Imagine if there was something you could actively ‘do’ every moment you’re in the saddle that would almost guarantee that you’re in the ‘right place at the right time’. There is. It involves abiding by the ‘Click Your Fingers Rule’ regarding your position. And look, I get it: talking about your position is not fun or exciting. But it is 100% one of the BEST ways to improve your skills as a rider.
When you are in the right place at the right time to effectively and clearly communicate with your horse, it stands to reason that the overall connection and quality of the work will improve.
Your position is so important, and applying the Click Your Fingers Rule will help you develop true balance and independence in the saddle. It’s one of the key elements that allows a rider to transition from being a passenger to truly riding their horse.
What is the Click Your Fingers Rule?
Well, imagine we (you and I) were in the arena together. You are working on something specific with your horse: walking, trotting, cantering, or even working through grids and over fences. It doesn’t really matter what you are doing. The key point is that you’re riding alone, and I then apply this ‘rule’ to your riding.
Imagine that I’m with you in the arena and I ‘click my fingers’, whisper ‘abrakedabra’, and your horse vanishes! Gone. Disappears. What we want to focus on is how you land… You ALWAYS want to land on your feet. Always.
Now, clearly, I cannot make your horse vanish on demand! However, I hope that by imagining this happening, you will understand how the ‘rule’ works. And when you imagine that your horse is suddenly no longer there, the question becomes ‘where and how would you land?’
If the answer is on your face or on your bum, it simply means that you are depending on your horse for balance and support rather than being responsible for your own stability in the saddle. And this, if you want to improve as a rider, needs to change.
Who Are You Depending on for Balance?
When we start riding, we tend to rely a lot on our horses for balance. Thank goodness for all the school horses and ponies in the world with their endless patience! But in order for your riding to progress, this is something that you have to begin accepting responsibility for.
You must become responsible for your own balance and stability in the saddle. Applying the ‘Click Your Fingers Rule’ to your riding will help you achieve that by reminding you to correct your alignment – and eventually put it onto autopilot.
When you can create your own balance and stability when you ride, you can then begin developing your independent aids. Independent aids lead to clearer communication with your horse. They also lead to an independent seat. The Click Your Fingers Rule will help you start working towards all of these things in your riding.
Applying the Rule
There are two simple ‘checks’ you can do every time you’re in the saddle to begin effectively applying this rule to your position and your riding. The first is to make sure that you are indeed sitting correctly in the saddle. Use your seat bones for guidance. Are they directly underneath you, pointing straight down?
Many upper body issues and lower leg issues are actually due to incorrect seat issues. If this basic principle is wrong or missing, the ripple effect in your riding is massive.
The second ‘check’ applies to the ‘lines’ of your position. Particularly the line that should run through your head, shoulder, hip, and heel. If these elements of your body are aligned, you are usually ‘carrying’ yourself, which means that you are, for the most part, assuming responsibility for your own balance.
Becoming more aware of, and then regularly applying the Click Your Fingers Rule will allow you to correct your basic position. And after a while, this will become ‘normal’ for you. It will be on autopilot!
When To Apply the Rule to Your Position?
The simple answer is ‘all the time’. Yes, really! Regardless of what you are doing, you should be able to support and balance yourself if your horse were to vanish suddenly or disappear. This means that your basic alignment should be present if you’re walking, trotting, cantering, or even galloping! If you are schooling on the flat, up or down hills, or over fences. It is all the same. If the horse were to vanish at any given point, anywhere in your ride, you should land on your feet.
You are responsible for your own balance. And when you can apply this most of the time to your riding, you will allow your horse the freedom to begin becoming stronger in his work as well.
Applying This to Your Position & Riding
I’ve already mentioned checking your seat. Is it truly ‘underneath‘ you? From here, focus on keeping your legs under you at all times. Often, riders will struggle with a swinging lower leg. A lot of the time, this actually is a symptom of something going on in the seat. So, correct your seat first.
And if your lower leg is spending too much time at your horse’s shoulders or elbows, if your horse were to vanish, you would land on your backside! Similarly, if your lower leg is swinging too far back towards the flank, you’d land on your face. The rule ALWAYS applies!
In all of the examples you can think of when it comes to applying the ‘click your fingers’ rule, a strong supple core are absolutely essential. If you find that you’re struggling to maintain your positon or posture, maybe you can focus your efforts here.
Making the Transition in Your Riding
By being consistent with testing yourself using the Click Your Fingers Rule, you bring awareness to your basic position. With time, this will result in you doing what you actually want all of the time without thinking about it. That is autopilot. And when you reach autopilot, you can then focus your attention elsewhere.
This is where you really begin to make the transition to being a true ‘rider’ in the saddle, rather than a passenger. Now, you can start to pay attention to improving how you and your horse are working together.
Happy Riding
Lorna
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