Swedish horsetech startup launches new app to analyze riders’ seat

People who ride horses now have a new digital option to analyze their position and posture in the saddle.

Swedish horsetech startup Rider’s Position is launching a new measurement tool, Rider Analysis. The app collects data on how the rider moves in the saddle. They can then purchase an objective analysis with written feedback on their seat.

“The aim is to increase the rider’s awareness of the quality of their seat,” Mari Zetterqvist Blokhuis, a riding instructor, researcher and one of Rider’s Position’s founders, said. “We want to contribute to improving the interaction between rider and horse, which leads to better performance, better riding experiences and healthier horses.”

“A better understanding of what I need to correct”

The rider places their iPhone in a belly bag, and the Rider Analysis app records the rider’s pace and balance. The company’s coach analyzes the data and gives written feedback and motion graphics on the rider movements in the saddle.

Blokhuis says the rider also gets tips and exercises on how they can work to improve their position.

The company says both elite and recreational horse riders can use their service.

“The app has made me more aware of how my seat affects my horse, something both I and the horse are grateful for,” Sara Dobloug, a U25 rider who races the Prix St. Georges, said. “I had no idea I was tensing my upper body before I had to analyze my seat with the app. Now, I do exercises that make my body feel better, so I can do a better job when I ride my horse.”

Rider’s Position says a good seat helps the horse build the muscles needed to support the rider. It’s also an important step for the rider to communicate successfully with the horse.

The company says they’re working on developing the Rider Analysis app to also include galloping. They plan on releasing that addition in the fall of this year.