Improving Horse Rider Balance- Raising Awareness

 It all starts with Awareness

I just finished doing a 12 hour drive drive. I encountered horrendous fog, hail, pelting rain, light snow, sun, strong wind gusts, and just about any other weather you can think of.

Throughout the drive, I would audibly exhale, reset my fingers on the steering wheel, notice the tension in leg muscles from the incessant shift through the high mountain, twisty road climbs, and "open" my toes in my shoes, I'd observe if I was "hard" staring at the road or if I could zoom in and out at various degrees on the details of the surroundings. I "checked in" with my shoulders- if they were scrunched up and together toward my neck, or if I could rotate the muscle onto the scapula and "open" my chest to have a soft breathing. I noticed if my tongue was "stuck" on the roof of my mouth or rested without tension...

For most folks, they'd never consider half of what I mentioned above, but that awareness spills over into all aspects of how we interact and function in life- including during our horse time. Whether or not you "want" to put "that much effort" into having it, your physical behavior affects the horse.

Many people get stuck in behavioral patterns based on familiarity, without realizing we are "reinforcing" our own unwanted versions o carrying a brace or tension. Without recognizing our "starting point" - everything we attempt to communicate will carry the "heaviness" we maintain in our own body.

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, jean pockets down, eyes up, etc."

Unfortunately, most instructors are unable to "link" the biomechanics of how an unwanted posture is typically not the "issue" but rather not only the symptom of a deeper physical imbalance, but a reflection of the mental state- such as if someone is fixated, anticipative, mindless, distracted, etc.

Sitting balanced isn't about learning to ride "pretty," but rather having the mental presence to have a physical awareness of being centered and balanced in the saddle. Noticing when we're "off balance"- and having the intention to experiment with adjusting our seat bones, leg placement, muscle tension, focus, etc. This then allows us to have the freedom to offer specific, adaptable, and independent aids with the horse.

The rider's positions that are commonly critiqued by instructors, is the unintentional response of compensating because of the lack of balance. But where does that start? You cannot separate out how thought influences the rider's behavior or how previous experiences influence the "now." Then, there's the negative trickle-down affect from imbalanced positions, which create unintended "cues," contributing to undesired equine responses, finally add in the rider's anticipation, insecurity, and physical imbalance.

The result is the rider is unbalanced and the horse is receiving a continual array of unintentional gripping/holding/bracing pressure through the person's inconsistent and unintentional communication. They are teaching the horse to anticipate a heaviness, so he learns to carry tension or reacts in a braced manner. You can imagine how the vicious cycle leads to defensiveness in the human and horse.

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, adaptable 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.

Begin by assessing your postures, habits, and tendencies, (without critique,) WITHOUT the horse.

How do you:

Brush your teeth or hair?

Tie your shoes?

Which hand do you open/close the door with?

Where do you look as you walk?

What are your "comfortable norms" in your current state of functioning? How do you "hold" your body, compensate for old injuries, or "always do x, y, or z?" Then start to experiment with making little adjustments, such as using your non dominant hand for daily activities.

The more aware you are of what you currently do, the increasingly available you will be to intentionally start to make small changes in your behavior. The more you "practice" in short segments and pieces, the increasingly adaptable you will be- even during the "pressure" of adapting your behavior when with the horse. As you develop the skill of adaptability, finding your balance will become easier to re-set and realign yourself as you won't be starting with the tension that literally restricts movement, that so many people carry.

It will take ongoing persistence and follow-through to erase muscle memory from unwanted/defensive postures, along with intention to reinforce positive long-term physical adaptability.

As self-awareness of your movement becomes part of your daily behavior, the less overwhelming real-time adjustments will be when sitting in the saddle. The most rewarding and beneficial aspect of this, is that by no longer being fixated on your stability, the more available you'll be to recognize and address the horse's feedback in a relevant manner.