The Missing Link in Your Horseback Riding, Back Pain, and Core Strength

What Is the Internal Pressure System (IPS)?

Still dealing with back pain, even after PT, yoga, massages, chiro, and “rider core workouts”? There’s a reason it hasn’t worked yet.

It’s not that you’re broken.

It’s that your body’s internal support system has been overlooked; the other treatments are a bandaid for what your body really needs.

Why Outside In Treatments Aren’t Enough for Back Pain

If you’re like most riders I work with, you’ve tried everything:

• Strength training and “core exercises”

• Mobility work

• Breathwork

• Chiropractic/Massage/Dry needling/

And yet… your back still hurts. Your hips are still tight.. You still feel unbalanced in the saddle or spasm after a long ride.

That’s because almost everything you’ve tried is working from the outside in.

But lasting, low-effort stability starts from the inside out.

Enter: Your Internal Pressure System (aka true core strength!)

Your Internal Pressure System (IPS) is the deep, automatic support system your body is supposed to use to keep your spine stable while you move.

It’s made up of:

• Your diaphragm (your breathing muscle)

• Your pelvic floor

• Your deep abdominals (especially the transverse abdominis)

• Your spinal stabilizers (back muscles that keep you upright)

Your core container

When these muscles work together, they create what’s called intra-abdominal pressure, like gently inflating a balloon in your lower belly.

That pressure helps: 

• Keep your spine tall 

• Absorb impact 

• Stabilize your trunk 

• Free up your limbs (so you can ride more fluidly) 

• Reduce the strain that leads to pain or tightness

It’s like having internal scaffolding: support that turns on before you move. This is what people mean (but don't really understand) when they talk about core strength or core engagement.

What Happens When the IPS Isn’t Working?

If your IPS is weak, underdeveloped, or uncoordinated (which is incredibly common), your body has to find another way to hold you up.

That’s when you get:

• Clenched glutes and tight hip flexors

• Neck and shoulder tension

• A low back that grabs the moment you lose focus

• A position that collapses no matter how many times you “engage your core”

• A pelvis that tips, wobbles, or braces against the motion of the horse

It’s like riding with a deflated basketball in your trunk: your body is compensating, overworking, and quietly screaming for support.

Here's how you can tell if your Internal Pressure System isn't working

 “But I Breathe in Yoga!”

Here’s what most riders don’t know:

There’s a difference between breathing to relax and breathing to support your spine.

Most yoga and mindfulness practices focus on calming breath, which is beautiful (and helpful for stress!). But it doesn’t always train the deep, anatomical coordination your spine needs for postural support and core function.

That’s what I teach: how to rebuild your Internal Pressure System so your breathing becomes your best stability tool, in the saddle and in everyday life.

Why Riders Need Their Internal Pressure System

Here’s the thing about riding: You don’t just need to be strong. You need to be:

• Centered

• Balanced

• Stable without gripping

• Able to move with your horse, not against them

And you need your spine, pelvis, and core to respond automatically, not through forced effort.

That’s what the IPS does:

• It holds you up when your horse launches into canter

• It steadies your spine over uneven terrain

• It absorbs shock through transitions

• It helps your seat stay quiet, even when the rest of your body is working

This isn’t just about pain relief. It’s about performance, precision, and longevity.

And Yes! Your IPS Helps in Daily Life Too

Rebuilding your Internal Pressure System isn’t just for the saddle.

Once it’s restored, you’ll:

• Feel more supported when walking, lifting, or sitting

• Have fewer “mystery twinges” when bending over

• Experience less strain during workouts

• Recover faster after barn chores or long hauls

• Feel calmer and more centered thanks to better breathing mechanics

And all of this happens with small, smart shifts, not endless workouts or rehab.

Picture your core like a basketball: you need air pressure to keep it bouncing!

Why Haven’t You Heard of This Before?

Great question.

Most practitioners are doing their best with the tools they’ve been taught. But this kind of support (called deep core stabilization through intra-abdominal pressure) isn’t covered deeply in many PT or fitness programs.

I also think student loans and time factor in. My background is in massage therapy - a relatively low cost, low time commitment endeavor that left me with enough information to help clients in small ways, but plenty of questions as to how I could help more. When you have five or six figures of student loans, you have to get working; and you trust that your education has given you everything you need. Continuing education is important, but thinking outside the box after years in school feels unnecessary. Sometimes learning something new can upend everything you thought you knew, and that’s hard for anyone to face.

My own mentors have done thousands of cadaver labs and teach anatomy to medical professionals. What they’ve found (and I’ve confirmed in my work) is that pain often comes down to missing internal support, not “tight” or “weak” muscles.

That’s why this method works when others don’t.

What Happens When We Rebuild Your IPS?

Here’s what riders experience:

• No more bracing through your back

• Even legs in the stirrups

• A seat that moves with your horse

• Less soreness after riding

• A stronger, steadier core (without doing a single crunch)

• And yes: relief from years of pain, tension, or spasms

Want to Rebuild Your IPS or learn more?

If you're curious whether your Internal Pressure System is doing its job, start here:

Book an Ouch to Ahhh Breakthrough Session