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
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- 50+ Inspiring Ideas to do with your horse in 15 Minutes or Less CLICK HERE
- Relaxation; Building It Before You Get in the Saddle
- Relaxation When Riding a Hot or Sensitive Horse
- Building Confidence from the Ground Up
- Building a Connection with Your Horse
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Online Training to Help Your Riding
Connect with Lorna online:-
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- Connect in the Daily Strides Podcast Online Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/dailystridespodcast
- Connect in the Virtual Stable Lounge Private Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1499737810323191
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