Balanced Horse Riding- Raising your awareness

The next time you head out to drive your car, sit at the dining table, sit in the office, stand in the elevator or move in general, I want you to check in with your physical movement and posture. 

If you turn left while driving the car, do you find yourself rocking in your seat and leaning towards the left as you turn?

If you are sitting on a hard surfaced chair, are you sitting equally on your seat bones (do you know what those are?) or are you sitting at an angle with your legs crossed?

If you are standing, do you lock up your knees, stand with more weight on one foot than the other, or compensate for discomfort by leaning against something?

For those who have experienced "traditional" riding lessons that focus on your position and posture, you've probably heard things like:
"Heels down, hands up, don't lean forward, head up, etc."

Unfortunately, most instructors are unable to "link" how an unwanted posture is typically not the "issue" but rather the symptom of a deep issue, such as a lack of stable foundation in one's seat.

This isn't about riding "pretty." This is about the rider learning to be centered and balanced in the saddle so they can offer specific and independent aids when they communicate with their horse.

The positions that are critiqued by instructors are the rider's unintentional way of compensating because they aren't balanced in the saddle. In turn the unwanted positions tend to also give the horse unintended "instruction." 

So now you have an unbalanced rider and a horse that is receiving a continual array of pressure through the rider's inconsistent aids.

Whether you're a trail rider, competitive in western or English disciplines, or do a little of everything, your stability matters for safety, clear communication and quality ride time.

But how much of the day do you get to spend in the saddle? Probably little. And if the only the time you think about "where" your body is at is when you are in the saddle, there are too many other things that are probably also going on in your mind that you will be unable to make needed adjustments. 

So I suggest first assessing your own postures, habits, and tendencies, (without critique,) when you are WITHOUT the horse. Start to bring awareness and intention to how you "hold" your body and experiment with making little adjustments. 

The more aware an adaptable you are without the horse, the easier it is to realign yourself and learn to find a centered spot while sitting in the saddle.

Remember it takes gentle persistence and follow-through on your part to erase muscle memory from unwanted postures, and it takes effort and intention to make little adjustments. 

The more this thoughtfulness in regards to your body becomes part of your daily behavior, the less overwhelming it seems like to make adjustments when sitting in the saddle.