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.
