any loss or damage fromor incurred as a result of any reliance on the information provided in this article.

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