Many humans forego care in order to get their animals worked on.
I am going to be your biggest advocate to say: get yourself treated!
As an avid equestrian myself, I can tell you that I always notice myself putting more weight into my right stirrup.
This causes my horse to drop their right shoulder, twist through the ribcage, and counter balance in their front end.
It wasn't until I addressed my own dysfunction was I able to ride effectively.
So if you are adjusting your stirrups and you notice you ride with one side a few holes shorter than the other, or if you always feel like you're putting more weight on one side... YOU may be in need of an adjustment.
Lay on your bed with your feet hanging on the bed and have a family member or partner come and assess your leg lengths. Is one leg shorter than the other?
One toe out? Can't put your right heel down? One shoulder higher? Pelvis not level?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be compensating for lack of mobility somewhere else.
It is important to be centered while riding, but if we have lack of motion in the spine, our brain cannot interpret where "centered" really is.
This is because at every segment in the spine, there are little receptors that detect position and motion. This is what enables us to stay upright against gravity.
If we have bad information to these sensors, the brain will "contort" the spine into what it thinks centered is.
Recalibrate your sensors with an adjustment!
Visual content from @equestrianbiomechanics
Feel like your back is always tight? Always feel yourself pinching in the knee or leaning forward? You may struggle with anterior pelvic tilt
Feel like you have a hard time keeping your shoulders back? Struggle keeping your leg underneath you? Grab too much with your calf? You may struggle with posterior pelvic tilt.
Pelvic misalignments effect your seat. If you find yourself struggling to keep your seat bones square in the saddle, a rotated pelvis might be to blame!
Visual courtesy of @jessicagouthrofitness of paleohacks
Are you tired of hearing: SHOULDERS BACK!
Or: are you tired of your horse refusing jumps?
Your cellphone habits might be to blame.
When your ear begins to drift and settle in front of your shoulder, not only are you predisposed to neck pain, but you are also going to always be leaning forward and putting your horse on the forehand.
A recipe for disaster!