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About Lori:
Lori is a dedicated equestrian with over 30 years of experience. Her passion: to help fellow equestrians and their horses to ride correctly with less pain and chance of injury.
Beginning with certification in Equine Sports Massage Therapy, the need to learn and be proficient in saddle fitting for client's with sore backs became critical early on, and became one of the main focuses of SHTS.
Lori has training in all equestrian disciplines, and riding mechanics - including physical therapy, rider fitness, balance/posture and injury prevention. In and out of the saddle, there are many things that can be done to improve your riding position. Your pelvic tilt (pelvic floor) is an important factor to consider when trying to achieve balance in the saddle. Lori can help you to determine what is needed to get your optimal position, through saddle fitting, rider exercises and alignment techniques.
She has taught therapeutic riding, completing the certification workshop courses which have helped in her continuing education on rider posture, alignment and function for many physical conditions.
For Lori, the "drive" to excel at really helping horses and riders who are affected by pain, or injury is a personal one. Having been through the surgeries, rehabilitation, physical therapy --- and then -- regaining balance and position in the saddle.
To be aware of your limitations as well as your strengths, and how it affects your riding, is an advantage that all should have!
Many riders have attended one of the many clinics given in Wisconsin and Illinois over the last couple years and much positive feedback was received. clinics, including English saddle fitting, Western saddle fitting, Improving your seat, and groups getting together to have their saddles adjusted.
Saddle fit for the rider is a primary focus of each saddle fitting session -- Each session is more like a riding lesson and you will come away having learned alot about your seat and balance.
Above are pictures of Lori and Zeke at a Patrick Burssens clinic
Here are some extracts from my "Improving Your Seat" Clinics:
What is a “good seat”?
A simple definition is: an effortless, balanced position consisting of a stable pelvis with a strong core and an ear/shoulder/hip/heal alignment, which allows effective communication to the horse.
A good seat is always in motion, although this motion is only slightly detectable, a body must stay in a dynamic state to constantly adapt to the changing effects of the horse. It is imperative to have well fitting saddle.
Broken down:
STABLE PELVIS (lower back issues, Sciatica, Periformis syndrome and weak stomach muscles can affect this) Use of the pelvic tilt / scooping and engaging the Psoas.
Individuals are not proportioned the same. A person with a short upper body and long legs can balance better on a horse.
FINDING YOUR SEAT BASE: In saddle or on a stool, roll your pelvis back and forth to find neutral. This also is a good exercise on and off horse to get flexibility.
Now practice shifting your weight from one seat bone to the other, and then back to neutral. Do you have a preference? do you have one seat bone that always feels it has more weight?
People are one sided in this area as well.
Ways to relax your lower back: Hold a slight amount of tension between your shoulder blades. Contract upper abdominal: I inhale, and stretch up, then exhale and tense upper abs, this takes the mind off the lower back and I have found that it can free it from tension.
Remember your triangle: your 3 contact points of your seat and remember to feel them regularly and check for weight shifts. You will need to shift this triangle not just fore and back or side to side, but diagonally and up and down as well. For example: you will need to shift your triangle forward and down to facilitate lowering a knee that has come up. Your waist should lengthen as well. A collapsed waist is a sign that the movement of the pelvic floor was incorrect.
When on your horse, keep your seat as quiet as possible to allow the communication you do ask, to be heard. Let the horse move you! We all upset the balance of our horses and our goal should be to do so as little as possible.
There needs to be a bilateral shift of the seat bones as you follow the horse and a motion which promotes forward movement, the fore and back motion on each side, need to both be forward motion!
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SPORT HORSE THERAUPEUTIC SERVICES
