This just popped up on my FB page - Swishorse riding vest to improve posture. Anybody familiar with this or used it? It looks pretty neat, especially for us slumpers. We should have listened to our mothers when they said to stand up straight but we didn’t. And now we have poor habits to overcome. Curious about it.
The best thing I have found for posture is getting in regular pilates practice.
In addition to a connective tissue disease that makes holding myself properly and aligned a real chore, I also have a desk job as well and that of course helps nothing and I try very hard to not crank my neck looking at my phone.
Ive thought about these kinds of things over the years on and off, but have found the best place to start imo is something like physical therapy to get a full body assessment and some exercises to start strengthening your weak areas. These kinds of devices do nothing to fix the underlying reason, and dont encourage building the strength you need to carry yourself properly.
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I don’t think I am weak. I just think I have years of lazy habits and years of a desk job. Pilates would be a good idea though.
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FWIW I bought a Tommy Copper Shoulder Support bra and it is amazing
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I’d second the Pilates recommendation. Slumping isn’t necessarily about being weak, it’s about not having the right muscle memory to make standing up straight easier than slumping over.
Pilates, especially work on the Reformer, gives you a lot of passive feedback on the straightness of your back. I’d recommend doing work with a qualified instructor in a class that uses the Reformer rather than just taking a mat class.
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I’ve been really strong and it didn’t mean much for my riding. I started rider-specific exercises about 2.5 years ago and keep finding new frontiers of postural muscle to train. It’s a deep dive to really develop posture.
With that said, I tweaked my back a few months ago, so I was riding in a elastic back brace for a couple weeks and it was a helpful temporary reminder for me.
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I just started doing the Rider Pilates Club videos online. I’ve done mat pilates before with a really good instructor, but not riding focused. These videos are doing wonders for my posture and I sit at a desk all day.
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I use a Forme posture support bra and was able to get my doctor to write a prescription for it so I could purchase it with my FSA. I have also used the shoulders back device, but I prefer this. My issue is not so much posture as collapsing on one side and this helps remind me to keep my shoulders even. If you fight against the Forme at all, it will dig in.
I have been riding with a safety vest since riding my baby horses. I think I may stick with the safety vest since it makes sense to me to not ride without it. It protects your neck. But I can use a posture bra with this vest.
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Buyer Beware!!! Ladies I ordered this Swishorse “Elite Riding Vest” and it’s horrible, flimsy and a waste of money. Their Refund Policy is all lies!. I sent numerous emails asking for an address to return it to and a refund as stated in their 90d policy. Btw, when you receive it, it has a China address.
I got one response from an “Olivia” and you can tell by the diction and writing it’s a scam. She never answered my questions nor gave me the info where to return the product.
I originally saw the ad on FB; tried to report it but they allow it.
All I can say is I’ve been fighting this since May 2024. Please pass word and do not believe their fake reviews nor about the company. I’m out $70 plus dollars and they’ve gotten away with hard earned money.
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Thanks for your response. I think I will pass.
Recently I started experimenting with shoulder/posture support products from Amazon. My very, very sensitive and precisely trained gelding approves of these devices. They have indeed helped me sit up straighter and taller! I find my posture out of the saddle has improved as well.
Hey, I’m 70, dealing with too many things to make time for Pilates and such. These dealios work! You just have to find the right size and style.
I’m still experimenting with various products to find the “perfect” one. Right now, for comfort, the “Berlin and Daughter” is my favorite so far. Since I’m in Florida, I prefer minimalist correctors.
I bought a super cheap corrector (so cheap it had no recognizable name…) for my first try, liked that one so well, I ordered another, but the quality was crap on the second one. “Dr. Arthritis” makes a good one, but they run slightly large.
I just ordered a “Comfy Brace”. We’ll see if it really is!
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Good to know. I am slightly older and I have enough farm work to keep me busy so even though I should experiment with Pilates I am not sure I will make the time. I should have listened to my Mother…
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I like the Tommy Copper shoulder Support bras
Who wears a bra??? Hahaha. I am retired and have small boobs. Bigger than when I was 20 but I gave up bras when I retired. However they might bounce a little at the sitting trot but I hate the constriction of a band around my midsection. A lightweight sports bra would suffice just fine. I need something light weight and cool. But then on the other hand - I would not be wearing it all day.
I recently tried the Forme posture bra and the AlignMe and Kinflyte.
I think they work somewhat to remind me to roll the head of my arm/shoulders back and down.
Horse seems to approve as well. He is super sensitive to me tipping forward.
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