• home
• horsey interviews
• rider rights
• advertise with us

www.art-of-riding.com

Balance and Poise. The key to understanding the art of riding

Minette .................... explains

For the majority of equestrians, riding means little more than surviving on a horse. Of course survival is a very important part of the process but it is by no means the whole story. Understanding the "art" of riding can open up a world of delights for both you and your horse.

Firstly you must be comfortable while sitting in the saddle. It is important to sit centered on your two seat bones with the base of your spine forming a third mental balancing point. You don't want to feel like a tin soldier or a rag doll but sit in the vertical, poised in space, trusting your balance. It is a great help to think of your head floating up to the sky like a helium balloon, or perhaps you could think of growing rabbit ears!

Have you thought how your horse moves underneath you? Remember you are not sitting on a supermarket trolley, although I'm sure he sometimes feels like one! Try to tune into the rhythm of his stride with your two seat bones. The horse should push with his hind legs and it is these that you will feel. He has a three dimensional movement, up and down, side to side and back to front. Did you know that he takes about 100 steps per minute? This is a lot of movement to absorb so you need free ankles, knees, hips and lower back. Try to imagine you are a centaur - half man and half horse. You will then feel each of his hind legs as they step underneath you and if you are riding in harmony then you can even extend and collect the horse's stride with your seat.

Your aim is to develop enough balance and poise that your seat and body can be entirely independent from your hands. You will then be able to ride with that delightful precision and ease that we all aspire to and think how much more pleasant it must be for the horse not to have a knap sack full of tin cans banging around on his back! To reach this standard you need to be aware of where your body is in space, this is called kinesthetic sense. If you are thoughtful when you ride and aware of how you use your body in every day life you can dramatically improve your kinesthetic sense. Try opening doors with your left hand (if your are right handed) or putting your left foot on the first step of the stairs. It can even be quite fun taking up the challenge to fill the dishwasher with your left hand!

So I do hope that the quest for "understanding the art of riding" will start you and your horse on a fascinating journey, which will improve your skill and success. Whether you are a keen competitor and possibly like to jump or someone who prefers to school at home and go for gentle hacks you have a life time of enjoyment and pleasure ahead of you as long as you pay attention to the way you sit on a horse!