WITH women making up the substantial majority of regular horse riders, female-specific factors affecting rider comfort and performance deserve considerably more attention than they have traditionally received.

New research published in the International Journal of Equine Sciencesuggests that something as straightforward as the choice of bra may have measurable consequences for a rider’s position in the saddle.

The study, led by Lorna Cameron of Hartpury University alongside researchers from Hartpury, University Centre Sparsholt and the University of Portsmouth, examined the effects of different levels of breast support during riding and running.

Twenty-one experienced recreational female riders, with an average age of 40, took part. Bra sizes ranged from UK 32 to 38 bands and B to FF cups.

Highest pain scores

Participants rode a Racewood equine simulator in walk, sitting trot and canter wearing an everyday underwired bra, an encapsulation sports bra marketed for riding, a combination sports bra designed for running, and with no breast support. They also completed treadmill running trials.

Motion-capture technology measured breast displacement and rider position, while participants scored exercise-induced pain and bra comfort.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, running without breast support produced the greatest movement and highest pain scores overall. Among the equestrian gaits, however, sitting trot emerged as particularly significant.

Higher-support sports bras consistently reduced exercise-induced breast pain, while in trot the combination sports bra produced significantly less pain than the everyday bra.

The researchers also found a positive relationship between breast movement and pain. The combination sports bra produced the lowest vertical breast displacement across walk, trot, canter and running.

Importantly, breast movement during riding was not identical to that seen during running, varying according to activity and gait.

The researchers suggest that bras designed for runners may therefore not necessarily meet all the biomechanical demands of horse riding, strengthening the case for equestrian-specific designs.

Elbow and knee symmetry

Perhaps the most interesting findings from an equestrian perspective concerned rider position.

During trot, breast support had a significant effect on both elbow and knee symmetry. Riders wearing the encapsulation sports bra demonstrated the smallest differences between left and right limb movement patterns overall.

Breast support also influenced the torso, with both sports bras producing a significantly more upright position during trot than either the everyday bra or no bra.

Equine locomotion

This matters because rider asymmetry is increasingly recognised as an important component of the horse-rider interaction. Previous research by MacKechnie-Guire and colleagues found that experimentally-induced rider asymmetry altered aspects of equine locomotion and thoracolumbar spinal motion during rising trot.

The researchers therefore suggest that improved breast support could potentially have implications beyond rider comfort. Greater stability and symmetry may help riders apply tactile cues more consistently and communicate more clearly with the horse.

However, this requires caution. The study used an equine simulator rather than live horses and did not measure any direct effects on equine movement or welfare. These implications remain questions for future research rather than demonstrated outcomes.

Riding or running

Support alone did not determine which bras riders preferred. Of the 17 participants completing a post-trial questionnaire, 41.7% preferred the combination sports bra for riding and 35.3% the encapsulation bra. Almost a quarter preferred none of those tested, while nobody selected the everyday bra as their preferred option for riding or running.

Comfort, straps, appearance, fastening and suitability beneath competition clothing all influenced riders’ choices.

The findings nevertheless suggest breast support deserves consideration as part of riding equipment rather than simply underwear. For researchers, and equestrians, an intriguing question now remains: if breast support can measurably alter rider symmetry and posture, what happens to the horse underneath?