Strides for Success

Tag: relaxation

  • 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

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  • Opening Up as a Rider – Practicing Expansion

    Opening Up as a Rider – Practicing Expansion

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    Have you ever considered how different it could all be if you could open up more as a rider? Specifically around how, physically in the saddle, if you could expand yourself a little bit more, the difference it could have on your riding. And your mindset. Even your horse’s way of going… Over the past few months, I have been running an in-person program on my farm South Africa based on Connection and Groundwork.  It has been such an amazing experience working with all these different riders

    We focused specifically on energy work, and becoming more aware of how we can intentionally use this to connect with our horses. 

    It was so much fun.  And, it got me thinking about riding and how so many riders are blocking the kind of flow with the energy in their riding, especially with their physical body.   So, in this week’s episode of the Daily Strides Podcast, I would love to walk you through a few simple exercises you can do, from the saddle, to begin to identify where you are, potentially, contracting as a rider.

    Noticing What You’re Doing…

    So, you will probably agree with me that, as a rider, once you notice something that you’re doing in the saddle, you can’t ‘unnotice’ it. I mean, you can try to ignore it… However, once it’s out in the open, it’s out in the open!  So today, I would love to help you begin to notice where, potentially, you are contracting through your body, rather than expanding. Where you are blocking rather than allowing ease and flow to happen inside of your conversation with your horse.

    When you are contracting, you are shutting down; making things smaller.  This will usually have a detrimental effect on your riding because it affects your position and posture.

    It will also negatively impact what your horse is doing, especially how well he is working and understanding your communication. And, of course, it impacts the trust and the partnership element of the combination as well. Sometimes, you may begin to notice the tension or contraction because there will be other symptoms or ‘clues’ that show up.  The key is to notice them, and then begin to take steps to dissipate, change, or replace the ‘contraction’ with openness and expansiveness through your body.

    Starting In Walk

    I suggest starting this work while in the walk in the arena with your horse. Now, as I mentioned, we were initially doing this work on the ground.  However, I successfully crossed this over to being ‘in the saddle’ inside of Connection this month, so that is what I want to do today for you. So, as your horse is walking, begin to assess your body and notice where you may be holding any excessive tension.

    Keep in mind that there are the more obvious places, such as lower back or elbows.  And there are also those less obvious places in your body that can hold excessive tension.  Your jaw for example.

    I used to hold a lot of tension in my jaw and I clenched my teeth.  As I’ve mentioned, once I became aware of this unconscious tension, it became something I could consciously begin to ‘undo’ in my riding.  You may notice ‘tightness or ‘squeezing closed’ through your knees. This is a common one, and most riders don’t realize it is happening until it’s pointed out.

    The key is to really bring your awareness down into your own body and feel how it feels to be in the saddle, Notice what your body is telling you… 

    Triggering Words or Thoughts

    So, after a while of simply walking and being aware of your body, you can begin to ask bigger questions.  What I found really interesting when working with riders was the response to the word ‘prepare’. Especially when it was used before any changes or transitions.  As soon as I would tell riders to ‘prepare’ for something ‘new’, a lot of riders began to physically ‘contract’.

    So my second exercise for you to begin working on is to ‘prepare’ to introduce and ride a circle.  Notice how your body changes as you ‘prepare’ to go from straight to circle…

    Maybe it’s a tendency to unnecessarily fiddle with or gather up the reins. It could be a tendency to grip up with the inside leg.  Do you tilt your body? Or shift weight your weight around in the saddle, maybe to the inside? Perhaps your inside shoulder ‘ducks’ or lowers slightly…  The key thing to look out for is where the ‘ease and flow’ gets lost or blocked due to excessive tension and ‘contraction’ becoming a part of your physical body.

    If you can notice or catch yourself making big changes to your body to accommodate or ‘prepare’ the circle, begin to question why… Is it necessary? Or is this a learned habit?

    I suggest continuing to work on this for a day or two.  Stay here until you can feel that your ‘preparation’ is not as contracted as it was before and one movement can simply flow into the next…  Another idea worth mentioning here is how once we notice and begin to shift the ‘blockage’ or contraction in one area of our body, it just might show up again somewhere else!  So spend time practicing…

    Stepping Up a Gear…

    Now, from here, I want you to begin thinking about stepping up a gear into the trot.  Both the trot itself and your transitions in and out of it as well.  With the trot, you might find that all is good when you and your horse are slowly sauntering along.  You will feel open and expansive in your riding.  However, as soon as the energy levels increase a little, the contraction begins…

    Often, as soon as you are aware of ‘more’ in the trot riders can begin to ‘crumple up’ in the saddle. They round their backs, bring their hands closer together, change their lower leg, and tip forwards onto their fork.

    None of these things are very ‘expansive’ and they 100% have the potential to block the ‘ease and flow’ we spoke about for the walk.  Another unfortunate side effect of ‘crumpling’ is that your aids can often agitate or even frighten your horse, which compounds the tension!

    Just like in the walk, begin to notice where you are creating or holding onto any excess tension in your body when trotting.  Start in rising trot, and later work in sitting trot.  Also, use your transitions in and out of the trot as a way to examine this in your riding.  Any place where your body feels ‘smaller’ or tighter, is worth looking at a little more carefully…

    Expansion in the Canter

    When we think of ‘expansion’ and ‘canter’, our minds can (and often do) jump to the conclusion of ‘explosion’! This is, obviously, not what I am referring to here!  One of the most common areas I see the ‘contraction’ coming into the rider’s body when it comes to canter, is the transition to get to canter!  Instead of the rider being in ‘self-carriage’ and allowing the horse the space to canter, a lot of riders ‘collapse and ‘chase’ the horse into the canter… Nope and nope!

    And with the canter, because there is more energy involved, it can often highlight any areas of the body where excessive tension and contraction are showing up for the rider…

    The canter, by its very nature, is ‘upward’ in its trajectory. Therefore it is so important that you remain open, in self-carriage, and ready to allow the ‘ease and flow’ through your body. As you ask for and then ride the canter, allow your awareness to scan your body for excessive tension. What are your hands doing? Are your elbows straight?

    Once you begin to open up you will then find it easier to move your body in a way that feels good and that also allows the energy to flow.

    Applying This When Jumping

    Finally, this concept is not just for flatwork or dressage.  I think that working on creating a consistent state of expansion in your body is important for all disciplines and activities with horses.  When the energy is flowing, there is a good chance that communication is also flowing between you and your horse.

    When jumping, the ‘contraction’ begins around three strides before the jump. It’s important to focus on training yourself to remain ‘open’ all the way to the jump, especially through your chest, shoulders, and upper body. 

    Curling up into a ball and doing your best hamster impression, whether before, over, or after the jump stops you from balancing yourself.  This, in turn, prevents your horse from using himself to the best of his ability over the jump as well.  Start over poles on the ground and work through your body from there.

    Allowing & Letting Go

    Very often, the reason we begin to ‘contract’ or tighten our bodies is due to a response to something.  This can be something that happens in the moment (such as our horse spooking), or it can be something that we have learned to do… A memory or a repeating pattern.

    The key to changing this in your riding is to notice it, and then simply choose to let it go.  Practice opening up and feeling your energy grow

    This expansion is how you can begin to connect with your horse in a whole new way and on a whole new level in your riding. I have linked to similar posts on this topic below.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

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  • Smoother Downward Transitions

    Smoother Downward Transitions

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    There is a tendency for riders to ‘hold’ a little too much during the downward transitions.  And while the half halt is essential to the preparation and transition itself… Too much can lead to a very ‘stuck’ feeling when the horse actually makes it into the new gait!  A little like ‘stuck in the mud’.

    In this episode, I am releasing a Connection Bonus Live Call from June 2021.  This is due to an ongoing hoarse voice!  I hope you enjoy the ‘episode’ and that it is useful for you in your riding.

    The focus for the month inside of Connection was self-carriage through downward transitions.  In this particular call, I discuss ‘releasing the handbrake’, especially through the seat and hands, while riding the transition.  I do hope that you find this helpful for your downward transitions.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    Get All Of The Training

    Join Connection today and get all of the audio horse riding lessons on this topic (and all the others I mention here today) to begin using in your riding.  Everything comes straight to your phone, via a private podcast feed.  There’s also extra bonus live training (like the excerpt above), live Q&A and so much more. All the details are over at https://stridesforsuccess.com/connection

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  • Developing More Patience as a Rider

    Developing More Patience as a Rider

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    A lack of patience is something that many riders feel shame about. I was one of those riders for many years, so I know full well how it feels. The initial frustration, the following swift judgment or potential explosion, and then the guilt that happens afterward. Let’s be honest, coming out the other side from losing your patience is rarely a good place to be!
    And yet, for years I simply believed that I was not a patient person. Like it was something that you are either born with – or not
    Now, I do think that some people have naturally more tolerance and more patience than others. However, I also now believe that patience can be developed – in all riders. It is simply a matter of believing you can, and then committing to doing the work required.

    Developing More Patience is Work

    I say this because let’s be honest, it probably won’t be easy initially. If you’re a rider who struggles with patience, there’s a good chance that there is a pretty well-formed habit or reaction that occurs each time you feel impatient! This is different for all riders.
    Lack of patience can show up as anything from excess tension through the jaw, right the way to becoming physically aggressive with your horse or those around you
    I think many riders also lack patience with themselves. When I’m working with riders in the arena, I often see this play out. The rider is ‘trying’ to do something. And they are trying and trying… Each attempt is with more tension through the body – which usually results in the rider moving further away from where they need to be in order to ‘ask the question’ with clarity.
    As you work on developing more patience, keep in mind that it’s really worthwhile developing it for both yourself and your horse
    And that this will take both time, consistency, and accepting that there will be a lot of speed wobbles along the way. Times where you don’t respond as you would like. But, unfortunately, find yourself playing out the old, learned, reaction or habit… It’s going to happen, accepting it before you begin the journey will make things much more enjoyable for you :)

    1 . Have You Set Clear Boundaries?

    So, before we begin working on your patience levels, I think that it’s worth noting what you are currently allowing. And what you’re not. These are your boundaries. So often, it is a lack of numerous boundaries that eventually leads to the rider losing patience.
    Remember, if you have not specifically communicated with your horse about what’s allowed and what’s not… It is essentially your own fault when things don’t go as you would like
    Another issue I often see is a rider who has not established firm and supportive boundaries on the ground. The horse will keep overstepping the mark while being groomed and tacked up, resulting in the rider’s patience becoming ‘worn down’ before they ever even make it into the saddle.
    Part of developing more patience as a rider is knowing what you want and what you don’t. What’s acceptable and what’s not? Then let your horse know – and enforcing where necessary

    2 . Set Clearly Defined Goals

    Once you know what you want, you can now begin to shape or mold each interaction with your horse to work towards that. Meaning you will now have a clear picture of ‘where we are right now’ in relation to ‘where we want to be’. This gives you both acceptable ‘wiggle room’.
    Knowing the differences between ‘here’ and ‘there’ will clearly define what is still acceptable as far as training, manners, skills, etc. are concerned. This gives you space – and removes pressure
    So, for example, if your goal is to canter a 20m circle on the left rein, but you are both still struggling to pick up the left lead on the transition into the canter. A good ‘expectation’ for your next ride would be to begin developing flexion to the left. Even if it’s only in the walk for now. By doing this, you will have taken the pressure off; allowing space for more patience with that process.
    Or if your horse is currently walking in circles and pushing you around when grooming and tacking up, your end goal might be that he stands still. However, in your next interaction with each other, you will decide ahead of time what your response will be to correct him each time he pushes you around or over. Implement this first… And you will soon be working towards the real goal, standing still. And, this way, your horse will also be more likely to work with you as he will respect you a little more.

    3 . Become More Self Aware

    This was a key step to developing more patience for me. I simply began to notice myself more. Initially, I was only able to do this after the fact. So after I had ‘lost my patience’. But over time, I was able to do it mid ‘patience losing’! And now, thank goodness, I can catch myself right at the thought that triggers the whole avalanche!
    Where ever you can, simply stop focusing on your horse, and really – REALLY – feel what’s going on in your body. Where is there excessive tension lurking; and how does it physically feel?
    And then just sit with it. It can feel REALLY mentally uncomfortable to notice and then simply allow the feeling of excess tension in the body. However, this will actually result in it dissipating. Meaning you can get back to ‘true calm’ much more quickly – and without doing or saying anything you may regret.
    When we ignore the feeling of excess tension in our bodies or pretend it’s not there, we simply mask it for a while. However, it will usually pop up again, with even more ‘vuma’ soon after
    Another way I have found to be really effective in becoming ‘self-aware’ is to imagine that I am being videoed. And thinking about, at that moment, what I look like in that video. It almost instantly causes me to ‘drop’ the tension and relax. It also causes my mind to think about something else. To move away from the initial thought that was triggering the lack of patience.

    4 . Remind Yourself Of Why You’re Doing It

    So, in the spirit of honesty, sometimes implementing self-awareness is not enough to reverse the feelings and thoughts inside of your body and your mind. Sometimes, you may feel ‘justified’ in reacting the way you either are, did or want to. And this is where I find giving myself a reality check works well.
    Simply answer the following question; “why did I decide to do this in the first place?” Usually, the answer is ‘to have fun’ or ‘feel good’. Then, ask a second question, ” How can I begin to turn this current situation into that?”
    Again, it’s at this point I often just laugh at myself! Laughing is a great way to allow the excess tension to work its way out, and cause no harm (emotional or physical) to yourself or those around you! Realizing that you are busy with a reaction that in no way aligns with your purpose for being there is usually pretty sobering. A great wake-up call.
    Another way I find really useful to turn the situation around is to ask “How is my horse/the rider/my instructor possibly feeling right now? Are they confused, tired, frustrated, or fearful… If so, how can I help change that to something more positive?”
    When you can intentionally put yourself into the other person’s (or your horses’) shoes, the different perspective is often enough to change the energy of the situation

    5 . Be Willing To Fail – A Lot!

    Finally, when you are on the road and committed to developing more patience as a rider, there will be speed wobbles. Lots of them! You’ll have days where your physical feelings will get in the way. Tiredness and hunger are two of the big ones for many riders! You’ll also have days where you will feel pushed for time. And then there are the days when other people will have an influence over how you’re showing up and feeling.
    The key to consistently growing and developing your patience is to catch yourself, as close as possible, to the original thought that triggers it all. Some days you’ll have more success than others
    One of the biggest challenges we have as riders (humans) is gaining authority over our own minds. Being able to notice thoughts, and not emotionally respond or react to them is the first step.
    Being able to cultivate thoughts that produce more desirable feelings and outcomes is the next step, and this will take time and commitment
    Remember, no matter how many times you find yourself on the other side of another ‘lost my patience speed wobble’, remind yourself that’s all it was. A momentary speed wobble.
    Then pick yourself up, apologize to whoever may have been affected, and continue trying. Some days it might be better to call it a day, for that day. And there’s also no shame in that either.
    In the beginning, it can feel almost impossible, but over time, trust me, it becomes so much easier.
    Happy Riding
    Lorna
  • Building Confidence When Riding a Nervous Horse

    Building Confidence When Riding a Nervous Horse

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    Riding a nervous horse is one thing… Feeling less than confident about your own abilities while on your horse is quite another. Imagine it, up there, on your horse. He is beginning to get a little ‘jumpy’. Let’s be honest, so are you… Doubts are beginning to creep in and your thoughts are heading in a direction you would rather that they didn’t go…
    Building confidence in your abilities to both handle yourself and the horse when in this situation is often a long road. However, it can be done – with time and patience.
    Here are my suggestions for building your confidence in working with and riding a nervous horse.

    1 . Find Your Comfort Zone – and Stay There

    I know this is a little contrary to what other trainers might suggest in this situation. So many coaches, trainers, and instructors encourage their riders to get out of their comfort zones. I tend to take the opposite approach, initially anyways.
    I believe that if you can find the place where you are happy, the place that is just close to the actual edge of the boundary of your comfort zone and work there for a while, you can begin to re-wire both your thoughts, your actions, and your habits
    So many riders have a ‘protocol’ when it comes to feeling anxious and nervous on a horse. Some will literally attempt to ‘curl up’ into a ball (think of a hamster). Others will become aggressive as a way to hide or mask their doubts. And many will just freeze; forget all training and just sit there, waiting for the inevitable to happen.
    Working inside of your comfort zone will allow your more relaxed habits to become more dominant. The key word there is ‘working’. Do things with your horse from where you are comfortable

    2 . Get Your Basics onto Autopilot

    Very often, riders are failing to get one or two key basics in their riding running on autopilot. What I mean by autopilot is that you no longer have to think about ‘heels down’; it simply just happens. And any time ‘pressure’ is applied, it happens even more! This also applies to ‘sit up and carry yourself’. When your horse is having a moment, these are two things that you really don’t want to forget or stop doing in your riding.
    Focus on getting all the essentials to simply happen, on their own, so that if and when pressure is applied (things don’t go to plan), they remain in place and support you
    Many riders, can keep their heels down as long as they are thinking about keeping their heels down. Remember, when things go sideways, you won’t be running through a checklist of ‘essentials to remember’!
    You want to rather work on regaining balance for yourself and your horse and getting the ride back on track. This is close to impossible to achieve if you first have to ‘fix’ some of your basics with regard to position, posture, and aids

    3 . Begin ‘Testing’ Yourself – and Your Horse

    This is where you can begin to have some fun, while also continuing to work on developing your aids, habits, responses, and reactions. You’re going to do this by ‘inviting’ some potentially uncomfortable things into your comfort zone. Where I would suggest going with this is to think of it from your horse’s perspective. What individual items might cause your horse to question the situation a little?
    Remember, the goal here is to build your confidence when riding a nervous horse – so by doing it this way, you get to remain ‘comfortable’ while your horse may experience a few nerves
    I also believe that getting creative with this is key to really beginning to transform anxiety into excitement – although we also want to take those emotions down a notch or two… Rather than thinking of you and your horse being ‘anxious, which can be a very heavy and big emotion, why not use the word ‘nervous’.  I personally think ‘nervous’ can either be positive or negative; meaning it can go either way. We want it to go in a positive way…
    Think about how you can begin to transform ‘nervous’ energy into ‘curious’ energy
    Only introduce things that you feel comfortable with, and continue to do this until your once nervous horse, also begins to relax and feel comfortable. This could take weeks…  Once you have established a stronger, more relaxed ‘you’ as a rider, and you feel confident as that version of you, then you can begin thinking about venturing outside of that comfort zone…

    4 . Control Everything You Possibly Can

    So, once you have things on autopilot and you have created supportive and good habits as responses and, maybe, reactions, it’s time to think about leaving the ‘comfort zone’. I am not a big fan of simply wandering off into the sunset with a wish and a prayer that all will be okay! This is where planning is going to help you succeed and build your confidence.
    Start off the ground, without your horse, and look at EVERYTHING from their perspective. Remember, you will be riding a nervous horse, so they will also look at, literally, everything!
    Remove any of the questionable things you may meet along your way. Also consider the time of day, who will be around or in the vicinity, the weather, feeding times, energy levels (you especially), and who can possibly be there for support.
    By creating a situation where, for the most part, you have removed many of the challenges, you and your horse can begin to experience working together and getting positive results – even if you both feel a little challenged and nervous

    5 . Mindset When Riding a Nervous Horse

    Finally, it is so important to increase your self-awareness. What are you believing to be true about the situation? Is that really true (meaning anyone, regardless of who they are can agree 100%)? And where can you begin to tweak or change your story surrounding this?
    If you continue to tell yourself the same story, about you feeling nervous while riding a nervous horse, you will continue to produce the same results; change the story where necessary
    Becoming more confident working with a horse who is likely to spook, spin, or fall to pieces is not easy. It will take time, commitment, diligence, patience, and a lot of forgiveness! You must remain dedicated to the job and do the work, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
    However, from experience, I can tell you that if you do stay the course, the results can be life-changing. So often these ‘nervous horses’ can often become the most trustworthy ‘horses of a lifetime’. And this is simply because someone refused to give up on them.
    Good luck and Happy Riding
    Lorna
  • Using Transitions to Improve Your Posture

    Using Transitions to Improve Your Posture

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    For many riders, posture is something that they rarely think a whole lot about. It’s a basic that you ‘set and forget’. Meaning, you figure out what it is and how it feels, and then you are diligent in putting it onto autopilot. Which then frees you up to focus on other things. And this works well; until it doesn’t…
    Transitions, particularly between gaits, have this special ability to shine a spotlight on any weaknesses either horse or rider has, and riders posture is often the focus of this attention
    However, transitions by their very nature can also be a really useful tool to help riders overcome any posture challenges. They require you to engage and carry yourself. And they also continually question you by requiring balance throughout the movement.
    Here are a few ideas to help you make the most of using transitions to improve your posture…

    Know What You Want Before the Transition

    It seems so obvious but getting clear on exactly what you want to achieve beforehand will help.  This means moving out of ‘autopilot’ and becoming present with regards to how you are using your body in the original gait. How does it feel through your shoulders and chest when you are carrying yourself?  And your seat?  What are your hands doing?
    In order to improve something that you already have a habit of doing, you must first become self-aware. Use your time in the gait before the transition to assess your posture and correct any problems. 
    By becoming more self-aware, you will often notice where those bad habits are beginning to slip into your everyday riding.  Maybe it’s a collapse of a shoulder through a bend or corner.  Or perhaps a tendency to become heavy through your seat as you half halt.  Whatever you notice, fix it inside of the gait first, before then moving on to working on it through the transitions themselves.

    Practice in Walk and Halt

    What if someone said that before you could trot, canter, or do any of the ‘fun things’ you love to do on a horse again, you first had to perfect your ability to walk?  Many riders don’t think of the walk as being something that needs work, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.  This is why I think investing time in your walk will help both you and your horse in the long run.
    When you first begin actually using transitions to improve your posture work between walking and halting.  Focus on being as consistent as you can within these two gaits, and only then, begin introducing trot to the mix. 
    Notice how well you can maintain both your posture, your position, and your positive tension throughout your body.  All of the above will influence the horse through the transition, and help determine if the transition is a success or a little less than inspiring!

    Positive Tension in Your Body

    This is a key part of transitions.  The energy needed to ride a transition is different from what’s being done both before and after the transition itself.  And it can often be a struggle to find the correct level of tension – relaxation – through it.
    There is also the responsibility of smoothing out the tension levels so that what came before blends with the transition and then smoothly continues into the new gait. 
    Riders who carry excess tension in their bodies through the transitions tend to lose their posture.  They either become ‘contracted’ through certain parts of the body – for example, the arms and shoulders – or they ‘lean’. This will look like their shoulders are either in front of or behind their hips.
    One of your goals as a rider, through all transitions, is the ability to find the correct level of tension and then blend that with what’s before and after the transition itself – and then help your horse to do the same. 

    Remain Aligned Through Your Body

    Once you’re clear on what you want, you can now begin to practice this through different transitions.  Pay attention to the alignment of your body.  If you find, at any point, that you have lost that basic alignment, pause a second and try to figure out why…
    Keep in mind that sometimes poor posture is a symptom of something else going on, perhaps position related. Find the root cause, and correct that first. 
    This will often result in your posture being more consistent, without you having to actually ‘fix’ anything regarding your posture. Self-carriage is a big part of posture, so if in doubt, lift yourself.  Carry through your body, open your chest, and elongate or lengthen down through to the heel.

    Using Transitions to Improve Your Posture

    As I’ve mentioned, transitions are a great way to really highlight what’s going on in your body when you ride. By taking the time to really notice what you’re doing, you can often fast-track your progress in other areas.
    Keep in mind, if your posture is letting you down through each transition, you are spending precious strides in each new gait trying to ‘fix’ that and re-establish what was lost. 
    Making ‘good posture’ a goal for you and your horse over the coming weeks and months will allow you both the space, literally, to begin implementing new things in your riding.
    Happy Riding
    Lorna