The Pelvic Floor: A Dynamic Dome for Equitation Excellence
Oct 27, 2026
The Dynamic Dome: Rethinking Pelvic Floor Function for Riders
The pelvic floor is traditionally described as a basin, a static container holding everything in place. Modern biomechanics, alongside spatial concepts popularized by movement educator Eric Franklin and manual therapist Tom Myers, offers a clearer perspective: the pelvic floor functions as a dynamic, resilient dome. Myers places this muscular dome at the base of the Deep Front Line, working in tandem with the respiratory diaphragm to manage pressure, support alignment, and adapt to movement. For riders, this structural shift changes how we manage force absorption, build seat depth and stay centered in the saddle.
Anatomical Structure of the Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor is suspended between four main points: the pubic bone in front, the tailbone in back, and the two seat bones on either side. At its core, the levator ani muscle group forms a central sling of muscle and fascia. Rather than working in isolation, it connects directly into the broader core system, including the respiratory diaphragm, transversus abdominis, multifidus and inner thighs.
Together, these structures create an adaptable hub that stabilizes the pelvis across three dimensions:
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Front to back (Sagittal): Managing pelvic tilt.
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Side to side (Frontal): Controlling lateral shifts.
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Rotation (Transverse): Regulating twisting forces.
How the Dome Acts in Force Absorption
Riding demands continuous force absorption through the whole body. As your horse moves through the trot or canter, your pelvis continuously articulates through its joints to adapt to the motion of the horse's back.
To sit smoothly, your pelvic floor must act in a force-absorbing capacity:
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Eccentric Lengthening: As the horse's back moves downward, the pelvic floor dome lengthens downward to absorb force.
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Elastic Recoil: It then rebounds back into its lifted dome shape, providing continuous support without bracing.
When a rider holds a rigid squeeze or grips with the legs, this force-dissipating mechanism is blocked. The energy has nowhere to go except straight up into the rider's lower back, creating stiffness through the seat.
Training Lift and Elasticity with Hypopressives
Absorbing force requires both mobility and tone. Heavy strain or traditional crunches can push intra-abdominal pressure downward, overloading the pelvic floor. Hypopressive training restores its natural elastic recoil using postures and breath mechanics.
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Pressure Relief: By combining specific postures and manipulating thoracic and abdominal pressures via a breathing technique. We awaken the deep core and restore pelvic lift.
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Reflexive Lift: This pressure drop creates a natural vacuum that reflexively engages the levator ani and deep abdominals, restoring the pelvic floor's upward dome shape without gripping.
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Dynamic Tone: Over time, this conditions the deep core to respond automatically to the horse’s movement, giving you a seat that is both lifted and built for continuous force absorption.
Practical Applications for the Saddle
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Visualize the Dome: Picture your pelvic floor expanding gently downward for effective force absorption, then rebounding softly back up into its natural dome shape.
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Train Off the Horse: Practice hypopressive postures on the ground to train automatic core lift and improve pressure management.
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Avoid Isometric Gripping: Focus on letting the pelvic floor dynamically lengthen and recoil with the gait rather than squeezing continuously.
Reframing the pelvic floor as a dynamic dome gives riders a functional model for seat stability. By using targeted strategies like hypopressives to build elasticity and lift, you create a responsive, force-absorbing seat that moves with your horse.