Pain-Free Horse Riding: An
Interview with Nikki Robinson
By Gina McKnight
No duplication without permission.
Archived from the November 2019 Issue of Florida Equine Athlete
Nikki Robinson, Expert Myofascial
Release Physiotherapist, is top in her class. From the UK, Nikki is a graduate
of Queen Elizabeth School of Physiotherapy. Studying in the USA, she is the
founder of Holisticare where she is the managing director. Nikki is the author
of Pain-Free
Horse Riding: An Illustrated Guide to Prevention, Self-Care, and Injury
Management for Riders of All Abilities (Lotus Publishing, 2018). Her book
is recommended reading, outlining the importance of strength and flexibility to
improve riding, which is a subject for every equestrian to consider – no matter
where you are in your journey with horses.
"Nikki's treatment has
really changed my life. The advice that she gives in this book will help you to
work with your body and to enjoy riding your horse without pain," Sarah,
Duchess of York.
Welcome, Nikki!
GM: Good afternoon, Nikki! I am
intrigued by your book and your expertise in helping equestrians to gain or
improve strength and flexibility. When was your first encounter with a horse
and what is your horse history?
NR: I first started riding
lessons when I was about twelve years old. Looking back, I don’t think that I
was actually taught very much! I just remember going round the school with lots
of other kids and the instructor standing in the middle shouting at us.
After I left home to study, I
didn’t really encounter horses for many years until … fast forward to seven
years ago, when my daughter started riding lessons. Taking her every week and
watching her progress, started to remind me of what I had been missing, so I
began to have lessons too.
My daughter then embarked on a two-year
campaign of asking for her own horse several hundred times a day, and
eventually it worked! I realised that actually I would love to own a horse too
and so we agreed that we would look for a horse that we could share. That was
in December 2016 and now I can’t imagine being without a horse in my life.
GM: An amazing equestrian journey!
How fun to share this journey with your daughter. Your book embraces all riding
disciplines and riders. What will equestrians derive from your book and why is
your book important to every equestrian’s library?
NR: I wrote this book because I
have met and treated so many horse riders who are living with pain. Typically,
they spend a lot of time and money treating their horse’s pain and
conformation, but ignore their own symptoms.
You and your horse are both made
up of cells that are all connected by a continuous network of fibres. So every
part of your body is connected to every other part and can be affected by
physical or emotional trauma. Throughout your life, when you have falls,
injuries, operations, stress, etc, the resulting scar tissue and restrictions
are recorded in your body. These restrictions can cause pressure on nerve
endings and joints, resulting in pain and inflammation.
When you sit on your horse, your
fascial network and your horse’s have to compensate for each other. So for
example, if you have scar tissue in one area, it has the potential to affect
every other part of your body. As your horse then has to compensate for the
restrictions in your body as well as its own, it becomes much more prone to injury,
pain and stiffness. My book explains this in more detail, using bespoke
illustrations and photos.
I have been a Physical Therapist
for 26 years, and for the past 13 years I have specialised in a technique
called Myofascial Release, which was developed by an American Physical
Therapist called John Barnes. I have trained with him in the US and he wrote
the foreword for my book. This treatment is different from many other
therapies, as it works with your body to find and treat the cause of your
symptoms. So although it is very gentle and doesn’t force anything, it is
possible to change even long-term conditions with this approach.
I use the principles of John
Barnes Myofascial Release in my book to demonstrate how you can help yourself
to reduce your pain and restrictions. It covers common symptoms that riders
have, some riding problems, taking care of your horse and simple steps that you
can take in your everyday life to stay comfortable.
This book is important for all
equestrians to own, as understanding this approach can help to prevent or
reduce rider pain. This will then help your horse to stay happy and healthy.
GM: You have an endorsement from
Sarah, Duchess of York, and other notable riders - Your expertise is well-known
and admirable. Describe a day in your life with horses...
NR: Unfortunately, we don’t have
space to keep our horse at home, so she is on a yard about four miles away. It is very small and friendly, so most days
there include drinking coffee and chatting about our horses. Clover is on
part-livery, so she is cared for in the week and we do weekends and holidays.
But of course we are there every day.
As I share my horse with my 15-year-old
daughter, we tend to work as a team on the yard. I really enjoy grooming Clover
with Katie and spending time together. We don’t get to ride together much, but
sometimes one of us borrows a horse from someone at our yard, so we can go out
together. We are very lucky that we have trail rides round farmers’ fields
right next to our yard, so we don’t have to go out on the road.
I try to do some ground work
every day, even if I am not riding. I also love giving Clover a Myofascial
Release treatment, which keeps her flexible and pain-free. Some days my
daughter and I both ride Clover, and some days it’s just one of us. But we are
definitely a team when it comes to making decisions about her care and welfare.
I get to provide all the money though!
GM: Through all of the equestrian
disciplines and breeds of horses, as a rider myself, I am sure there is a
common thread among all equestrians that creates a better rider. Can you
pinpoint the single most important thing that can help all riders of all
disciplines?
NR: In my experience as a rider
and having treated many riders, pelvic alignment is the most important factor
across the disciplines. If your pelvis is rotated, it can make it very
difficult to ride with balance, symmetry and sensitivity.
The bones of your pelvis can
creep out of alignment due to tension in the muscles and soft tissues attaching
into them. This usually happens gradually and so your brain becomes used to the
new position and often you feel that you are still straight. Most people are
walking around with a wonky pelvis and don’t realise.
As a rider, some of the tell-tale
signs are:
·
Your stirrup leathers are at different lengths
·
Your saddle always twists to the same side
·
Your saddle wears more on one side than the other
·
You feel that one leg is shorter than the other
As well as impacting on your
riding position and balance, a rotated pelvis can affect any other part of your
body too – remember it is all connected. So if you have injuries that have
never healed completely, or areas of inflammation that are resistant to
treatment such as Plantar Fasciitis or Tennis Elbow, the chances are they are
linked to your wonky pelvis.
I would strongly recommend that
if you think your pelvis might be out of alignment, try to find a therapist who
is able to correct it for you.
GM: Great advice. Understanding
the importance of alignment keeps us proactive to be able to ride far into the
future. What horses do you currently stable?
NR: Clover is our first and only
horse. She is a 16.3hh nine-year-old Irish Draft X. When we first had her, she
was dapple grey, but as she is getting older, she is getting more and more flea
bitten. She came from Ireland and is very very sweet and gentle, with feet like
dinner plates!
My daughter and I both ride her,
doing a combination of schooling in the arena, trail rides and ground work. I
love learning about natural horsemanship and I feel it has really improved my
bond with Clover. My daughter, Katie is learning to jump with Clover and is
keen to start going to more competitions.
GM: Please share a horse-related
anecdote that has made an impact on your equestrian career...
NR: When I was 14 years old, my
best friend Gillian was killed in a horse riding accident while she was out on
a trail ride on her own.
This obviously affected me
massively and since owning my own horse I have thought about her more again all
these years later. The main impact is that it led to me making the rule that
neither my daughter nor myself go out on trail rides alone. It is very tempting
at times, but the memory of what happened stops me. Accidents will happen, but
Gillian probably wouldn’t have died if she had somebody with her to get help.
The other affect it has had is to
remind me how lucky I am and to appreciate the times that I get to spend with
my daughter and Clover.
GM: What advice do you have for
novice riders and those looking to purchase (or lease) their first horse?
NR: Starting out as a rider or
horse owner can be quite stressful, as well as very exciting. This is the time
that you are looking to see if the horse you are meeting could be your new
partner and then trying to develop a relationship with them once you have
chosen them.
If you are feeling nervous or
stressed, it causes physical changes in your body that your horse will pick up
on. Because they are herd animals, if they perceive that you are worried about
something, their survival instinct will assume that there must be danger and so
they will also become nervous. Then their behaviour might change, which in turn
will affect you, and so on. Especially if you are just getting to know one
another, this reaction can impact on your relationship.
By becoming aware of your own signs
of stress and also learning about what to look out for in your horse, it is
possible to prevent this cycle escalating and so it will be easier for you and
your new horse to relax in each other’s company and enjoy your time together.
GM: What does horsemanship mean
to you?
NR: Horsemanship to me means developing
the two way relationship between you and your horse. So you learn together and
progress comes from not forcing but working together to find your way forward.
This is something that I feel
very passionate about and I try hard to learn the right way of doing things and
connecting with my horse. Of course it also means that you and your horse are
always learning about each other, so you are never done!
GM: List 12 things your fans may
not know about you...
NR:
1. I have a six-year-old
miniature Labradoodle called Coco.
2. I am married to
Pete and we have three children – twin 18-year-old boys, and a 15 year old
daughter.
3. I am six foot
tall.
4. I am half
Belgian and I can speak Dutch.
5. Last year I was
treated for breast cancer – I am fine now.
6. I love rainbows
and sunsets.
7. When it is very
windy, I get grumpy.
8. My horse is my
therapy.
9. I hate
technology but I can’t live without it.
10. I decided that I wanted to be a Physical Therapist
when I was 13 years old.
11. My favourite
song is Three Little Birds by Bob Marley.
12. I am very proud
of my business, Holisticare, which has been going since 2006.
Connect with Nikki…
Website: www.holisticare.co.uk
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Pain-Free-Horse-Riding-Illustrated-prevention/dp/1905367929
Photo Credits:
Detheo Photography
Gina McKnight is a freelance writer from Ohio USA.
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