Strides for Success

Author: Lorna Leeson

  • Back to Riding? Improve Your Seat, Hands & Balance on Day 1

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    So you desperately want to get back in the saddle on the regular again. And you definitely feel excited. But you’re also feeling more than a little overwhelmed! The big looming question is “What do I do on that first ride?!” Stop panicking because today, I will guide you through exactly what to do on that first ride… Step by step with your horse. Remember, whether it’s been months or years, your body and mind need time to adjust.

    For your first few rides back, I want you to focus on increasing your awareness, rather than questioning if you’re ‘doing it right. Awareness over perfection! 

    Today, as we ride together, you will make some small but mighty shifts in how you sit, move, and connect with your horse. These strategic adjustments will make all the difference in rebuilding your confidence and comfort. And they will also help to keep your mind from wandering too much!

    So, obviously, this can be listened to while you are riding. But you can also listen before you mount up and then use what you learn to make your first or next ride really count in your journey back to regular riding.

    Settling Into the Saddle: Find Your Balance

    Once you are mounted up, and before you start making changes, let’s take a moment to pause. Take a deep breath and simply notice what’s happening in your body. Can you feel an excess tension creeping into specific areas?

        • Seat & Weight Distribution – Do you feel ‘even Steven’ in the saddle, or is one side heavier?
        • Legs – Are your legs resting naturally or gripping? Let them drape softly like curtains
        • Hands & Reins – Are you holding tension in your fingers? Keep your contact elastic, imagine holding a sponge and wanting to keep some water in the sponge!
        • Breathing – Are you breathing deeply, or are you holding your breath? Talking or singing to your horse can really help here…

    “Your first ride back isn’t about fixing—it’s about noticing. So often you will bring old habits back to the saddle with you. This is the perfect opportunity to make lasting changes to those!”

    Moving With Your Horse: Feel the Rhythm

    From here, ask your horse to begin to walk forward. Use these initial first few steps to first of all congratulate yourself for mounting up! And then, begin to scan your body. Your only job right now is to become aware of how you feel. As your horse walks, tune in to their movement. Are you following the motion or blocking it? Are you syncing or sinking the whole ship?!

        • Your Seat and Lower Back – Is your seat moving freely with your horse, or are you stiff and blocking the movement? Let your horse move your hips and seat. Think of a bicycle peddling backward.
        • Upper Body & Chest– Are you collapsing through your upper body? Or are you focusing on the feeling of ‘standing’ rather than ‘sitting’ through your upper body while in the saddle?
        • Shoulders & Arms Are your shoulders creeping up towards your ears?! Are your elbows sticking out in front of you (like a sleepwalker!)?  Do you have enough (or too much) bend in your elbows?
        • Balance & Symmetry – Are you centered, or are you more to one side or the other? How does the weight feel in your stirrups? And your knees; are they symmetrical? How about your hands…?

    “Your body is constantly giving signals to your horse—make sure they’re the right ones. Too much or too little tension in your body can have a massive impact on your horses way of going”

    The goal is to move with your horse, not against him. It’s like dancing. You want your horse to ‘lead’ you at this point in your riding. Don’t shove, or resist. Just relax, find neutral, and allow your body to be led. When you do, your horse will feel more relaxed and willing. It will feel like the energy is flowing. Rather than riding with the handbrake on!

    Small Adjustments for a Big Difference

    Once you’ve become more aware of what you’re doing in the saddle, you can begin to make small adjustments to how you are riding and interacting with your horse. I am going to suggest beginning with evening out tension levels throughout your body, correcting your posture, and aligning your position to where is best for the application of your aids. When you’re in the right place, it makes ‘talking’ to your horse so much easier!

        • Head, Shoulder, Hip, Heel Line – If I could magically click my fingers causing your horse to disappear, would you land on your feet? Or would you end up on your face or your bum?! This line is IMPORTANT!
        • Elbow, Wrist, Thumb, Rein, Bit Line – Have you got a lovely straight line from your elbow to your horse’s mouth? Or do you have a V or a lightning bolt going on?! Your hand, wrist, and lower arm are extensions of the rein – no bends or angles, please!
        • Symmetry & Weight Distribution – Are you sitting on your seat bones? And are each of your seat bones an equal distance from the middle of the saddle? Adjust your seat bones so that they point directly below you (click your fingers rule), and that there is an equal amount of your body on both sides of the saddle. If you do feel off-center, try shifting your weight slightly to rebalance yourself

    “The smallest adjustments often create the biggest improvements. And by starting off with making sure the basics are right, you are creating a strong foundation to build from in future rides…”

    Awareness of Your Horse & Your Habits

    As you make these changes, check in with your horse. Is he responding differently? How about relaxation; how are the tension levels in his body? And responsiveness? When you’re in the right place, he has a much better chance of understanding what you’re trying to say.

    The more aware you become, the more effective your riding will be. And the stronger your basics are, the more quickly and effectively you can build your skills as a rider. 

    It is always worth remembering that a lot of the ‘bad habits’ we cultivate as riders are actually symptoms of something else going on. Try to focus on ‘tweaking’ the cause, rather than drive yourself mad trying to treat the symptom! It won’t go away completely until you address the cause!

    Cooling Down & Reflection

    As you finish your ride, take a moment to reflect. Ask yourself:

        • What did I notice about my position and balance?
        • Where did I feel excessive tension?
        • How well did I carry myself – especially my hands and my upper body?
        • Where did I feel the most connected to my horse through our movements together?
        • What small changes made the biggest difference?
        • Are there any habits from before that have followed me back into the saddle again?

    “Every ride is a chance to learn something new about yourself and your horse… It’s your level of self awareness that allows you to make each ride an opportunity to improve”

    And, if you’re feeling up to it, you can try all of this again, but at the trot. I’m going to suggest listening to this episode again and applying the same awareness to your rising trot. Think of the basics, position, posture, weight distribution, and your ‘lines’.

    What’s Next? Choose Your Focus…

    Okay, so the first ride is done and dusted. However, now you need to build a little momentum. Choose one of the three following suggestions to work on for your next ride so that you can keep improving and truly make the most of this opportunity to be back in the saddle again.

        1. Learn to Begin Controlling Your Seat – Neutral, Go, and Whoa are all real ways you can influence your horse using your seat. I have an episode on this topic HERE
        2. Applying the Click Your Fingers Rule – Those lines are really important for both keeping you in the saddle and also how well your horse can listen to and understand your aids. I have got an episode on this HERE
        3. Developing Your Riding Fitness – Maybe you felt that you lacked the suppleness to move with your horse… If so, I strongly suggest diving into walking and yoga-based free 21-day Equestrian Fitness Challenge HERE

    Finally, I would love to hear from you… Which one of the above exercises felt the most impactful for you in your ride today? Pop over to the Daily Strides Podcast Online Community on Facebook and let me know! I’d love to hear about your experience.

    “Progress isn’t about doing everything at once – it’s about improving one small thing at a time.”

    And if you’re looking for more ways to make the most of your time with your horse, grab my free 80+ Ideas to Do with Your Horse in 15 Minutes or Less by CLICKING HERE

    Everything is neatly divided into categories for you to choose from depending on your vision, intention, or focus for your riding.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    More Episodes on This Topic

    Online Training to Help Your Riding

    Connect with Lorna online:-

  • Getting Back in the Saddle; Can Things Be Even BETTER Than Before?

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    Nostalgia is a funny thing. It often causes us to look back at or reminisce about past experiences with rose-tinted glasses. And your horse riding journey is no different. Especially when you’re thinking about getting back in the saddle after a significant breakaway.

    When you remember all of the adventures you’ve already had when it comes to horses and riding, it can sometimes leave you questioning if there’s any way it could ever hope to be like that again… 

    And that doubt over how good getting back in the saddle could be is one of the big reasons riders never take the next action. They don’t go out and tack up. Or they stop exploring riding clubs, or schools that are nearby. And that is such a shame…

    While you’re paused because you’re worrying if a new riding experience could possibly measure up to ‘what was’ for you before; you’re missing out on the very real possibility that things could actually be even better. 

    Today I want to explore how this is a very real (and even more probable) out come for you if you finally take the plunge and take action on getting back in the saddle after a break.

    A Deeper Appreciation

    We’re told that ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder. I find this is almost always true when it comes to riding. However, I have also seen and personally experienced how often it’s only when we actually make the move, and take the action, that we feel this way.  It’s not until we move from thinking about getting back in the saddle to actually riding that we tend to really understand and appreciate what we were really missing all of that time.

    And when that realisation of ‘missing out’ is coupled with a more life-experienced you, this will almost always lead to a deeper appreciation for not only your horse but also for yourself as a rider.

    I’ve seen over and over how dedicated returning riders are to both their riding and the time allocated for riding. There is an increased focus, a clearer intention, and an increased curiosity about what they’re doing and how. They really see their riding time as special. They realize how privileged they are to actually get to have a conversation with and develop a partnership with a horse. It’s magic!

    A Keen Curiosity

    This brings me to the second reason your getting back into the saddle might just surpass all of your past experiences with riding; you are curious to find out more about it. So often, when we learn to ride initially, we tend to rush through the early lessons. We are so keen to do everything that we skip as fast as possible through the basics to get to the ‘exciting’ stuff. Coming back to riding often has the opposite effect on us.

    We want to know ‘why’ things work that way. Is there a different or better way to do things. What would happen if we applied our aids in a different way or situation. And just how to use the basics for better overall development…

    This curiosity is what really guides us to become more skilled in the saddle because we begin understanding ‘why’. It is really the catalyst to going from ‘medicore’ to great as a horse person. And even if our body is not what it was originally when we rode, by staying curious, we learn how to work with what we have now. And often this can develop our skills past all of our previous expectations.

    A Fresh Start

    Unfortunately, many riders leave riding initially because they just are not enjoying it or having fun. When you begin to think about getting back in the saddle, you can start rewriting your expectations and your story about being a rider. If confidence became an issue for you originally, you can come back to ‘riding’ with a strong focus on groundwork and partnership. Over time, that will lead to confident riding again – if that’s what you want.

    A fresh start also allows you to let go of old stories that held you back… Maybe about time or resources. Or even about your abilities as a rider; what you can or cannot do.

    Getting back in the saddle let’s you start a new story – one that better aligns with you as you are right now. 

    And if the ‘old you’ had certain habits that you would have been better without, the break from riding and then coming back to it is the perfect time to rid yourself of them. Your body and your mind will be much more malleable now to doing things differently. Take full advantage of this and make any changes that you wanted to make back then but struggled with.

    A Stronger Connection

    Finally, as you return to riding after your break, I can almost guarantee that you will begin to create a stronger connection and partnership with your horse. There is something that happens to most of us with the passage of time. A greater appreciation for each individual we meet along our path. And this applies to our animals and horses as well.

    Getting back into the saddle after a longer break often opens riders up to just how much their connection to their horse is energy based. They tend to allow themselves to be more intuitively guided when it comes to their interactions with their horse. 

    Less emphasis is put on ‘doing things right’ and more is placed on ‘doing this together’. This will always lead to a greater respect; for the rider for their horse, and the horse for their rider. This connection is often what will get you through any speed wobbles when it comes to questioning if getting back in the saddle was the right decision.

    Over all, getting back in the saddle often becomes less about riding – and more about developing a deep trusting bond with your horse… Which is magic in itself. 

    Getting Back in the Saddle

    So, I’m hoping that if you’ve been on the fence about getting back in the saddle, I’ve helped to steer you closer to the ‘yes, I’m ready’ camp! Which is to actually do something. Take the next action! Let’s be honest, there are lots of actions you can take to get the ball rolling…

    However, I’m going to give you 3 specific things to choose from today:-

        1. Prepare Your Equipment & Space:- Start small and use your efforts here to inspire you to do more… I’ve got a free resource you can use that gives you a list of things you can do around the yard (or with your horse) when you find yourself with 15 minutes or less https://stridesforsuccess.com/15
        2. Groundwork Session with Your Horse:- Spend time reconnecting with your horse on the ground. This helps rebuild trust, establish communication, and get a feel for each other’s energy before riding. The Connection Partnership Program is a great way to add some structure to your time – while improving your aids for when you are back in the saddle again. Find out more at https://stridesforsuccess.com/cpp
        3. Lunging Session with Your Horse:- You can take things a step further by getting into the arena and working on 12 minutes of intentional lunging. I have a training to get you started, including audio horse riding lessons to follow for the first 3 lunging sessions together. You can get that for free at https://stridesforsuccess.com/3days

    Choose one of the above actions today, and commit to getting started in the coming 7 days. Then pop over to the Daily Strides Podcast Facebook Community and let me know what you’re planning on doing to kick start your journey back to regular riding again :)

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    More on This Topic:-

    Online Training to Help Your Riding

    Connect with Lorna online:-

  • Getting Back in the Saddle: Overcoming Mental Blocks & Old Identities

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    Riders stop riding for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes, it’s a conscious choice; an injury, a change in circumstances, or a loss of confidence for example. Other times, life simply gets in the way. But whatever the reason, it doesn’t have to define your riding journey going forward.

    You’re maybe like many other riders, the reason that you’ve stopped was just a season of life—a temporary chapter, not the whole story. And yet, it’s easy to take that reason and make it mean something about who you are. You, intentionally or not, weave it into your entire identity, convincing yourself that you’re no longer a “real rider.”

    But here’s the truth: “The reason you stopped riding is just that—a reason, not a definition. It’s a chapter that’s now ending – not the whole story! 

    Getting back in the saddle can feel uncomfortable, even when you want it more than anything. And I’m not just talking about physical discomfort. Often the mental challenges are even more real. This can be because your mind has grown used to its old story. The one where riding is no longer a part of your life. But that story isn’t set in stone. You can rewrite it—starting today…

    Is The Reason Still Valid?

    Start with assessing if your reason for stopping riding is still something that impacts and affects your situation now. If it’s an injury, it might still do that. Or if the reason you stopped riding was to do with confidence, again, this might still be a factor that needs to be considered when thinking about coming back to riding.

    For many riders, the reason they stopped riding will not be an influential presence in their life now that they are considering returning to riding. Their situation or circumstances will have changed. 

    Suppose you are going to make riding a regular occurrence in your life again. In that case, I think that identifying the reason and then assessing if that reason is still valid are important factors to consider. This will allow you to create realistic plans for your riding going forward. And help you to avoid hitting the same roadblocks that put an end to regular riding in the past.

    Back in the Saddle; How Will You Feel?

    Start with thinking about your own energy and how your body feels when it comes to riding again. I’m going to suggest finding somewhere quiet to do this work. Where you know you won’t be interrupted and you can really become present with what’s going on in your physical body. First, just take a moment to settle in and become comfortable. From here, notice areas where you might be holding onto some tension. Intentionally release it and let it go.

    When we use energy to begin re-connecting with riding and our horse again, it’s important to figure out what energy we are bringing to the conversation to begin with.

    From this ‘neutral’ place, think about riding again. Maybe imagine your first ride, or if there is something specific you want to work towards, think about that. As you develop the thought, let your awareness come back to your body – what changes can you feel?  There are no ‘rights’ or ‘wrongs’ in this process; just you being aware of your body and any potential patterns for tension that are being held there.

    I would suggest practicing this a few times alone, without your horse initially. Notice how those thoughts feel in your body. What you find out about yourself here can be really useful when you actually work with your horse. 

    Taking This To Your Horse

    From here, set a date for this coming week to go to your horse. Obviously, if you don’t have your own horse, this may require asking someone you know and trust if you can work with their reliable, safe, and trustworthy horse. Or you may have to make an appointment at a reputable riding school. The key is to get a date and time for the coming 7 days in the books!

    Take a few minutes BEFORE you approach your horse doing some internal, personal work. Get present with your physical body. And then set an intention for the interaction as well. 

    Your intention can be as simple as ‘spend 5 minutes together just being in each other’s presence without anxiety or excess tension’. Or it could be ‘spend 15 minutes doing some fun and simple groundwork exercises together’. Getting back into the saddle after a break does not have to start and end with riding. There are lot’s of other ways to work with and connect with your horse. And if your intention is to do something specific, have the exercises planned out in advance!

    Your intention for the interaction or session with your horse will help to anchor you. Returning to it regularly during your time with your horse will help you to stay on track and move towards your bigger vision for your riding journey from this point.

    Creating Connection With Your Horse

    When you feel like you have a teammate or that you’re part of something bigger than you, it helps to keep you accountable. Being intentional about creating a solid connection with your horse is a key way you can do this for both of you; especially if you’re working alone without a regular instructor, trainer, or coach.

    By deepening your connection with your horse through energy work, you will be more likely to show up for both of you; even on days when it feels challenging to do so.

    And if you’re getting back in the saddle after a break, those days will definitely happen! Work on basic ‘syncing’ exercises together both in a smaller space such as a stable. And then in bigger areas like an arena, paddock, or round pen. Your horse wants to connect with you, it’s just up to you to be open to both feel and respond to their invitations. And keep in mind your horse is probably far more subtle than you are when communicating!

    Building The Energy Connection

    From here, you can begin to expand your intention for each interaction with your horse to suit your goals or vision for your riding going forward. Especially useful if you are getting back in the saddle after a break. Maybe it will be to mount up and walk for 15 minutes. Or to work on the lunge together in a responsive and rhythmic way for 15 minutes.

    The key is to use the initial connections to really begin rewiring the old identity that you’ve built for yourself around riding and being a ‘rider’. Begin creating a new story for your mind to believe about you as an equestrian

    This new identity will allow you to accept that, yes, you did take time away from riding for a specific period of your life. But that was then and this is now. You are now moving towards building something new with your horse. Together. A team that is there to support each other and help each other be accountable.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    The Energy Connection Webinar

    If you want to go deeper with this for you and your horse, register for my upcoming free live training on how you can use your presence and energy to move both you and your horse from tension to trust.

    This is a great, practical training you can use to help you get back in the saddle after a break. I will give you 3 specific exercises you can use the next time you’re with your horse to connect with him or her on a deeper level.

    You can find all of the details about The Energy Connection Webinar HERE at https://stridesforsuccess.com/energy 

    More on This Topic:-

    Online Training to Help Your Riding

    Connect with Lorna online:-

  • Enjoyment v’s Perfection; Release the Pressure!

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    Have you been allowing your goal of ‘doing things right’ to suck the joy and fun out of horse riding for you? Maybe you’ve been wanting to get back into riding after a long break, but you stop yourself because things are not 100% perfect. There’s a time and a place for perfection. Every single moment that you’re interacting with your horse is NOT that time!

    Today, I want to encourage you to let go of perfection. Release the pressure you’re putting on yourself and your horse for everything to be amazing. And just be present and enjoy the moment – warts and all! 

    Have you ever watched children playing and noticed how much pure fun they usually have? They are not worried about ‘playing the correct way’ or ‘doing it the right way’. They are simply there, at the moment, enjoying it as it all unfolds before them.

    Here’s how to begin approaching your riding and interactions with your horse the same way…

    Perfection Leaves Little Room for Fun!

    Years ago, I worked at a yard exercising horses. One of those horses was, in my opinion, really special. I absolutely adored working with him and riding him. After about a year, that same horse came up for sale. I was delighted and immediately made a plan and bought him. And then everything changed…

    Within a week I was falling off more than staying on! Things that were simple before felt impossible. Until I gave up! I admitted defeat, made the decision to sell him, and just stopped trying. And like magic – things were amazing again!

    You can work on improving yourself – AND have fun while doing it. So can your horse. If frustration, disappointment, or even avoidance make up a big part of your riding – you need to learn to release perfection. 

    Back then, I had been trying too hard with my new horse. I had placed so much emphasis on making everything perfect and right, that it was actually ruining everything!  Now, I’m not telling you this to say ‘give up’, but to show you how perfection can really and truly ruin so much in your riding.

    The Rider You ‘Used to Be’

    Another way this shows up for many riders who have been at this for a while is comparisonitis. These riders are comparing their current self with the version of themselves that used to ride 20 or 30 years ago. You’re not that person now. And this applies even if ‘that person’ was you only 3 months ago.

    You have to understand that the level of progress you make now is what’s possible for the rider you are now. Does this mean you must accept this as the be-all end-all going forward? No – you can definitely improve. But that will take a strategic approach, consistency, and time.

    You can only be as good as you are right now. This version of you. And if you want to be better, pinpoint things you can do to begin improving – and remember to give this version of you, right now, grace in the moment. 

    What Do You Enjoy?

    So there’s the comparison between past you and present you. And then there’s the trap of comparing yourself to others. Usually strangers. Who are willing to post their ‘highlights’ on social media for the world to see. Watching other riders, if you do it long enough, will almost always leave you feeling ‘less than’. Trying to reach that perceived standard of ‘perfection’.

    Keep in mind that every rider has their own journey. And it’s all of your experiences in life that makes up your riding style (not just equestrian experiences). This goes for other riders as well. So there is no way to compare. 

    So rather than trying to squeeze yourself into a style (think of it like an outfit) that belongs to someone else, find your own. What do you enjoy? Yes, you can try on different things that you see others doing or using. And if you like them, you will then blend that specific element into the rest of your style. The key here is to enjoy it all. Like what YOU do and are.

    And rather than it all being ‘perfect’, start looking for little things that feel good. Small pieces of the ride or interaction that you’re proud of. And focus on repeating those more often when you’re working with your horse

    What Is Success for You?

    Recently I was working with a rider online and I could see that frustration was creeping into her work with her horse. She was definitely aiming for some form of perfection. This was a horse she had recently purchased from someone she knew. After the lesson (our virtual private lesson – more information on that HERE), we got more into the nitty gritty of what was going on.

    It seems that she was trying to ride to ‘be like’ the horse’s previous owner. This owner was more experienced, about 6 inches taller, rode 6/7 days a week, and had a full-time trainer… It was like chalk and cheese! And there was no way that my rider was going to ‘win’ using the points she was comparing herself to! The perfection she was aiming for was just not realistic for her.

    So we worked on figuring out what a great ride would look like for her – at this exact point in her training and riding journey with this exact horse. We bantered around a few different versions until she eventually identified something that she both enjoyed and felt excited about doing. 

    Now, when she rides, she first spends time visualizing what’s possible for her at the place she is right now in her riding. And she works towards that in her ride. I can see both she and her horse enjoy themselves a lot more with this approach!

    Enjoyment v’s Perfection

    Another way to enjoy more about your riding is to become aware of the marker or measurement you’re using when working with your horse. Unfortunately, as adults, we can train ourselves to judge how ‘good’ something is by how much we achieve by doing the thing. And, in riding, this often revolves around competitions.

    At the beginning I mentioned how children love playing because they love playing. There’s no ‘winning’ or ‘result’. They are simply enjoying the moment. It is absolutely okay to ride because you love riding. 

    Yes, you can work on improving your relationship with your horse, but this should be because you want to develop the bond or partnership more. Not because you think you ‘should’. Or to win some competition (official or in your head).

    If you have been struggling with perfection in your riding, I challenge you to have at least one ‘pressure-free ride’ each week. The goal is simply to enjoy being with your horse and to remain present throughout the session.

    Enjoyment; How Did ‘WE’ Feel Today?

    As you move through this week with your horse, try to notice where you are being a little hard and rigid with yourself or your horse. When you notice excessive tension creeping in; stop what you’re doing. Notice how it feels in your body and then try to work back and find the thought that triggered it.

    Once you’ve discovered this thought (which is probably on repeat a lot in your head), challenge yourself to come up with something different to think…

    “Did I do that as well as Barbara does when she rides?” can become “How did that feel for me?”. Or if you find yourself thinking “Why can’t I do this now – I could do this 7 years ago!”, stop and turn it into “That’s interesting; I wonder how I can approach this differently?”. Or even “Do I have to do this at all?”…

    Spend 30 days prioritizing developing your bond or partnership with your horse over achieving perfection in what you’re doing. You can still work on the thing – but you’re approaching it through a different filter. 

    5 Prompts for Your Riding Journal

    If this is something you find yourself doing over and over again; use any of these 5 prompts and begin working on enjoying your rides and your time more with your horse.

          1. “What unrealistic expectations am I placing on myself as a rider, and how can I adjust them?”
          2. “If I took away all expectations and pressure, what would my ideal ride feel like?”
          3. “What are three ways I can measure success in my riding that don’t involve performance or outcomes?”
          4. “What would a joyful, pressure-free ride look like for me?”
          5. “What fears or worries come up when I think about my riding, and how can I reframe them into something more positive?”

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    More on This Topic:-

    Online Training to Help Your Riding

    Connect with Lorna online:-

  • Has Tension Been Holding You Back in Your Riding?

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    As riders, we can often have a very negative association with tension. Yet, without it, neither you nor your horse would remain upright! Take away the tension and both of you will go limp and become a ‘dead weight’ immediately. So, instead of seeing tension as the enemy – it’s key to begin reshaping your understanding and your ‘practice’ of tension. You must begin managing your tension.

    Tension is absolutely 100% essential for both you and your horse. It’s the presence of too much or excessive tension that causes the issues… 

    Tension management is often called relaxation when it is related to horses and riding. And, just like tension, many riders don’t really understand the concept of relaxation as it pertains to riding and training horses. I don’t want to go too deep into relaxation today (there is a previous post and episode on that HERE).

    What’s important to understand about tension and relaxation is that it’s not just about the horse. This principle is equally as important for the rider to understand and develop throughout their own body. 

    In this episode of the Daily Strides Podcast, I will help you to begin developing more tension management throughout your body by beginning with creating ‘calm’ for both you and your horse. You will do this through your own actions and thoughts while working with your horse.

    What Is Rider Tension?

    As I mentioned, it’s what keeps you upright in the saddle! It is 100% essential in order for you to get on and stay on. It’s when the tension levels get too high that riders begin to see problems show up. This becomes especially obvious in your hands, shoulders, seat, and jaw!

    And when your level of tension becomes excessive, your horse can feel it too… Both physically because you are probably blocking through your body. And also emotionally!

    Many horses, when they feel the rider’s level of tension increase, simply mirror this back to the rider. There are lots of reasons why this is true. What’s important is that you begin to see the correlation between the tension in your body and your horse’s tension.  In horses, excessive tension can show up as anxiety, ‘rushing’, ‘pulling’, ‘bracing’, choppy steps, hollow back, and lack of focus on the job at hand.

    Resetting Your Tension Level

    Imagine the difference you would experience if you could quickly identify excessive tension through your body; and then take active steps that allow it to dissipate quickly and gently. Learning how to do this is essential for all riders.

    And while many riders can lower their tension levels while in the saddle, if this has been ongoing, you’re actually better off practicing managing your tension from the ground

    There’s less to distract you, less risk of things going sideways, and space to keep the focus on you while you reset. I’ve always noticed that one of the worst things to say to someone who is feeling tense, anxious, or over-excited is to ‘calm down’! What I’ve found works best is to gently bring awareness to how it actually feels in the body. Becoming aware of how your physical body actually feels at that point in time…

    Finding Your Neutral…

    I’m going to suggest a slightly different approach to ‘resetting’ your tension levels. Especially if they have a habit of going sky-high at the slightest inkling of something changing! Start on the ground. Close to your horse. If being right beside your horse increases your tension, step back. Go outside of the paddock, stable, or pen.

    Find the place where you really do feel relaxed in your body while standing up. Not tired or slumped. Alert, focused, and ready to interact with your horse – while maintaining the rhythm and flow of your movements and breath. 

    Then just take a moment or 5 and notice how this feels in your body. Are your shoulders still ‘high’ and tense? If so, intentionally drop them down. How about your jaw? I personally find myself holding excessive tension there; maybe you’re the same? If so, simply relax the muscles. And do this throughout your whole body. Anything that is ‘too much’ for what you are doing at that moment (standing close to your horse), open up and relax. Then pause a moment and feel how this is different from when you initially started.

    Let Your Horse Be Your Mirror

    Once you have found neutral, begin to intentionally interact with your horse. As you do this, look for responses or signals from your horse. They will probably be very subtle – but they will be there. As you become more intentional with your interactions, your horse’s signals will become more obvious. This is how we communicate with our horses.

    By paying attention here, you can use your horses responses to see where excessive tension might be building again through your body. Check in with your physical self frequently – and then look for how your horse mirrors this. 

    As riders, we can become so caught up in ‘doing things right’ or things being a certain way, that we miss the small subtle telltale signs that can guide us. As you move closer and closer to your horse, pay attention to how your body feels – and how your horse is responding. You may even notice that you begin mirroring each other’s breath rate, etc.

    Practice on the Ground…

    Once you have your ‘neutral’, your goal is to begin seeing this as the norm in your riding. Being able to mount up and work your horse with the exact right level of tension for the activity you’re doing at that exact moment. Tension levels fluctuate all of the time. They’re up and down. The problems show up when they get stuck on ‘high’!

    As you physically interact with your horse on the ground, begin thinking about being in the saddle. Again, notice how your body physically feels in this moment – and then imagine that same feeling in the saddle. This may be difficult initially, especially if you have been running on ‘high’ for longer than a few days!

    Every time, as you imagine yourself in the saddle, you physically feel your body becoming tight or stiff, intentionally relax or soften that part. Try including an intentional exhale as you do this as well. 

    As you practice this more and more, from the ground, you will see patterns begin to show up. Maybe it’s your jaw. Or your wrists. Perhaps your lower back or core becomes tight and stiff. Chances are that what you are feeling as you imagine riding (even though you’re on the ground) are the same feelings that are happening when you’re in the saddle. Knowing where your body holds excess tension will allow you to become faster at releasing it when it shows up.

    Grounding Before Each Ride

    If you have been struggling with excessive tension for a while, I strongly suggest investing time in learning to reset this while on the ground. 5 minutes spent grounding yourself and your horse before you mount up can work wonders in developing the connection between you both. It also gives you time to really become intentional about the type of energy you want to carry into the ride itself.

    And when you know how your body responds to too much tension, you can identify it more quickly – and let it go before it becomes an issue.

    When you begin working in true relaxation and flow, your horse will positively respond to that. Reducing the tension in your body will have an immediate knock-on on effect on your horse. And this will help you both to feel and develop a more positive connection with each other.

    The Energy Connection

    There are so many different ways and exercises you can use to help develop a more positive energetic connection with your horse. If you’re keen to find out more, join me for this free online training where I will give you exact exercises you can use to develop this with your horse.

    You can register for free for The Energy Connection Webinar HERE

    And, until then, take the time to ‘feel’ into your body. It will guide you as to where you are holding onto too much. Your intention will help you to release it – for both you and your horse.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    More on This Topic:-

    Online Training to Help Your Riding

    Connect with Lorna online:-

  • 15 Minutes or Less with Your Horse… For 90 Days?

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    Are you guilty of only looking for longer gaps of time to work with your horse? I mean, what could you possibly do in 15 minutes or less to move things forward, right?!  If this has been your thinking up to now, you’re not alone. I was guilty of this… To be honest, I think we have all been there. However, once I began to reframe what those smaller chunks of time could be, everything changed!

    Get the 50+ Inspiring Ideas to do with your horse when you find yourself with a small gap of timeCLICK HERE

    What would happen if you began seeing the value in finding small gaps of time to connect with your horse? Using short, focused time periods—15 minutes or less—can be a game changer for you, your riding, and your partnership with your horse.

    Here’s why becoming more intentional (and excited) about the odd 15 minutes or so a few times a week can transform everything for both of you.

    The C Word – Consistency…

    So many riders want to become more consistent. And, a lot of them want to swipe some magic wand and make it happen! It won’t. The only way to start becoming consistent is to be intentional. And doing short regular things with your horse are just that.

    Especially when you want to get started with something, the short sessions are easier and often more effective for both of you. And because they are more likely to get done, they create steady progress.

    Your horse probably loves consistency, most horses thrive on it. Use this to your benefit and begin using each of those 15 minutes or less gaps of time to build something together.  These small moments, when repeated, add up over time. It just requires you to have a plan for them.

    GET THE FREE DOWNLOAD, 50+ INSPIRED IDEAS & EXERCISES FOR WHEN YOU’VE 15 MINUTES OR LESS WITH YOUR HORSE BY CLICK HERE

    Focus on Quality…

    I’m going to assume that you have something you and your horse are working towards… If not, you now have your ‘Step 1’ ;) Once you know what you’re longer term vision is for you both, you can then begin thinking about ‘smaller steps’ that will compliment or act as stepping stones to that goal.

    Which activity will make more sense for your 15 minutes or less with your horse; something fun, partnership building, or a training related focus session?

    Keep in mind that shorter training sessions can often result in a breakthrough for you and your horse. We often think that the longer the ride, the better. But fatigue plays a big role in both of your work.  So by keeping the session short and sweet, often you can achieve more. Especially when you’re consistent with them.  This applies to all 3 categories; fun, partnership, or training.

    Get the 50+ Inspiring Ideas to do with your horse when you find yourself with a small gap of time CLICK HERE

    1. Fun

    Fun is enjoying the moment. The process. It is usually not an ‘end goal’ or ‘endpoint’.  We rarely say “I am struggling on through the mud now because I will feel like it was fun when I’m finished”. Fun is the actual activity. And, fun is for both horse and rider.

    It is something that you can do together and that has the single goal of allowing you both to enjoy yourselves and each other’s company.

    And please don’t make the mistake of confusing things that you enjoy  as being fun for all involved! You horse must enjoy the activities as well. I’ve created a free list with some ‘fun’ activities you can enjoy with your horse in 15 minutes or less when you CLICK HERE. Download it and put it somewhere you can quickly access when the next 15 minutes or so of ‘free time’ pops up for you and your horse :)

    2. Partnership

    No matter how long you have been working with your horse, you can always deepen the trust in your relationship. Short, meaningful interactions can really help to improve this bond between you both. And, strengthening the partnership will also help to improve the training. It’s a win, win :)

    By focusing your 15 minutes or less on strengthening the partnership, you can build trust, reduce anxiety, and increase your horse’s willingness to cooperate – especially in those less than ideal moments you encounter later.

    Your horse is always responding to your body language, mood, and energy.  By intentionally showing up with ‘partnership building’ in mind, you can strengthen the emotional connection between you.  I’ve listed some partnership building activities you can do with your horse in 15 minutes or less in a free download CLICK HERE

    3. Training or Developing

    This is exactly what it sounds like; activities that will help you or your horse to improve mentally, physically, or emotionally. And when it comes to training, I am a big believer in keeping things simple. Simple exercises that focus on simple outcomes. Having a time restriction of 15 minutes or less makes this even easier to apply!

    Often, if you are not seeing progress (usually because Fun and Partnership are not included in the plan), it feels ‘right’ to instinctively jump to complicated where training is concerned. Choose simple exercises and rather work on them through the filter of what you want to achieve in your riding.

    I am going to urge you think simple when it comes to training when working with your horse for 15 minutes or less. 

    Get the 50+ Inspiring Ideas to do with your horse when you find yourself with a small gap of timeCLICK HERE

    More Opportunities – and Flexibility!

    When you are planning out the coming week with yoru horse, actively look for those 15 minute or less time ‘gaps’. Shorter time blocks are much easier to make happen, especially if you’ve a busy schedule. And then decide what approach would best help you and your horse make the most of that time together.

    Stop waiting for a large chunk of free time, which for so many riders are few and far between! Rather begin looking for those smaller pockets of time where you can do something valuable with your horse.

    Whether it’s practicing groundwork, working on specific exercises, or simply grooming, you’ll find that you have more opportunities to interact with your horse throughout the week. And because you’re intentional, they will act as stepping stones to your longer term vision.

    Get the 50+ Inspiring Ideas to do with your horse when you find yourself with a small gap of timeCLICK HERE

    Your 15 Minutes or Less List

    Having a list of potential activities is a great way to get started with making the most of those smaller pockets of time. I’ve created one for you that you can download HERE for free. My suggestion is to print it off and then add to it over the coming weeks and months.

    When you begin to see the benefits of intentionally connecting with your horse during those smaller 15 minutes or less time pockets, you will actively begin searching for them in your week!

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    More on This Topic:-

    Online Training to Help Your Riding

    Connect with Lorna online:-