The Center of My Universe Dorothy Crosby

The Center of My Universe Dorothy Crosby- Stoddard, NH

Irecently taught an Open Centered Riding Clinic where we went over Sally Swift’s 4 Basics…the group wanted to focus on Centering because the challenge for so many riders involves balancing and staying “with the horse” so that smooth, non-jolting riding can occur. Many riders find themselves being jostled, especially during transitions or unexpected changes in movement. Sally Swift called it centering, but one could consider that shorthand for center of gravity, center of balance, center of communication, center of your pelvis, …of stability, …of lightness… Along with the other 3 Basics: Soft Eyes, Breathing, and Building Blocks, centering is an important piece of balanced, soft, and effective riding that is gentle on both the rider and the horse. Together the Basics culminate in a solid, secure, balanced feeling that Sally Swift called Grounding.

There are many exercises, both mounted and unmounted, that contribute to us finding our center and learning to use it. One’s Center can move and be controlled by the rider; unlike your appendix, it cannot be surgically removed, but it is very real. It is affected by emotions, tension or tightness, movement, and other environmental or anatomical situations. It sits at the bottom and middle - or center - of your pelvis, directly in front of your spine. Think of it as a ball of energy, or something moveable like sand or water (one little boy asked if he could use a bowl of M & M’s!), that sits at the bottom of your pelvis, and helps direct your movement and intent. If you are truly sitting on the middle of your seatbones, you are in the best position to be balanced over your feet and under your shoulders, the ultimate position for Building Blocks. Every directive on the part of the rider emanates from their Center, and every movement of the horse affects and emanates from theirs.

Here’s one way to find it and then use it:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your knees relaxed. Place your thumb over your belly button with your hand open and below it and the palm of your hand resting on your abdomen. Place your other hand behind your back, directly behind the first hand. Close your eyes and become aware of the space between your hands; get a sensation of the energy or presence that is there. Try an experiment with changing yourself: see how deep breathing vs. shallow breathing, tension in your shoulders or legs, or curling your toes affects it. Notice how the heaviness or lightness of that spot or its actual relocation occurs.

Next, try walking with an awareness of that spot; perhaps keep your hands placed there as a reminder of where your focus should be. See if you can take your first steps initiating the movement from that Center; instead of leaning forward with your shoulders or stepping way in front with your feet either pulling or propelling, experience how your whole body moves in a flow starting from your center. Then, shift direction, or halt a few times, directing or stopping your center; check how it impacts this. Repeat and alternate until you can do this with less effort on your part and it feels lighter and more natural.

In our culture, we tend to not prioritize this, but movement from our center first is balanced, good for our posture, and creates calm, confidence, and smooth movement in humans even when not on a horse!

We want to ride our horses back to front and they must engage their hindquarters to do so. Horses could be said to have two centers: one is in their forehand, between their shoulders, which is why they stand in balance with 60% of their weight on their front legs; the other would be when they adjust their balance, so it lies underneath their rider, shifting more weight onto their hindquarters and requiring them to engage their hind legs. Fall 2022

1. Lead your horse in-hand, beginning to walk while initiating from your center. If he hesitates, don’t pull on him; wait a second, take a deep breath and try again. Repeat to establish success.

Then halt a few times. You might be pleasantly surprised at how your horse begins to follow your lead as you initiate from that center. 2. Transfer this to under saddle. Initiate a walk – it’s ok to use leg aids, the lightest you can, but generate starting the movement from your center first. Repeat. Success? Attempt a few walk/halt transitions. generating the starting or stopping of movement from your center.

These exercises will help you along the road to lightness balance, and communication. Happy experimenting, and may you find your Center both on and off a horse!

Owner of Equi-librium and based in

Stoddard NH, Dorothy Crosby is certified as both a Level III Centered Riding®

Clinician/Instructor and CHA English and Western Instructor, Director of the

Riding Program and Barn Manager at Southmowing Stables in Guilford VT, she loves working with riders and horses of all ages and abilities. Recently certified with Conformation Balancing, a program for fascia release in horses, Dorothy loves the softening and changes in the horses. Dorothy offers clinics, lessons, workshops, and fascia-release bodywork sessions both on and off the farm.