[horsegirlygal]

I didn't know where to put this, but it's here now.
This is my usual scenario: I have a riding lesson, good position and everything. I go home, wake up (and find about three bruises from knocking barrels) and my shoulders ache when I stretch or move them forward/backward. I mean, of all things to ache, why my shoulders?! I don't pull muscles or anything, and it's not like I'm hunched over or anything because my posture is pretty good. hmmm..

[rageandglory]

possibly tension, for whatever reason. not breathing, anticipation, wanting to do well, compensating somewhere for, again, whatever reason.

[Jenje!]

You're probably holding tension back there. Good posture or not, stress can and will "collect" in one area (or a few) and you will brace that area unwittingly... with me it's my shoulders and jaw. So if I'm stressed or really concentrating (as is usually the case with a ride), soreness will show up there later.

Horses do it too... my mare seems to hold a lot of tension in her hips (due to an old injury more than anything, conformationally she is correct) and my filly holds it in her mouth and jaw. She's not too bad about it, but one other young one I've worked with holds it all in her mouth... you can tell when she's stressed or upset because her mouth is clamped shut and her lips are pinched shut almost to the point of twisting. The last time I handled her, we were working on her releasing that hold before turnout by opening her mouth... because otherwise she will let it build and build and then start getting nippy because it's all too easy with her mouth being so wire-tight all the time.

[JBandRio]

Any time I find my shoulders ache, I think back and realize I was pulling out and back on one rein or the other.

[Poke]

What kind of riding lessons and do you have any pictures of you riding? It would be helpful to see if maybe you're doing something unconsciously to cause the soreness.

[horsegirlygal]

hmm..I think it could be tension, because about the last two lessons, they didn't ache much/at all.
Yes I have some pictures, and I'll try to pos those ASAP. A little busy with some band stuff.

[endurgirl]

When I do endurance rides, I ride on a loose rein, but I still get shoulder aches. I realize that I'm very tense through my shoulders and neck.

[Spirithorse]

You are holding tension in your shoulders. And if your shoulders hurt, so do your horses. If you aren't moving your shoulders when you ride, as in keeping them loose and moving "inside your skin" then how can your horse move its shoulders? If you focus too much on position you will create brace and tension. Focus on moving with the horse in every way.

[IIIBarsV]

Methinks the knocking barrels and stiff shoulders are directly related. Happen to have a video of a barrel run?

[SaddleCutie]

I used to and, depending on the lesson, occasionally have a slight shoulder/neck ache. What I do once I get on my horse and we're walking around the ring is do shoulder rolls... eg. 8 shoulder rolls forward, 8 shoulder rolls backward. Do it slowly and really focus on releasing any tension from your joints. Take deeep breaths and slowly exhale, imagining you're exhaling all the 'bad stuff' (that is the tension, stress, etc.) Sometimes I even do this in between our flat warmup before we go to jumping, and after the lesson as well. Not only should this help, but no doubt it will be benefit your posture. Also remember to breathe. Sounds simple and silly, yes, but if you're holding your breath your body tenses up and you're not helping your body to relax.

Once you go home from the stable, why not have a warm bath and/or use one of those heating pads that curls around your neck and over your shoulders? Those work wonders!

Hope this helps.