Meet the team behind RIB
We have gathered some of the world’s leading experts in equine medicine, research, and technology. Our goal is to continuously improve the health, well-being, and performance of both horse and rider. With a combination of science and practical experience, we develop methods that strengthen the interaction between horse and rider, prevent injuries, and optimize training.
Maria Terese Engell
Maria Terese grew up with a ballet studio in her parents' home in Kjelsås and practiced ballet actively for 20 years before starting her veterinary studies. She completed her veterinary education at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Budapest and made history when she completed a PhD on the interaction between horse and rider. Her career includes positions as an equine practitioner at Bjerke Dyrehospital and the Veterinary School, as well as research positions at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU).
While working at Bjerke, Maria Terese encountered several horses with diffuse issues and lameness, where veterinary examinations often failed to identify clear causes. However, the owners reported problems while riding, which they believed were due to discomfort in the horse. This led to a focus on the overall interaction between horse and rider. By correcting the rider’s position and improving the interaction, it became easier to assess whether the issues during riding were related to the rider or the horse.
Maria's research combines veterinary medicine and human postural control and has set a new standard in the field. Today, she is regarded as one of the world’s leading experts on balance and rhythm between horse and rider.
Maria Terese now runs her own veterinary clinic in Finnskogen, Norway. Through Rider In Balance, she works to promote the health, welfare, and performance of both riders and horses. She has collaborated with top athletes in various disciplines and contributes valuable insights to improve riding technique and optimize the interaction between horse and rider. Maria Terese is also a recognized researcher and is currently involved in a research project in collaboration with NMBU and SLU. The project investigates how different types of rider training affect performance. In 2023, Maria Terese participated in the research project Hind Limb Lameness in Horses – Why is it So Difficult to Detect, and How Can We Improve?, which won the award for Equine Research Project of the Year. The project is led by Nils Ivar Dolvik at NMBU and Elin Hernlund at SLU, with the latter also being part of the research team at Rider In Balance.
The Research Team
Håvard Engell
With over 40 years of experience in biomechanics, Håvard Engell is recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in balance, coordination, and gait. His background as a ballet dancer, combined with extensive experience from the Norwegian Olympic Training Centre (Olympiatoppen), has given him a unique insight into the body’s biomechanics and how small adjustments can optimize performance and prevent injuries. Engell has had a significant influence across multiple fields, including sports, dance, and health, and is a highly sought-after speaker both nationally and internationally.
During his 15 years at Olympiatoppen, he was responsible for injury prevention, balance, and technical training, and his work has contributed to Norwegian athletes across various sports winning more than 300 Olympic medals. Through his work, Engell has made a lasting impact on the development of elite sports and has inspired athletes and professionals worldwide.
Lars Roepstorff
Lars Roepstorff has been an important mentor to Maria Terese Engell throughout her doctoral research, and at RIB, he is responsible for technological development and research. Lars grew up with horses and began competing in show jumping at an early age. He is still an active competitor at the hobby and amateur level. Lars graduated as a veterinary surgeon in 1985 and has since practiced as an equine veterinarian. His research has focused on biomechanics and the movement of horses, and in 2011, he became a professor of equine functional anatomy.
Today, he works with applied biomechanics in three areas: developing tools for objective diagnostics of equine lameness, the interaction between horse and rider, and equine footing. His research on equine footing is internationally recognized and has made him highly sought after by top riders and event organizers who wish to provide the best conditions for their horses in training and competition.
Elin Hernlund
Since 2008, Elin Hernlund has worked at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), both as a researcher and a veterinarian at the equine department of the university hospital. In 2016, she defended her doctoral thesis on training and competition surfaces in show jumping. Today, Elin works as a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry, as well as a part-time postdoc at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
Her research aims to increase understanding of movement and behavioral changes in horses resulting from orthopedic pain, including changes in facial expressions and posture. In addition, Elin examines risk factors for lameness, such as the rider's influence and training surfaces.
Russell MacKechnie-Guire
Russell MacKechnie-Guire holds a PhD in Equine Biomechanics, graduating from the Royal Veterinary College in 2019. Russell’s thesis was titled ‘The Relationship between Saddle and Rider Kinematics, Equine Locomotion, and Thoracolumbar Pressures in Sports Horses’. Russell is based at Centaur Biomechanics, a company which he founded in 2006. He has extensively researched the effect that tack (saddle, bridle and girth) and the rider has on equine health and performance. Russell holds a post at Hartpury University as a Reader in Equine Biomechanics. Russell’s current area of research is horse-saddle-rider interaction, spinal kinematics in horses when ridden over ground, the effect that rider asymmetry has on equine back movement, and from a rehabilitation perspective, the effect that training aids and pole work exercise has on back movement. In addition, Russell collaborates with researchers on various research projects associated with equine health, rehabilitation and performance. Russell is a consultant for the British Equestrian Federations World Class, Team GBR programme and is a member of Team GBR’s Scientific Advisory Group. Russell also sits on the Society of Master Saddlers Scientific Advisory Group, and is part of the executive committee for the International Task force on Laterality in Sports Horses. Russell is also a Pilates instructor, Intrinsic (Human) Biomechanics Trainer, a BHSI equestrian coach, and a keen competitor in dressage and show jumping.
Administration
