| While some riders have an internal sense of balance | | | | decrease in tone easily in response to the size of |
| on their horse and seem to move in harmony no | | | | movement of your horse or your needs to influence |
| matter what happens, other riders can ride for years | | | | your horses motion for collected movements. |
| without ever really moving in unity with the motion | | | | 3. Differentiated Movement of the Hips Joints and |
| of their horse. Good riders find the way to follow the | | | | Legs: This is a fancy way to say your seat will be |
| horse's movement much in the same way a baby | | | | independent of your legs. When you tighten your |
| learns to walk, through experimentation with their | | | | inner thighs or move your legs every time your turn |
| environment. While for most babies adapting to the | | | | or move your torso you don't have an independent |
| environment and learning to walk is relatively easy, | | | | seat. When you can move your torso without it |
| for most riders it is not--a rider needs to overcome | | | | affecting your leg position or tension, and you can |
| natural instincts to tense up on the unstable surface | | | | use your legs without it tightening your seat, you |
| of a horse's back and learn to adapt to the horse's | | | | have true independence. |
| movement. | | | | 4. Shoulders that Hang in Balance: When you allow |
| Most riding instruction is based on mechanical | | | | your spine to support your head without neck |
| instructions for riding. Instructors call out: "put your | | | | tension your chest can be free and your shoulders |
| shoulders back", "heels down", "keep your hands still", | | | | can hang down your back without being held. Your |
| "look up" and other invectives that don't really teach | | | | arms and hands can then be free to give light aids |
| the rider to find their natural seat. Directions are also | | | | and not bump the horses mouth. When your shoulder |
| often for a set posture based on an external model | | | | hang in balance you feel as if you could easily juggle, |
| of the ideal, not on the rider's physical attributes. | | | | or hold a fragile egg without breaking it. |
| Riding in a natural way, the way that seemingly | | | | 5. Breath Independent from Movement: Notice a |
| natural riders have found, is based on an organic | | | | relaxed happy child breathing, the belly rises and falls, |
| learning process. The posture and movement fits | | | | all the ribs move easily. When you are balanced |
| each individual's body proportions, natural strength | | | | through your spine your ribs and chest are not being |
| and flexibility, and history. By learning to sense ones | | | | used to hold you upright so your breath can be free |
| own posture and movement patterns and move in a | | | | and easy. Learn to breathe with your diaphragm, |
| fluid, efficient way, every rider can become an | | | | drawing your diaphragm down to bring the air to into |
| elegant rider who moves in unity with the horse. | | | | your lungs and letting it rise as you breathe out. |
| When a rider relies on external models of ideal riding | | | | When you breath with your diaphragm and it freely |
| or tenses up instead of relaxing into the motion, she | | | | goes up and down you can use your core muscles to |
| bounces, holds with her thighs, has stiff hands, and | | | | stabilize your torso and adapt to the movement of |
| upsets the balance of the horse. The more one | | | | your horse. |
| tightens the quicker the horse moves, the rider | | | | 6. Awareness of Your Body's Movement, Balance, |
| braces more or pulls on the reins and rider and horse | | | | and Tension: Many riders don't realize they tighten |
| get into a defensive cycle. The rider ends up never | | | | one hip when posting. Or they are not aware that |
| quite adapting to the horse and the horse has a hard | | | | the right shoulder stays forward even when turning |
| time using his hind end and carrying the rider. | | | | to the right, or maybe the left ankle is stiff when it |
| However, you can discover your innate ability to | | | | needs to be relaxed to absorb the motion of the |
| adapt to your horse's motion and move in unity. You | | | | horse. Building awareness of your own movement |
| can change your tension producing responses to the | | | | patters and balance is key to riding well. |
| horse's motion and ride in a relaxed, balanced | | | | The thing to remember is you are not your habits |
| harmonious posture. Like a child who naturally stands | | | | and at any age your can become for fluid in your |
| supported through her skeleton, muscles soft and | | | | movement and more effective in your riding. Are you |
| relaxed until they are needed to pick up an object, to | | | | ready to become the rider you dream of? You can |
| run and jump, or hold her mommy's hand, you can | | | | follow the motion of your horse without tension, |
| ride in relaxed readiness. When you re-learn to | | | | easily influencing his movement by giving light aids and |
| balance through your skeleton your muscles are no | | | | getting a quick response. Are you tired of your |
| longer used to tense up or hold yourself. When | | | | instructors telling you to sit up, put your heels down, |
| efficiently aligned muscles are not used for posture | | | | keep your hands still, or worse, that you are not |
| but for movement. Any rider can discover this natural | | | | ready for the next level? You can learn to have a |
| way of moving. | | | | following, adhesive seat that will keep your legs and |
| The elements to moving in unity with your horse | | | | hands quiet. Have you jiggled and bounced more than |
| include: | | | | enough times, not able to sit the trot after years of |
| 1. Skeletal Balance: When you can sit on your seat | | | | riding? You can learn to have the core support and |
| bones and your skeleton rises from your pelvis | | | | spinal alignment and suppleness necessary to sit the |
| aligned to support your head easily you will find your | | | | trot. |
| arms and legs feel light. Your breath will come easily | | | | I have developed a unique program to teach riders |
| and your neck will be relaxed. | | | | an organic, individually based, movement and |
| 2. Supple, Well Organized Large Muscles: When the | | | | awareness oriented way to improve their riding. With |
| largest muscles of your body, your core, is organized | | | | a combination of movement education lessons, |
| for balance and movement it can support the motion | | | | strengthening and balancing exercises, and awareness |
| of your body without tension. The muscles of your | | | | building lessons you too can achieve the ride of your |
| tummy, low back, and pelvic floor can increase or | | | | dreams! |