In the last issue we discussed how we might begin to develop an Integrative Mind, to develop what I like to call an Intuitive Rapport with our horses. In this issue I hope to touch on some thoughts and exercises from my program that might enable us to become Integrated Riders. Please remember what I write is a gross simplification of what I teach, there are many more pieces to the puzzle that go along with this process. What I discuss in this issue may be old or new to you depending on your experience.

Integrated Riding: Being able to maintain body control in the saddle or on the ground and carrying over that intent or thought to an aid such as your leg, seat, hand etc. while not interfering with the movement and performance of your horse. Being functional and efficient, limiting any interference with your horse’s natural ability.

For those of us who began our riding careers as Jr. Riders we spent the majority of our time in lessons working on equitation to improve our visible form on a horse. If you began your riding career like this I imagine you remember it as a somewhat painful experience – I sure do! Many of us spent countless hours without our stirrups, building the muscles and developing body control that creates the seamless look of polished performance in the show ring. There is no replacement for the hours spent in the saddle hard at work and the years those of us that had as Jr. riders left us with strong bodies, and minds but often a multitude of injuries to our bodies. Since the majority of my clients are not Jr. Riders, nor do they wish for their entire lesson to be spent without stirrups forcing their bodies into positions that cause them pain. To meet my client’s needs I was propelled into discovering some less stressful ways to promote a functional form of rider. I hope that some of these will be useful to you,

Head and Shoulders: Relaxation is key to our riding and necessary to the performance of our horse regardless of what level you ride or at what stage of training your horse is in. I often say to clients that the “more" there is of you; the more of your body there is to communicate with the horse, what I mean by this is longer legs, and more relaxation. Relaxation is created by not only the emotional component but the physical factors as well. How often do you hold your breath when you ride would be a good place to start or even how easy it is to breath when you ride. As beginning riders we are continually being reminded to look up where we are going, this actually serves two purposes. Not only the slight shift in you're body that occurs when looking where you're going, but from my standpoint the ease of breathing. If you were to tilt your chin down and take a deep breath it may feel labored, your shoulders roll forward, and you cannot maintain balance in your seat, or hands. The head balances atop your neck on a joint called the Occipital Joint, an easy way to find this joint would be right behind your ear about half an inch down. I prefer to imagine my throat being aligned with my spine; this allows the pathways to open up for more air, and you no longer have to think of “looking up”.

Another common term we hear often is “sit up" we are often taught to sit up by pulling our shoulders back, which is not wrong but can be painful after an hour of forcing your body into a certain position. If you're forcing your body, it's not serving your horse’s performance in any way. Try if you will placing a hand under each seat bone while sitting in a chair or in the saddle. Now imagine aligning your throat with your spine. You should feel both seat bones sink deeper into the saddle and notice that your shoulders have naturally relaxed and rolled back.

The Seat: Often to you may hear instructors telling students to “sit deeper", “relax your back", or “go with the movement", in their efforts to assist the individual to adhere to the saddle and move with the horse. For the beginner rider, such statements are about as clear as mud.
The most common mistake made that impedes movement is the rider pushing with the seat. You will often see riders on a slower moving horse, attempting to urge the horse forward by pushing their pelvis forward and back. On nearly every horse this has an adverse affect it obstructs the forward motion. The horse's back works in two halves, rising and falling as the hind legs step under, and pull the horses body forward. If we remind ourselves that our horses back works in two halves it can become easier to follow its motion without driving with our seats.
By pushing both seat bones forward and back together, the rider depresses one side of the horse's back as it rises and impedes the travel forward of the hind leg on that side. If the rider is to sit easily in the saddle, as if softly glued to it, then the only way that this can happen is if the rider is totally synchronizing their own lower back and pelvis to mirror the undulations of the horse's back. Sitting on a stool, flex your back in while maintaining the throat/spine alignment, so that you emphasize the natural slight hollow in your lower back. Take notice to how your pelvis rocks forwards onto the front edge of your seat bones, which are shaped like the rockers of a rocking chair. Make sure that your upper body stays still, and that it is not also rocking back and forth, it is just the pelvis that should move. Now, return the pelvis to upright, so that the back is flattened again, taking care not to go past the point where it is just flat, and not rounded out the other way, so that the ribcage is collapsed. Practice this a few times, flexing the back in, then flattening, feeling your seat bones acting as a pivot point on the stool.

Heels and Lower Leg: Heels down is a term that rings across the arena in the stages of beginner riders careers as well. The tendons almost need to go through a period of stretching to achieve the heels down position effortlessly. This process should not be painful, and again if we carry resistance or stiffness in our bodies it will carry over to the horse and cause you more discomfort. With the stirrups across the balls of your foot imagine rather. Using flexion into the stirrup will allow your leg to become longer along the sides of your horses body and hopefully less lower leg cramping.

Hands and Wrists: One of the fundamentals of a soft and light horse is not only control of their feet, but softness in their body, which starts in the neck and jaw. There are many wonderful exercises in horsemanship to help you develop a soft and light horse. However if you don't learn to carry some lightness and softness in your own body you may never achieve as much as you could. Hands are a factor that can be improved in nearly all riders, soft; following hands are a gift to any horse. I have noticed that several people who tend to have soreness in their lower back; also tend to carry a great deal of tension in their wrists and hands. Reins are not meant to be gripped. For a moment “grip” your reins and move you hands back and forth, your movement is not smooth. Now imagine the muscles that make up your palms softly holding the reins and repeat the same exercise and feel the difference. If there is freedom of movement in the wrists your grasp on the reins will be softer, which in turn allows you to provide a release for your horse that will be much smoother, you will also find that your horses mouth will mirror your softer grip.
The next time you ride, take notice of what you do with your body when you pull on the reins. The majority of us when we take a feel of our horse’s mouth to stop, half halt or bend have a tendency to take a breath in. As small of a matter as it may seem, try exhaling the next time you use your reins as an aid. As you exhale, your body is going to relax a little, and whether your asking for your horse to bend and soften or halt the relaxation in your body will assist your horse.

In closing as I stated previously, there is absolutely no replacement for the hours in the saddle spent working on your own effectiveness, however it is my wish that you might spend those hours in greater comfort. I feel that my horses are appreciative of these small but helpful hints and by focusing on them daily I have been able to become a more responsive rider with a quicker release, softer more effective aids and a calmer mind. Each time I sit in the saddle I attempt to integrate myself, ride with both the physical aids using these techniques and the intuitive rapport that is a constant ongoing project of mine. Even though there is still snow on the ground, the days are bit-by-bit becoming longer and before we know it we will be back in the saddle as often as we wish.