We want our horses to be supple and gymnastic, but how many rider's try to do the same with their own bodies?
I have to admit, I was one of those rider's that didn't give much thought to my own body's suppleness and flexibility until only a few months ago. I had my first ride on a Spanish horse, Amigo, so sensitive to your every move that if you wasn't clear he would offer you everything! My second ride and lesson was on Prazer, Sylvia Loch's very generous school master. I discovered the true subtlety of the aids. I also realised that I needed to become more supple to make it easier for me to apply these subtle aids but to also make it clearer and easier for the horse to understand me.
I also participated in Sylvia Loch's unmounted workshop, Balance and Bodywork. This is the time to really explore and understand your own body, how it moves, your strengths and your weaknesses. Everything you do on the horse is similar to what we do on the ground, we move forwards, backwards, sideways, and our skip is similar to the horses canter. By exploring these movements for yourself on the ground first, you really begin to feel what is right and how you can apply this when in the saddle. You can discover what you find difficult or comes naturally easy to you, everyone favours a particular side, this becomes highlighted. This is where suppleness plays an important part in riding, you to be able to apply your aids clearly on both reins to avoid blocking and confusing the horse. Good posture, mobility and flexibility is key to effective riding.
To achieve this, stretching and stability exercises was the logical option. Stretches work the body evenly (when done correctly of course!), supple any muscles that have become contracted through incorrect riding and posture and can help develop core strength with the help of a hula hoop.
Do you continually lose your stirrups? This is a result of your thigh muscles contracting, loosing their depth and position in the saddle, shortening the leg making it impossible for you to keep your stirrups. Stretching will help towards improving muscle tone, security and stability and depth of seat in the saddle.
I've always been conscious of my inner thigh, the feeling of the fleshy part was pushing my leg away from the saddle, that I wasn't able to allow my knee and thigh to deepen because of this. I began with inner thigh stretches to stretch my hip abductor muscles. Within a week these stretches became easier and I was already beginning to feel a difference in the saddle. Both of my hips feel more open and I can allow my thigh to deepen, keeping the natural close contact of the thigh against the saddle (which I hadn't been able to feel before) enabling my seat to naturally deepen. I have had to drop my stirrups a couple of holes to accommodate my more comfortable leg position, my lower leg has let go and rests quietly in the stirrup, like my feet have become earthed to the ground.
Correct posture is vital to maintaining balance, on and off the horse. An erect upper body enables the core muscles to support the back, which, in turn, enables the rider to absorb and allow the horses movement through their own body. The rider's upper body is the horse's balancing pole. If you expect your horse to work in self carriage, you must be able to work in self carriage too! Collapsing your core will leave your back unsupported, losing it's ability to shock absorb. As a result, your position will be unbalanced, unable to give clear aids as well as putting additional strain on the horses forehand. Through an erect upper body, you increase the downward, central pressure and stability of your seat. You are able to maintain balance and ride over the horse's centre of balance, working in equilibrium. The back is able to yield to and absorb the horses movement. Imagine you are giving a friend a piggy back, how heavy they would feel and difficult it would be to carry them if they didn't support themselves. Now imagine that they are supporting themselves and suddenly how much lighter they are and easier carrying them becomes. It is the same for the rider on the horse.
Aim to get the best from your horse by getting the best from your own body.
A horse cannot be supple without a supple rider.
A horse can not be balanced without a balanced rider.
Monday 3 November 2014
Wednesday 4 June 2014
Position focus: Elbows
The positioning of our elbows whilst riding is so often over looked by ourselves and our trainers. Correctly positioned elbows play a vital role in terms of connection between the rider's seat, hands and legs and rather importantly the way we communicate with our horse.
The human elbow is a hinge joint that forms between the upper and lower arm. The elbow can extend to 180 degrees before locking and fixing the arm (the arm becomes straight). Our elbows remain naturally flexed whether we are standing, sitting, walking, running, writing and even driving. When I'm discussing 'straight arms' I mean that the angle of the elbow is more open, towards full extension of the arm. Have you ever tried to drive with straight arms? Have you tried to write/draw with straight arms? It becomes restricting and difficult to make an accurate movement in comparison to having more bend through the joint. It's a similar result when riding; unstable arms which clumsily move up and down with the body's movements. This makes it difficult for the horse to decipher what is a communication and what isn't.
So what is the ideal elbow position?
Ideally, the elbows should be bent and flexible. Thumbs on top which will lightly close the elbow against the body providing the elbow's position is contained within the body line, on line or slightly in front of the hips. In this position, the body will be able to absorb the entire weight of the arm from the shoulder to the hand. The elbow joint will remain elastic being able to absorb and allow the movement of the horse's head and neck through the entire arm and encourages light, steady hands.
It's important to remember that the position of the elbow effects the entire upper body position. If the elbows are placed forward of the body line this will round the shoulders, close the stomach (the core muscles, which are the centre of the rider's position) and round the back. The rider's balance and security in the saddle is compromised and signalling of your aids is unclear. There will also be too much movement in the hands.
Try this exercise:
In a standing position, similar to how you would be in the saddle; feet apart, knees slightly bent, elbows bent at your side with hands in front, thumbs on top... When ready, move your hips from side to side. Notice how stable your hand position is? Now, try the same but with your elbows in front of your body line, elbows more open and your arms held straighter out in front of you. Feel how unstable your arm and hand position has become?
Every movement your arm makes, your horse will feel in his mouth. Now, imagine that you are your horse with a bit in your mouth, think about every movement you will feel through the bit and your rider's hands... Then think about how you have to decide if the rider means the signal or is it a result of an unstable arm position. Not to forget also, the discomfort unstable, noisy hands may cause to the sensitive mouth of the horse.
It's also worth noting that you can have more than the ideal bend in your elbows through positioning your elbows to the back or even behind the body line. This results in a backward feel down the rein and placing continuous pressure on the bars of the horse's mouth.
See how important it is to be quiet and as light as possible with your hands?
Correctly bent elbows will stabilise the arm and encourage light hands, resulting in kind, and sympathetic contact with the horse's mouth.
So the next time you are in the saddle, make note of your elbows and their position. Remember to do regular checks, even just a little squeeze with your elbows on your sides is enough to know that they're in the ideal place for you and your horse.
Claire.
The human elbow is a hinge joint that forms between the upper and lower arm. The elbow can extend to 180 degrees before locking and fixing the arm (the arm becomes straight). Our elbows remain naturally flexed whether we are standing, sitting, walking, running, writing and even driving. When I'm discussing 'straight arms' I mean that the angle of the elbow is more open, towards full extension of the arm. Have you ever tried to drive with straight arms? Have you tried to write/draw with straight arms? It becomes restricting and difficult to make an accurate movement in comparison to having more bend through the joint. It's a similar result when riding; unstable arms which clumsily move up and down with the body's movements. This makes it difficult for the horse to decipher what is a communication and what isn't.
So what is the ideal elbow position?
Ideally, the elbows should be bent and flexible. Thumbs on top which will lightly close the elbow against the body providing the elbow's position is contained within the body line, on line or slightly in front of the hips. In this position, the body will be able to absorb the entire weight of the arm from the shoulder to the hand. The elbow joint will remain elastic being able to absorb and allow the movement of the horse's head and neck through the entire arm and encourages light, steady hands.
It's important to remember that the position of the elbow effects the entire upper body position. If the elbows are placed forward of the body line this will round the shoulders, close the stomach (the core muscles, which are the centre of the rider's position) and round the back. The rider's balance and security in the saddle is compromised and signalling of your aids is unclear. There will also be too much movement in the hands.
Try this exercise:
In a standing position, similar to how you would be in the saddle; feet apart, knees slightly bent, elbows bent at your side with hands in front, thumbs on top... When ready, move your hips from side to side. Notice how stable your hand position is? Now, try the same but with your elbows in front of your body line, elbows more open and your arms held straighter out in front of you. Feel how unstable your arm and hand position has become?
Every movement your arm makes, your horse will feel in his mouth. Now, imagine that you are your horse with a bit in your mouth, think about every movement you will feel through the bit and your rider's hands... Then think about how you have to decide if the rider means the signal or is it a result of an unstable arm position. Not to forget also, the discomfort unstable, noisy hands may cause to the sensitive mouth of the horse.
It's also worth noting that you can have more than the ideal bend in your elbows through positioning your elbows to the back or even behind the body line. This results in a backward feel down the rein and placing continuous pressure on the bars of the horse's mouth.
See how important it is to be quiet and as light as possible with your hands?
Correctly bent elbows will stabilise the arm and encourage light hands, resulting in kind, and sympathetic contact with the horse's mouth.
So the next time you are in the saddle, make note of your elbows and their position. Remember to do regular checks, even just a little squeeze with your elbows on your sides is enough to know that they're in the ideal place for you and your horse.
Claire.
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