Balance
1. Top-to-bottom
2. Front-to-back
“Cutting the body in half”
Bring belly button close to the spine by “hugging” with abdominals while dropping the shoulder blades down.
By Kate Selby
A
s instructors, we strive to bring out the best in our students so that they can bring out the best in their horses. One essential element to their success is being in balance. Without a balanced rider, a horse cannot perform in a balanced way. Balance—left to right, up and down, front to back, while in correct alignment —is the foundation on which we build fluid strength that enables us to ride well and to deliver clear, concise aids. How do we help our students learn to maintain balance on their own? The following visualizations and exercises can teach a rider to self-check their alignment and balance. The process begins by making sure the rider is sitting quietly and without tension. At a walk—preferably without stirrups—ask the rider to feel the horse’s rhythm and to sense their own breath. Remind the rider not to try to create or mimic the motion for the horse, but to sit quietly and softly. Next, ask them to assess their seat bones. For example, do they feel even on both seat bones, is one lighter, smaller, sharper, or not there at all, what size and shape are they? This is an awareness tool for the rider; there is no need to make corrections.
Step one Ask the rider to create up-down balance using the “cutting the body in half” exercise.
From the belly button up: Stretch the spine up and out through the top of the head, right above the ears, and allow the neck to lengthen. Lift the rib cage gently upward and forward, being careful to lift only from the belly line, and not out of the seat. 12
Summer 2020 | Riding Instructor
From the belly button up, stretch the spine up and out through the top of the head; allow neck to lengthen. Lift the rib cage gently upward and forward. From the belly button down, allow a neutral (perpendicular) pelvis with legs hanging. Release hips to let legs soften. Feel the horse moving freely through lower back, without mimicking the motion.
Note: Many riders, when asked to “sit
up” actually lean slightly, arching their back away from the perpendicular. This loses the neutral spine, and creates tension in the arms, which leads to using the reins as support for the upper body.
From the belly button down: Allow a neutral (perpendicular) pelvis to sit with legs hanging. Release hips to let legs soften. Avoid holding the legs up into the hip joints, or trying to push the legs down. (Don’t work to keep your legs attached to your body — they won’t fall off.) You should be able to feel the horse moving freely through your lower back, without mimicking the motion. Feel for any tension in joints, especially backs of hands, wrists, and forearms. Find the seat bones again, and reassess as above.
Step two Find front-to-back balance by lifting the ribs and extending the frontline of the body.
Practice moving the arm from the elbow softly forward towards the horse’s mouth while keeping the upper body quietly still.
Ask the rider to bring their belly button closer to their spine while dropping the shoulder blades down. This will encourage engagement of the abdominal muscles to support spinal alignment without leaning or gripping. Note: If the rider struggles to hold
themselves up without leaning or pulling out of their seat, ask them to imagine a corset around their middle. Tightening the corset’s “hug” will help engage the abdominals. Allow the rider to practice moving the arm from the elbow and shoulder forward towards the horse’s mouth (not the ears, chest, or front feet), while keeping the upper body quietly still.
Step three When the rider can maintain balance frontto-back and up-and-down over a soft leg, move to the third exercise, focusing on leftright balance. Most horses and riders are one-sided. It is very easy for the rider to be swayed by the horse’s imbalance; for example, a horse that leans left can create a rider that leans left. Using the criss-cross exercise, the rider
