In my post last week, we began the discussion of body awareness - having a sense of where you are and what you're doing in your interactions with your horse in your immediate environment. 
I've listed these four quadrants below, and have placed them in the order that I believe they are best learned -- meaning that you're going to have a really hard time finding quiet hands if your butt is bouncing all over the place... and as such, you will be most successful to focus on these areas individually (as much as one is able) in this order, at least to start. 
1) Seat (pelvis) and Thigh
2) Spine
3) Lower Leg and Feet
4) Shoulders, Elbows and Hands

We covered the first two - Seat and Spine last week, now we'll move on to your elements of communication: Lower Legs and Arms.

Lower Leg/ Feet: It may be a surprise to some, but the main (and sometimes only) function of this part of your body is for communication. We must use the stirrups (and our alignment over them) for balance only when riding in half seat or two-point, when our seat is not making contact with the saddle; the rest of the time, our seat and thigh are dedicated to balance us, SUCH THAT our lower legs can move and communicate with the horse. Your lower leg should be "anchored" -- the ball of your foot weighted, but not pushed or forced onto the stirrup, and the heel should be allowed to 'sink' lower than the toe (depending on the length of your stirrup/ the type of riding you're doing). you should feel that your calves rest gently on the horses' sides, in a neutral state. If you aren't able to lower your heels without pulling your legs off the horse, then your stirrups are likely too long, and your leg will be nearly ineffective for communication AND support together. 

How to develop awareness:  In the same exercise we used in developing the seat, close your knees on the horse - what happens to your ability to adjust your leg position to, say, yield the hindquarter? Similarly, pick up a trot or lope and practice a half-seat/standing in your stirrups (some of you may need to shorten your stirrups a hole or two for this exercise). From this position, If you're properly aligned, you should be able to steer with 'some' accuracy, AND ride without holding on -- notice certain qualities in how your lower leg must operate for that to happen: your knee must be mobile, opening and closing to absorb the horses' movement, AND your lower leg must be anchored and aligned under your hip, resting close to the horse without gripping. If you adjust any of these details, standing and riding at the same time are nearly impossible. 

Shoulders, Arms and Hands: And finally, we've arrived at the last piece to this "feel" puzzle. There are many things to pay attention to here; first off, notice I didn't just title this "hands?" Well, contrary to what we interpret from most trainers, soft hands are not what the horse needs -- soft ARMS are. The horse can feel every little bit of tension and vibration from your shoulder blades down to the tips of your fingers; you could have the softest hands in the world, but if your shoulders are tight and restrictive, your horse will tell you -- try it: ask your horse to be on the bit (in as much as you might be working on that - a short-ish connected rein is sufficient), and feel your shoulders and upper arms tense. what does your horse do? Does he stop? Toss his head? Chances are, he just did something different to say, "hey, what gives?" 

How to develop awareness: For this exercise, work a simple circle, figure 8 or serpentine - anything where you are using your rein aids to change shape/direction with the horse in fluid motion. This is where I wax poetically about "show hands" versus "training hands" - my students know this one well, and it's probably best saved for another article. Suffice to say, your elbows and shoulders NEED TO MOVE! if only subtly, they must have mobility for you to cue your horse effectively.  So - utilizing this information, work your pattern WITHOUT changing the length of your reins. Notice the feel of your arms moving, the opening of one elbow, and the closing of another as you arc into the turn; notice what you feel at the end of your reins - is your horse in contact with you? Is his mouth quiet, and steady with a soft jaw? Does it feel as though your arms move in the exact timing of your horses' head and neck? Then you're well on your way, my friend!  ​

I hope these posts are helping you understand what the heck you're doing up there. I'd love to answer questions if you have any -- comment here, or send me an email. I can't wait to hear from you!
Happy rides,
​Erin

A major component to riding well, comfortably, and with a useful seat begins with FEEL. But to gain feel, you must first have body awareness - a sense of your body's activity, and orientation (if you will) to the the world around it and the situation at hand. This is the subject matter when your trainer says, "why did you do that?", or, "did you feel that?"


If you did not "feel that," then you probably need to work on your body awareness. 

While you use your whole body to ride effectively (and just stay on the horse, for goodness' sake), I've decided to break out this concept of awareness to 4 key areas; while each of these areas have multiple functions (ie, communication, balance, etc), each area has a primary 'job' that, when working well, makes the whole of riding more effective and with less effort. And we all like not having to work so hard, right? Right. 

So the four quadrants are as follows. I have placed them in the order that I believe they are best learned -- meaning that you're going to have a really hard time finding quiet hands if your butt is bouncing all over the place... and as such, you will be most successful to focus on these areas individually (as much as one is able) in this order, at least to start. 
1) Seat (pelvis) and Thigh
2) Spine
3) Lower Leg and Feet
4) Shoulders, Elbows and Hands

You may not find all of these details right off the bat, but the point is to take the time to practice, and notice what you notice. I think you'll really be surprised at the things you find when you open up your awareness. 
​We'll start this with what I believe are the two major components to developing good feel and balanced equitation.

Seat and Thigh: This is your base, your engine room, if you will. This is where the horses movement impacts your body first, and most; it is where rhythm and movement with the horse begins; it is also your primary source of balance on the horse. Your seat and thigh absorb the bulk of the horses energy created by movement - imagine we throw a large rock into a body of water - the water has the biggest ripples at the point of impact, then they dissipate as they get farther away. In just the same way, if you're working this part of your body well, you will sense that the energy created by the horse is greatest in your seat, then dissipates -- up your spine and out through your head, and also down and out through your heels. if you think of this while riding, you might actually have a sense of being more elongated!

How to develop awareness: A particular exercise I often use with my students on the lunge is to simply close your eyes. If you're able, drop your stirrups and allow your attention to go to your pelvis and your legs - notice how your body has a natural swing with the horse, and that it's very similar (at least at walk and trot) to the same way you would walk or jog yourself if you were on the ground (a little bit up and down, a little bit right and left). If you change the motion of your seat to something different that what the horses' movement is offering, what do you notice? Try hyper-tightening your knees and thighs for several strides, then doing the opposite - go totally loose. What changes do you notice in your ability to balance easily, and to move with the horse in each state? What would a "happy medium" look like?

Spine: The spine is the connector -- sounds obvious, but how we allow our spine to carry us can really make or break our ability to be mobile - especially in sudden situations such as a spook. I say 'spine,' to give you the visual of the entire area we're looking at - the neck and head, back/torso, down to the tail. The spine's main function as we're discussing it here, is to keep the upper body aligned (ears over shoulders over hips), and to distribute (and dissipate as discussed above) the horses' energy coming through from the seat. The spine should always be relatively straight - neither hollow (arched), nor too round (slouched).

How to develop awareness: First off, I'm a huge fan of stretching while on the horse - again, on a lunge line or if you are on a steady Eddie, at the walk, drop your reins and stretch both hands straight up, as far as you can reach; hold for several seconds, then take this stretch into a side bend. 
Another great tool for finding the feel of your spine is to (while at the halt or walking) drop your stirrups and bring your legs up to rest over the front of the saddle, putting you in a true chair position. Notice how and where your seat makes contact with the saddle, and how easy it is to stretch your spine tall. Bring your legs back to normal position and attempt to keep your back position. 
Play with changing the position of your back - too arched and too slouched. What do you notice about your movement and your ability to guide the horse? What happens when you hyper-tense your abs? Again, notice changes specific to your ability to balance, move with the horse in rhythm, and maybe even your ability to use your cues effectively. 

That's it for today! I'll post part two next week, working on the more detailed pieces of this puzzle. Thanks for reading and stay tuned! 
Happy rides, 
​Erin