Exercise Page

Hip Drop Side-to-Side

Nicky Caden Rider Exercise Library | Empowering Riders Through Technology

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Exercise Overview

Useful For

Pelvis appearing uneven in the saddle
Difficulty controlling one seat bone independently
One side collapsing or dropping more than the other
Difficulty organising over one leg
One hip appearing less stable or less available
Lower leg instability on one side
Rider shifting the whole trunk to find balance
One side of the pelvis rotating forwards or backwards under load
Difficulty keeping the ribcage organised over the pelvis
Different organisation left compared with right
Difficulty using one leg without the rest of the body compensating
Rider who appears strong but creates stability by bracing rather than controlling movement

Purpose

This exercise shows how the rider controls the pelvis over one supporting leg. The aim is not just to make the hip go up and down, but to allow a small pelvic drop and return to level without bending the supporting knee, tipping the trunk, gripping through the foot, or pulling the free side of the waist upwards.

It also reveals whether the unsupported side genuinely lowers, or rotates forwards or backwards to create the appearance of movement. A rider can appear to complete the task while avoiding the control objective through pelvic twisting.

The exercise is useful for pelvic awareness and whole-body assessment. The supporting foot, ankle and hip organise while the pelvis moves and the ribcage remains available above it.

Key Coaching Principle

Do not just ask whether the rider can lift the pelvis back up. Ask how they do it. The supporting hip should control the pelvis while the foot, knee, ribcage and shoulders stay organised and the pelvis does not twist forwards or backwards to escape the task.

What the Exercise Can Encourage

Controlled single-leg pelvic loading and return

Supporting hip contribution without trunk bracing

Cleaner transfer to seat-bone and leg use in riding

What This May Change

Improves awareness of how one side of the pelvis loads and returns, reduces compensatory trunk shift and pelvic twist, and improves independent leg use through clearer supporting-side organisation.

What the Rider May Feel

Work around the outside of the supporting hip, better control of the lowering phase, clearer left-right differences, and less need to grip with the foot or pull up through the free-side waist.

Choosing the Equipment

Firm yoga block or low step on a non-slip surface

Wall or stable support for light fingertip balance

Optional small hand weight or soft weighted ball as progression

Optional two light weights for symmetrical increased demand

Equipment Choice

Do not add weights until bodyweight control is consistent and movement quality remains unchanged.

Set Up

Stand sideways on the block with one foot fully supported and the other leg hanging freely.
Begin with pelvis approximately level and facing forwards.
Keep supporting knee soft, but not repeatedly bending to create the movement.
Organise ribcage over pelvis; stay tall rather than rigid.
Use hands on pelvis initially to feel height and rotational changes.
Check supporting foot and ankle strategy before starting.

Transfer Safety

Use a stable setup and small range first. Stop if pain, marked joint discomfort, dizziness, or loss of balance occurs. On transfer to riding, use awareness only; do not reproduce block mechanics in the saddle.

Method

Key Movement Principle

Allow a small controlled pelvic drop on the unsupported side, then return towards level from the supporting hip while keeping pelvis orientation mostly forwards and maintaining organised foot-knee-ribcage alignment.

Stage 1-3: Establish Position, Drop, and Check Rotation

Set up on one leg, allow the unsupported side to lower slightly, and confirm the pelvis is lowering rather than twisting forwards or backwards.

Keep movement small and controlled
Do not reach the free foot down
Watch pelvic orientation from more than one angle

Stage 4-5: Return to Level and Control Both Directions

Bring the pelvis back toward level using the supporting hip. Control the lowering and return phases equally.

Cue: Use the hip underneath you
Avoid lifting the shoulder or shortening free-side waist
Reduce range if control degrades

Stage 6-8: Foot, Knee, Hip, Ribcage and Shoulders

Observe whether lower-limb and trunk strategies stay responsive while the pelvis moves.

Toes remain quiet; ankle adjusts without rigidity
Knee stays soft and aligned, not busy or locked
Ribcage stays organised without side-collapse or breath-holding

Stage 9-10: Hands-On Awareness and Left-Right Comparison

Use hands on pelvis to detect height and rotational differences, then remove hands and repeat. Compare both sides without assuming the harder side is only weak.

Check whether one side rotates more
Check whether one foot grips more
Compare smoothness down and up

Progressions: Pauses, Weights, and Transfer

Add pauses at partial ranges, then optional light weight progressions (central, free-leg side, or bilateral). Transfer awareness immediately to simulator and horse tasks.

Weight increases demand, not movement size
Regress load if pelvic control changes
Use transfer for circles, independent aids, and lateral organisation

Coaching Cues

Let the pelvis drop. Do not take your ribs with it.
Use the hip underneath you to come back to level.
Keep the supporting knee soft, not busy.
Keep the toes quiet and let the ankle adjust.
Keep both sides of the waist available.
Can you lower without twisting the pelvis forwards or backwards?
Control it down as well as up.
Do not pull the free hip up with your waist.
Keep breathing.
Make the movement smaller if you lose the organisation.
The weight increases the demand, not the size of the movement.

What the Coach Should Observe

Supporting Foot and Ankle

Toe gripping or lifting
Arch collapse or over-rigidity
Marked roll in or out
Ability to make small balance adjustments

Supporting Knee and Hip

Knee bending to create drop
Knee lock strategy
Knee drift in or out
Smooth hip-led control and outside-hip effort

Pelvis, Ribcage and Shoulders

Controlled unsupported-side lowering and return
Forward/backward pelvic rotation during drop or return
Whole-pelvis twist around supporting hip
Ribcage collapse, shoulder lift/rotation, trunk tip, breath holding

Questions for the Rider

Can you feel one side lowering without that side also moving forwards or backwards?
Can you return to level from the supporting hip without lifting the shoulder?
Which side is smoother on the way down and back up?
Do your toes grip when the task gets harder?
Can you keep ribs organised while pelvis moves beneath?

Before and After Reassessment

After block work, reassess on simulator or horse: seat-bone access, unilateral leg stability, pelvic twist under aid use, circle organisation, and lateral coordination. Use improvement in movement quality and aid clarity as primary outcomes.

Success Markers

Small pelvic drop occurs without knee-bend cheating
Lowering phase is controlled, not a fall
Supporting hip returns pelvis toward level
Pelvis does not need marked forward/backward rotation
Foot and ankle remain responsive rather than gripping
Ribcage stays organised without rigidity
Shoulders do not need to lift, drop, or rotate
Rider can describe left-right differences clearly
Light weight can be added without losing organisation
Awareness transfers to simulator and horse tasks

Important Coaching Considerations

This is a pelvic awareness and control exercise as well as strengthening.
Do not chase large range; small controlled movement is more useful.
Watch pelvis from more than one angle to catch rotational compensation.
Do not assume the more difficult side is simply weak.
Supporting foot and ankle strategy is part of the assessment.
Weights are progression only and should not change movement quality.
Transfer the awareness to riding; do not reproduce block posture in the saddle.