Imbalanced Human Movement- Raising Awareness to Improve Horse Skills

The next time you head out to drive your car, sit at the dining table or at a desk 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" the biomechanics of how an unwanted posture is typically not the "issue" but rather the symptom of a deeper physical imbalance, such as a lack of stability in one's seat.

This isn't about learning to ride "pretty," but instead learning to be centered and balanced in the saddle to have the freedom to offer specific, adaptable, and independent aids with the horse.

The positions that are commonly critiqued by instructors, are the rider's unintentional way of compensating because they aren't balanced in the saddle. A negative trickle-down result from unwanted positions are unintended "cues."

So now the rider is unbalanced and a horse that is receiving a continual array of pressure through the inconsistent aids.

Whether a trail rider, competitor in western or English disciplines, or do a little of everything, your stability matters for your safety, effective aids, and the ability for real time, relevant communication.

But how much of the day do you get to spend sitting in the saddle? Probably very little. If the only time you think about "where" your body is, occurs when you are in the saddle, there are too many other distractions that will limit your real time awareness of default behaviors or needed adjustments in yourself.

I suggest beginning by assessing your postures, habits, and tendencies, (without critique,) WITHOUT the horse. Start to bring awareness and intention to how you "hold" your body, compensate for old injuries, and experiment with making little adjustments.

The more aware and 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.

It takes ongoing persistence and follow-through to erase muscle memory from unwanted postures, along with effort and intention to make long-term adjustments.

As self-awareness of your movement becomes part of your daily behavior, the less overwhelming making adjustments when sitting in the saddle, the more available you'll be to recognize and address the horse's feedback.