Strides for Success

Tag: channel

  • Understanding How You Influence the Channel of Energy

    Understanding How You Influence the Channel of Energy

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    There is this lovely place that you will reach with your horse in your training where you are working together. Both of you are invested in creating a desired outcome. This point is usually when you can begin to create and maintain consistent contact. It’s like an unwritten agreement between the two of you.

    And once consistent contact is created and can be maintained for longer periods, you can then begin to think about how that energy will work for both of you from this point… 

    Impulsion is a word that is bandied about a lot when it comes to horses and riding. Many riders, incorrectly, associate it with speed. The faster you’re going the more impulsion you’re creating. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth… And how you influence the channel for this energy is where it all begins…

    This episode of the Daily Strides Podcast is the first in a week of 5 lessons about Engaging the Energy in a Correct Channel. If you would like the rest of the lessons for this training, you can get them inside of Daily Strides Premium.

    The Training Scale

    Before we go any further, I do think that it’s important for you to see where impulsion lies or comes in relation to the other training principles. Now, there are lots of different layouts for the traditional training scale, however, let’s take the most basic one (pictured below) and use that to see what’s what.

    Traditional Training Scale - Daily Strides Podcast for Equestrians

    A great way to think of impulsion is as being the channel to help you and your horse achieve more with the energy that you’re creating. It will channel the energy more specifically to where you want it to go and you influence this channel. It will also allow less wastage so energy can work for both of you rather than against you.

    Visiting Each of the Principles

    I am a big believer in visiting places. This is both in my day-to-day life (have passport, will travel!) and when it comes to training riders and horses. So often, riders hold themselves back from working on something because they have not yet 100% mastered something else. I think this hinders and slows down the progress and the understanding of horse and rider.

    I love using the straightness principle to explain this.  I think all horses can work towards straightness from day 1 of their training. Does it mean that they will master it? No, that takes years. But by regularly visiting it, it helps both horse and rider to understand the principle more. This is the same as impulsion. And when getting started with impulsion, I strongly suggest thinking about how you influence this channel of energy.

    If you were to only think about impulsion when you felt ‘ready’ to ride and maintain consistent impulsion, you would never actually get to impulsion…

    Through experimenting and visiting different principles you begin exploring how they work for you and your horse. And how you can work on improving them in your riding and training.  This is true for all horses, whether or not they are OTTBs.

    Feeling Nervous About the Possibilities

    One of the reasons riders shy away from visiting impulsion with their horse is because they worry about the consequences. Especially if their horse is known for having quite a bit of potential energy to work and play with. Ex-racehorses or OTTBs often fall into this category. Even before we explore impulsion, so many riders are afraid to ask for ‘forward’ in their riding.

    When riders either fail to ask for energy or block the energy that is being created by the horse, true forwardness and therefore, impulsion can not happen. Energy is absolutely essential. As too is allowing that energy to flow. 

    This is the same for all of the principles of the training scale. Energy is required. So my suggestion is to work on this first. Notice if you’re feeling any resistance or excessive tension to asking for more energy. And once you are certain that you are happy and able to allow it to flow, continue on with your work.

    Working in the Trot

    I suggest starting in the rising or posting trot. Begin riding an exercise where you travel down the long side of the arena on the outside track.  However, rather than simply going large, you will travel back up the arena on the quarter line.  Pass the middle of the short side first (so this could be the 3/4 line).  You are cutting 5m off the width of your arena.

    You can use the long side to correct and set things up for you and your horse. You can then use the quarter line to ‘test’ or experiment with how well you and your horse can maintain things. 

    You will then use the following principle of the training scale to begin testing if you can really maintain the impulsion while on the quarter line. This is straightness. The only way you can achieve true straightness is if you and your horse can truly channel that energy using impulsion.

    Any horse and rider can maintain everything when they are stopped and stationary. It is in the movement; the relaxation, rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion, and straightness that you really get to see what areas need work. 

    What To Look For…

    I’m going to suggest first looking at your hands. How are you carrying them and holding them as you travel down the quarterline with your horse? All of your aids influence the channel.  Many riders do so well until it comes to their hands. They then find that they are blocking the channel there. So open your hands a little wider than usual, maintain that lovely softness through the contact and that steadiness with your horse’s mouth.

    When you ‘straighten out’ your hands (meaning that they are equal and soft) you can engage the contact more.

    From here, open your chest and shoulders. Give your upper body the room it needs to move with the horse and use this energy. And then think about your core. Are you again opening it and allowing the energy to flow? Again, you can only work with the energy once it is flowing. You may notice that your hips and seat can swing more and become more of an active part of the conversation with your horse.

    Symmetry to Influence the Channel

    One of the final places where you can really be guilty of blocking this flow is through your posting. Often riders will twist their upper bodies or shove one hip slightly more forward than the other in the trot. Try and assess yourself to make sure that you are rising and falling equally on both sides of your body.  That your shoulders and seat remain aligned with the straightness at all times.

    By taking the time to really ‘straighten yourself out’ while allowing the flow of the energy, you will then be ready to truly begin to influence the channel. To better direct that energy to work for you and your horse. 

    We go into detail using more exercises on how to begin working on this with your horse in the following lessons to this episode. You can find all of them (and so much more) inside of Daily Strides Premium.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    Other OTTB & Impulsion Episodes to Help You

    Online Training to Help Your Riding

    Connect with Lorna online:-

  • Improving Working Contact While Out Hacking

    Improving Working Contact While Out Hacking

    [fusebox_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1244_Improving_Working_Contact_while_Out_Hacking.mp3″ title=”Improving Working Contact While Out Hacking” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Something to work on next time you’re out for a hack or on the trail…” hashtag=”horseriding #podcast” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]

    I am all for intentional, relaxing hacks with your horse. And I also think that it’s worth remembering that not all hacks have to be for ‘doing nothing’. In fact, there are some things that may actually happen more easily when out of the arena. Working contact is, for some riders and horses, one of those things.

    We are always working towards soft, intuitive, and responsive contact when we ride. Contact that can shift and adapt depending on what the specific focus is.

    Developing that sort of contact takes time, diligence, consistency, and a foundational understanding of what true contact is and how it works… Today, I want to give you a few key points that you can put into action next time you’re riding on the trail.

    CLICK HERE to have a PDF of this article delivered straight to your inbox to print off or save and read later

    How Independent Are You Really?

    After speaking with thousands of riders for 20+ years now, there are a few key points that everyone wants to achieve. Contact (or ‘on the bit’) is one. Closely followed by ‘more feel’. Hacking or riding out on the trail is a great way to really begin assessing your abilities regarding both of these topics.

    Another way of describing ‘more feel’ is to say that you are truly independent in your aids. You intuitively ‘feel’ what is the best approach at that moment.

    I think that while your aids don’t have to be 100% independent to achieve a good working contact, you do need to at least be aware of what’s not! So this is where I suggest starting. Notice what happens when you move different parts of your body. So, let’s say you apply your left leg. Notice the effect it has over your right shoulder. Or your left hand…

    Often the obvious lack of independence will happen on the same side of your body (left leg & left hand). The more subtle dependence happens across your diagonals (left seat & right shoulder).

    Tip 1 – Focus on Testing Your Aids in All 3 Gaits

    Test your aids first in the walk, where things are slow enough to discover and truly experience each movement. From there, I have often seen how the canter is often an easier gait to diagnose dependency issues than the trot! I think the natural rhythm of the trot is the cause of this… However, try all three gaits and see what happens for you.

    Half Halt While out Hacking

    I am a firm believer that the half-halt should be used everywhere when it comes to working with horses. On the ground, on the lunge, in the arena, and on the trail! I also feel that, when you begin truly tapping into this fantastic aid, you can only begin to improve your overall communication with your horse.

    When you combine your independent aids with a well-timed, well-balanced half-halt; you can truly begin to tap into the energy available to you while out hacking with your horse.

    Timing is essential. You really want to ask when your horse is in a position to answer. So, ideally, when his hind leg is on the ground. It’s like saying ‘stall the ball a second’ or ‘wait here a second’. If you do this at the point of the stride when the front feet are ‘touching down’ you will cause your horse to become heavy in front! Not what we are aiming for!

    Your aids will only work as well as you can time them to your horse’s movements. Your weight will only ask your horse to wait if you ask at the right time…

    Tip 2 – Focus on the Timing of Your Aids for the Half Halt

    Therefore, step two of improving your working contact while out hacking is to work on first timing your half-halt. From there, refine your half-halt. I have a free audio training on the HALF HALT you can listen to next time you ride to work on improving this.

    Engaging Your Horses Back (Becoming Lighter)

    So, now that you have created a pretty good quality channel for the energy and you have worked on fine-tuning how you can influence this energy, we can begin truly harnessing it. Have you ever noticed how when you ‘engage your core’ you seem to grow an inch or two? Your horse does a similar thing – through his back. By engaging his core, he ‘lifts’ his back.

    Unfortunately for many horses, as they try to ‘lift’ their back, there is a rider’s bum in the way – blocking everything!

    If you want your horse to ‘lighten’, you too must lighten! And this has nothing to do with how much you weigh. This has everything to do with how you engage, use, and carry your own body. Let’s go back to the trot for a moment… So many riders rely on the natural rhythm of the trot (which, let’s face it, will happen regardless of what you do if you can continue to trot) to lift them ‘up and down’.

    Tip 3 – Focus on Your Independence in the  Rising Trot

    My third suggestion for you to work on next time you’re riding is to focus on just how independent you are in your rising trot. Are you posting yourself? Or are you relying on your horse to ‘bump’ you up and down? By spending time on this, while coupling the previous two points, you can truly begin to work with the energy – rather than against it.

    Gathering Energy into a ‘Working Contact’

    Once you are truly working with your horse (so not behind, in front of, against, or just slacking) working contact is within reach. Remember, true contact is an agreement. It is the point of the conversation between horse and rider where everyone agrees to take responsibility for their own roles going forward.

    This means that you are not ‘controlling everything’ and this can be a significant challenge for many riders to overcome (I was one of those!).

    It requires a certain amount of trust, partnership, and faith to really go into a ‘working’ relationship with anyone. And all of our most intimate relationships are just that – I am not talking about employment here, although the same generally applies.

    The same trust, partnership, and faith that you have in the people you hold most dear is what’s required of you to have in your horse in order to achieve ‘working contact’.

    Why Contact Won’t Work…

    Now, if your horse is not developed enough to truly engage in his responsibilities, contact is not going to work! So if he cannot yet work in rhythm, or in relative relaxation, or he’s not supple enough… Contact is not going to work! You might experience glimpses of it. However, even this is a little false as confidence and emotional development won’t be present.

    There is a reason contact appears where it appears on the training scale; trying to achieve it without first having developed the lower principles will usually result in horse and rider hitting a really long, unending plateau!

    Your horse must be developed physically, mentally, and emotionally in order to achieve true contact with you when riding. He needs to be able to ‘lighten the front end a little’.

    Couple this with mentally understanding contact as being a little like ‘holding someone’s hand’. No one is pulling, no one is slacking; it is both parties agreeing to move together while holding hands.

    And, finally, the equally important emotional development. Your horse has to first believe that he can actually do this. He has to have confidence in himself. And he also has to have confidence in you, the rider. I see it a little like “Okay, I’m giving you my mouth… I trust you to respect it”.

    If you are having challenges with contact, please go and have a look at the posts linked below this one. I’m pretty sure something will resonate or help. Alternatively, ask in one of the groups (linked below), or send me an email lorna [at] strides for success [dot] com – obviously with no spaces in between😉

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    More on This Topic

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  • Using the Centre Line to Strategically Improve Your Riding

    Using the Centre Line to Strategically Improve Your Riding

    Using the Centre Line to Strategically Improve Your riding

    What this episode is all about & how it can help you:-

    • Know how you are riding the centre line at the moment
    • Realise that you and your horse are one ‘container’
    • Understand what a channel is in your riding
    • Use your centre line to develop your overall riding skills

    Do you see the centre line as being a means to an end?  Somewhere you have to travel in order to take you to somewhere else?  Imagine if you began getting a little more strategic about each journey down the centre line…

    [smart_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1097-Using-the-Centre-Line-to-Stratigically-Improve-Your-Riding.mp3″ title=”Using the Centre Line to Strategically Improve Your Riding” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Not just for getting from A to C… Here is how to use the centre line to move your riding forward…” hashtag=”equestrian #horseriding” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]

    Every time you ride your horse in an arena, there is a good chance that one of the most ‘worn’ paths is the one down the middle of that arena.  The centre line is used to change rein.  It is used to ‘test’ channels.  The centre line is also an important element in many different exercises and school movements.  And, of course, it is often the easiest path from A to B (or A to C as is the case here!).

    In this episode of the Daily Strides Podcast you will learn how to make each trip up or down the centre line really work for you and your horse.  Rather than it being a ‘connecting piece’, it can become the exercise itself…

    Get Clear on Your Centre Line in a Sand Arena

    The first thing I am going to suggest doing will help you see how things actually are right now in your riding.  This versus how you ‘think’ things are.  Knowing where you are really riding every time you ride the centre line will allow you to see where improvements can happen.

    If you have a sand or fibre based arena, try to ride when the arena has been freshly harrowed or levelled.  This will let you actually see the track you are riding, which can be eye-opening in and of itself. If it is not possible for you to ride in a freshly manicured arena, prepare yourself for a little manual work! I am going to suggest grabbing a rake and just giving the centre line a quick ‘going over’ before you jump into the saddle.

    Knowing where you and your horse are actually making your path or track can often allow you to see where any current or potential weaknesses are hiding in your training.

    Ideas for a Grass or Wood Chip Arena

    Knowing the exact track you are riding can be a little trickier to figure out when working on a grass or wood-chip arena. It is often difficult to see what line you have ridden, especially if there are other horses regularly using the arena as well.  If this is the case, I am going to suggest using poles or markers to help keep you on the straight and narrow all the way from C to A (or A to C).

    If you find yourself continuously coming up against poles or markers, you know that things are not as straight as you thought they were!

    Another pretty simple way of seeing how accurate your current centre line journeys are is to video yourself.  Use your phone propped up at A or C and ride towards and away from it.  The great thing about this method is that you will actually have a record over time of how things are improving.

    Keep in mind that all of the above are only beneficial if you are willing to take appropriate action on what you discover.  This is where your riding and training comes in…

    You & Your Horse Are One ‘Container’

    One of the first suggestions I have for improving how you think about your schooling is to start thinking a little differently about you and your horse.  Rather than seeing the two of you as separate bodies, couple things together so that you are ‘one’.

    The energy that is created when you and your horse move must flow through both of you, unhindered, if it is to work correctly. 

    Think of you and your horse as being like a ‘piggy bank’.  An empty container or space that has just one outline or outer shell.  As you are riding on the centre line, notice how the energy moves through between you and your horse.  Is it leaking out in places?  Or is it failing to connect through or being blocked?  Maybe there is not enough energy to even fill the container to begin with…

    Your aids should create a channel which the ‘container’ that is you and your horse has to stay within

    Begin Noticing the Weak Points in Your Channel

    Seeing both yourself and your horse as one container, will allow you to more easily see where any weaknesses are hiding.  The channel you create with your aids is like the banks of a river or canal.  They help to keep the energy flowing in a specific direction and way, just like the banks do for the water.

    However, it is often only when MORE water gets put into a river or canal that the weak points of the banks become apparent.  Your channel in riding is the same. 

    As you begin asking for ‘more’ energy within the container, you will begin to see the weak points.  Falling out through the shoulder is a common one.  Becoming heavy and falling out through the front end is another.

    Anywhere the energy is being unintentionally leaked or lost is a weak point in your channel that needs to be address with training and schooling.

    Benefits of the Centre Line over the Long Sides

    The centre line is great for really getting to explore your channels strengths and weaknesses. This is because there are no ‘crutches’ or supports for you and your horse to use.  I know, it sounds a little random; your horse using a crutch!  However, often the sides of the arena can become just that for horse and rider combinations.

    Moving away from the sides of the arena is a little like taking the stabilizers or training wheels off a bicycle for the first time.  Things can get ‘wobbly’ initially!

    The quarter lines will work equally as well to help you really begin to see how effective your channel is.  Or how dependent you are on any crutches or supports!  However, for today and the purpose of this episode we are working on the centre line.

    Aligning to the Ends of Your Arena

    Once you understand your channel, begin thinking about how aligned you are when actually travelling down the centre line itself.  Adjust your shoulders so that they are parallel to the end of the arena you are travelling towards.

    The reason I am suggesting adjusting your shoulders rather than your seat initially is because you can ‘see’ your shoulders.  Any adjustments made to the position of your shoulders will affect your hands, which are clearly visible as you ride.

    Simply put, try to square your shoulders to the end of the arena you are travelling towards

    So many riders spend a lot of time in the saddle leading with one shoulder.  Usually the rider is not aware of it, however I can guarantee you that the horse is!  Squaring the shoulders allows the rest of the body to align underneath the shoulders.

    Shoulders are a lot more accessible for a rider to be aware of because they are ‘visible’.  Straighten the shoulders first and allow them to begin straightening the seat and hips.

    How Your Horse Will Align with You

    As you consistently remain aligned and straight travelling down or up your centre line, magic will begin to happen.  Your horse will begin to align his body to yours.  Meaning that he will also begin to straighten and use himself more correctly.

    Consistency is key to this happening.  So too is ‘allowing’ your horse to align with you, rather than ‘forcing’ your horse to align. 

    So many riders fail to recognise the power of consistently and calmly doing something in the saddle.  Horses will almost always ‘come round’ to your way of thinking and doing things if you are relaxed and consistent.

    Pay Attention to Your Entrance and Exit

    The final thing I feel is often overlooked when riding the centre line is how you get onto it and off of it!  If you find yourself tending to over or undershoot the turn, this is costing you valuable strides to ‘fix’ each time.

    Remember that how much bend you can ask for when turning onto or off of the centre line will depend on you and your horses level of training and development. 

    Obviously suppleness plays a big part.  But so too does rhythm, relaxation and forwardness.  It is also worth remembering that if any of the above are ‘lost’, you will lose contact and connection.

    Plan wider swings or bends onto and off of it initially.  Allow your horse the space to get there while maintain the gait he had before the turn or bend.  You must also allow yourself the space to adjust and change your position and aids as necessary.

    Become Intentional with Your Centre Line

    To close this post out, I just want to encourage you to begin getting really intentional when riding your centre lines.  See them as a point in each ride where you can assess how things are going.

    Use them to see how well your horse is developing and can ‘carry on’ without the stabilizers or training wheels. 

    Once you begin to become aware of the centre line, you may be shocked at how often you travel up or down it.  Make each of those trips count in both you and your horses training.

    Happy Riding

    Lorna

    Other posts, episodes and resources that relate to this topic:-

    Daily Strides Premium

    Straightness is one of the key elements in riding.  Couple this with suppleness and you have two of the keys to really improving your horses training.  If you are interested in learning more about these, and more, I am going to suggest joining Daily Strides Premium today.  In there, you will have instant access to audio trainings, which will take you step by step through different exercises that will move things forward in your riding.

    Couple This with Built In Accountability…

    It really is the easiest way you can begin moving forward in your riding – on your own terms. When you join a Daily Strides Premium Member you will get built-in accountability.  A real person from our team will be reaching out to you on a fortnightly basis to help you build and then maintain momentum with your progress in the saddle.

    Couple this with the live Q&As, the monthly review and planning live calls and the members only private group ~ we are here to help you remain accountable as team leader for you and your horse.

    Daily Strides Premium is packed full of step by step trainings for you to use in the saddle. All the trainings are easily accessed using your phone, meaning that you can take them with you where ever you are going.  These trainings and so much more are available for you immediately when you join Daily Strides Premium. Find out more HERE

  • Using Your Legs to Create a Channel when Riding

    Using Your Legs to Create a Channel when Riding

    Using Your Legs to Create a Channel when Riding§§

    What this episode is all about & how it can help you:-

    • Sitting straight in the saddle
    • Allowing your legs to ‘drape’
    • Understanding an active aid versus an inactive one
    • Supporting your horse when he needs support

    [smart_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1063-Using-Your-Legs-To-Create-A-Channel-In-Your-Riding.mp3″ title=”Creating a Channel with Your Legs in Riding” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Ever wondered what your legs should be doing while you’re in the saddle? Here is the less obvious answer…” hashtag=”Equestrian #Horseriding #Podcast” twitter_username=”Strides_Success” ]

    Remember back to when you were first learning to ride.  You possibly saw your legs as being a ‘go button’ of sorts.  Go forward or go sideways.  However, as you began to improve the conversation, by refining your aids, you realised that your legs have started to also become a channel of sorts…

    A channel for the energy that is created inside of the ‘container’ that is you and your horse together.

    In this episode of the Daily Strides Podcast you will learn all about creating that channel with your legs and how it will improve your overall riding.

    Your Whole Body is a Channel

    I want you to think about this; your whole body is connected.  I realise that this is not a new piece of information, however many riders fail to see how one part of their body has direct influence over other parts.  How the placement of your leg can impact the placement of your seat or vice versa.

    If you are just starting out, I think it is far easier to allow the more obvious body parts to influence the more ‘subtle’ parts.  Your legs to influence your seat, rather than the other way around.

    Later then, as you begin to gain more control over your body in the saddle, you can start ‘swapping’ this out a little.  Your seat to influence your legs.  Your seat will define or indicate where your legs are positioned at given time in the saddle.

    Sitting Straight in the Saddle

    Part of this influence is how straight you are positioned in the saddle.  When I say ‘straight’ in the saddle, it is straight in two ways.

    Firstly that there is an equal amount of you on both the left and the right of the saddle.

    One of the most common ways riders become ‘crooked’ is when they are sitting with one seat bone closer to the centre of the saddle than the other. 

    The second way to ensure you are ‘straight’ is to make sure you are indeed sitting on your seat.  Both of your seat bones centred and pointing straight down underneath you. It is all too easy to fall into the bad habit of sitting either with their pelvis rolled too far forward or too far back.

    Sitting on your fork, or rolled back into a more ‘armchair seat’ automatically shuts down your seat aids.  This will result in your legs not being able to work correctly while riding. 

    Allowing Your Legs to ‘Drape’

    Once your seat is correct, you can allow your legs to ‘drape’ over your horses sides.  This sounds exactly like what it is.  Drapes are often another word for curtains and you want to think of your legs being allowed to hang from your hips like curtains.

    They have their own weight and shape, and yet they will follow the contours of what they are ‘draped’ over.

    For many riders, particularly women, it can be difficult to truly allow legs to ‘drape. This is often due to the fleshy part on the inside of the thigh.  If you suspect this is an issue for you, I have a little exercise you can use to help.

    What I suggest is just put both your legs up as though you were a jockey, touching your knees above your horses withers. Now take your right hand from the back underneath your right leg and pull that fleshy piece out behind your actual thigh.  Then lift your leg out and gently allow your leg to drape down over your horses side.

    When your leg is positioned correctly, you will feel that there is contact all the way down.

    Many riders concentrate on the contact at the knee, but I prefer it if the knee is loose and it is not locked on the horse. What you will now find is that the rest of your leg from your thigh all the way down to your calf and ankle is going to be draped around the horse.

    Understanding an Active Aid Versus an Inactive One

    The next thing to understand is that you have active leg aids as well as inactive leg aids. In other words you can engage your leg aids, or you can disengage them.

    It is important to recognise that when your leg is off and is not engaged (or inactive), it doesn’t mean that there is actual daylight between your leg and the horse!

    Your leg is still ‘on’ the horse, however it is similar to having hit the off switch.  You have disengaged it. You don’t take your actual leg off or away from your horses side. There should never be daylight between your leg and the horse’s sides, but you do want it that the leg is not active.

    The reason that this is important is because later as you and your horse become more developed, you will play less and less of a supporting role to your horse.

    Very often in the beginning we, as riders, have to support our horses. This is not always actual physical support, in that you are holding him up.  It can also be more of a moral support. As soon as your horse’s balance develops and he becomes stronger, you will have to support less and less.

    If your leg were to be active all the time, you would first of all be exhausted and secondly your horse would eventually simply tune out

    Supporting Your Horse When He Needs Support

    Very often at the beginning of our development journey with our horses, riders find themselves supporting their horses.  This can be both a mental and a physical support.  It is a ‘reminder’ to keep things on track when things are going off track a little.

    A lot of the time this is described as ‘balance’.  You will step in initially when your horse loses balance and help him to regain it. 

    However, as confidence and strenght builds, your relationship with your horse will also shift and change.  As you and your horse becomes stronger and you are positioned correctly, you are better able to actively engage the aids when you need to engage them.

    When you engage your aids, you can create energy.  This energy is then put into the channel you have created, so you can best direct it. 

    Understanding and Strengthening Your Channel

    Managing this energy is really your channel.  It can also be thought of as the container that is made up of you and your horse. You actively and mindfully put energy in there.

    Then you decide how, where and when that energy will be used.  Yes, you can use your leg to ask your horse to create the energy, but once it is there you can use your legs to channel that energy as well

    Channeling can be in a directional way by directing where the energy is going to go. The channel can also be how the energy is being used. Is it running out, or is it being held?

    Developing Your Channel

    Of course, as you begin to refine the conversation between you and your horse, your seat will then become a bigger part of your channel.

    Initially it is your legs which are guiding your seat, but what we want is that the seat is doing more of the guiding. You will eventually build to that.  This may look like your seat allowing or resisting.

    However your seat moves and influences, it will become a bigger part of your overall conversation.  Of course your legs don’t completely cease to exist any more, but there is a balance of aids, and the balance will eventually shift.

    In other words it will then become less about your legs and more about your seat

    Your legs will still have to be positioned correctly because your legs dictate your seat, and your seat your legs. But as you become stronger and more developed you will have to think about it less, and it will naturally fall into place.

    That is the channel. Once you have the channel created then you can start strengthening the channel, and you can start creating true impulsion in your riding.

    Happy Riding

    Lorna

    Links mentioned in the episode:-