As a rider coach seeing and hearing about poor balance in the saddle is common.
So many horse riders have poor balance. This is evident at the trot and especially the canter. The horse and rider seem to be out of tune with each other. It is not always the horse’s fault. For a horse and rider to be in tune, first the horse must have even and regular paces. Horse riding is a difficult skill to learn.
A lot of racehorses off the track have major problems in this area and need a lot of gentle training to stop them from leaning on the bit or charging through it all the time. Racehorses are taught to balance on the bit so a rider taking on an ex-racer must teach the horse otherwise or this rider will learn to balance back on the reins and the cycle is set up. I teach my ex-racers to work with no contact, first, and then go through a whole process of re-balancing.
My training is slow, repetitive, and consistent. The horse has to understand what he has to do before it is successful. This is only as effective as the rider, though. I am a balanced rider and I teach horse riders HOW TO balance with specialized balance exercises. As a Physiotherapist, I train many people in my practice about balance and muscle control. These exercises are valid for horse riders. How to ride a horse with a balance must be practiced out of the saddle before it can be trained in the saddle.
How To Ride A Horse Balance Exercises
Balance exercises on the floor are easy to learn. Balance exercises on a moving horse can only be successful once you have actually established this skill on the floor.
I believe and have proved over and over the key to balance in the saddle is establishing the lower leg first. Once a rider has this skill they can move on to training the core and aiming for a deep independent skill full seat. This will only happen by training many composites of the horse riding posture and not the final result. When we learn a new skill in any sport we do drills to learn the sport, horse riders seem to miss this and try and sit upright and still straight away.
Many fail and look for a new instructor. It is not your instructor’s knowledge to teach you how to ride a horse, their skill is different but they do recognize that rider is having major problems in this area. How to ride a horse is a phrase goggled 1000s of times. People and horse riders looking for balance exercises realize how important they are. I am a rider coach I love teaching horse riders to ride to their best skill.
If you have the passion to learn I have the passion to teach you
Start with my Applied Posture Riding Membership Program.
I promise your riding will change once you learn about yourself and about the horse riding posture and movement patterns to train it.
If you have any questions about my program your riding or the braces I recommend for riders then use the contact page and send me a note. I am able to respond to most emails quickly. Please be respectful I cannot give medical advice without a full consultation.
Enjoy your riding and good luck. Remember to look at yourself before you blame your horse
How to ride a horse is my specialty.
Follow me on Applied Posture Riding Facebook page and fill in the subscribe form as well to stay in touch.