Strides for Success

Tag: seat

  • Why Your Half Halt Isn’t Working

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    Have you ever felt as though the concept of the half halt is a memo every other rider, except for you, somehow received? If so, you’re not alone! There was no memo, and there are more riders than you can imagine out there who also just don’t ‘get it’!

    Which is strange because the half halt is one of the most widely referenced tools in riding! And yet it remains one of the least understood!  Today, I want to simplify it for you. We’re going to look at what the half halt is, what it isn’t, how to tell if yours is working, and what to do when it’s not.

    My goal is that by the time you finish reading, you’ll have a clearer picture of how this small moment of communication between you and your horse can genuinely change how you work together.

    What ‘Is’ The Half Halt?

    Let’s begin with the simplest explanation. The half halt is a tiny moment of rebalancing. Nothing dramatic, nothing forceful. Just you and your horse pausing, ever so slightly, to redistribute weight, reorganize, refocus – and then continue on together with more clarity.

    Think of it as a gentle invitation to reset the balance so that the next stride, transition, or movement feels more together.

    And while on it’s own, it’s extremely powerful, it’s also worth noting that a half halt is rarely a “one and done” situation. Because it’s such a small moment, you often need a few of them close together to make a noticeable difference. That’s normal. The half halt is subtle by design. That subtlety is its power.

    Why Does it Feel Complicated?

    The confusion around the half halt usually begins because people make it sound far more complicated than it needs to be. There is this idea that half halts belong to the world of very advanced riding. That they exist on a mystical plane occupied only by the Top 1% of riders – and maybe some unicorns! That is not the case.

    You can begin using half halts today, no matter where you are in your riding journey. Like everything, you will refine it over time, but you do not need to wait until you are “ready” to begin.

    The real key to understanding the half halt is recognizing that it is not just one aid. It’s a blend of a lot of your aids working together, almost simultaneously. If you take nothing else from this, please take this: your hands come last. Most riders begin with their hands, and that is where everything falls apart. The reins are not the half halt. They are only one final part of it.

    Riding the Half Halt

    A correct half halt begins with you. Your seat and posture come into play first. Think of it as ‘carrying’ yourself so that you’re modeling what you want for your horse to follow. You should become an example of the ‘self-carriage’ you’d like your horse to adopt.  Then your leg is there to maintain the forward energy. Only once that energy is present do you close your fingers briefly to collect and channel what you’ve already created.

    The hand does not create anything. It only gathers what the seat and leg have already put into place

    This is where many riders struggle. They go first with the reins, hoping to “make something happen,” but there is nothing there to collect. They are trying to grab and hold energy, rather than wait for the energy to be ready to be gathered.  When the reins come first, it either stops the forward flow completely or it creates tension that blocks the possibility of connection. Either way, the half halt simply cannot work.

    Did It Work? (the big question!)

    So how do you know if your half halt actually had a positive influence? One of the clearest signs is a lightening of the forehand. When the weight redistributes, you can usually feel the horse lift slightly in front. The balance improves, and the energy begins to feel clearer. It becomes easier to direct. Everything feels a little more organized underneath you.

    You may also feel the rhythm settle. If things were starting to get fast or slightly scattered, the half halt helps to bring the horse back into a more relaxed, consistent tempo.

    You and your horse become more together. That’s what a half halt is supposed to achieve: a sense of working with one another rather than against.

    What you should not see is a big, dramatic change. If the horse slows considerably, hollows, or becomes tense, that wasn’t a half halt. That was just pulling! A correct half halt is barely visible. You almost have to feel it more than see it. When a horse and rider are working well together, you won’t see big corrections. The rider uses quick, subtle adjustments before things go wrong. The half halt becomes part of that quiet conversation.

    Why Isn’t My Half Halt Working?

    If your half halt isn’t producing these kinds of changes, there are a few likely reasons. The first is, like I’ve already mentioned, too much hand. If the rein aid is too strong or too early, everything falls flat. Another common issue is the lack of your supporting leg. If your lower leg swings forward, or if it’s simply doing nothing, the energy disappears before it can be gathered!  Timing is another factor. Many riders hold the half halt too long.

    The whole moment should take only the space of a single footfall, not an entire stride. If you hold too long, the energy becomes blocked – and the conversation becomes stuck! 

    And sometimes the horse simply doesn’t understand yet. That’s not a failure. It just means there is more training to be done, and more clarity to establish between you. The half halt is a conversation that grows and develops over time.

    All Half Halts are Not the Same…

    One of the most important things to remember is that the half halt is not fixed. It changes depending on the day, the horse, what you are doing, etc.  Even though both of you feel physically and mentally can have an impact on the quality of the half halt. You cannot approach it as a formula where two plus two always equals four. Some days your horse is supple and forward-thinking, and everything responds easily. Other days, the response is delayed or dull.

    Your half halt must remain supple and adaptable. You adjust your approach to meet the horse where they are.

    Practicing the ‘Feel’

    If this feels overwhelming, try to relax. The best way to learn the half halt is through simple, consistent practice. The next time you ride, begin by organizing yourself. Focus on your self-carriage first. Then, feel your horse through your seat. Allow your core to quietly stabilize. At the same time, your legs come on just enough to encourage the energy to keep flowing forward. Once that energy is there, close your fingers briefly. Then release. That release is just as important as the gathering.

    You can practice this every six to eight strides to begin. Simply remind yourself what you’re about to do; then, sit tall, feel, gather, release. Notice how it feels.

    Does the balance change? Does the rhythm improve? Do you feel slightly more connected? These changes may be tiny at first, but over time they accumulate. Each half halt builds on the last.

    If Your Half Halt Isn’t Working…

    Learning to ride a good half halt is not an overnight achievement or a quick fix. It requires dedicated and intentional time working on it in the saddle. It also takes consistency and a willingness to listen and respond to your horse. Notice the feedback your horse gives you. Notice how the balance shifts when you get the timing right. Notice the small improvements.

    The half halt, more than anything, it requires an openness to feeling. You cannot learn feel from a book or a video or even a coach. You learn it by doing. That is why this is an invitation to experiment. 

    If you find you would like support with this, we are dedicating October, November, and December 2025 to working through the half halt inside Connection. October is focused on half halting on the lunge, and then through November and December, we will bring those principles into the saddle.

    With weekly live training sessions, audio riding lessons, and ongoing support, Connection may be what will help you and your horse.  You can find the details at stridesforsuccess.com/join.

    For now, take this simple explanation with you to the arena. Practice it. Play with it. Pay attention to what changes. That is where you and your horse will truly begin to both understand and respond to this tool.

    And, with time and consistency,  the half halt will become something natural, fluid, and fantastically effective for you and your horse!

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    The Your Signature Ride Challenge

    Here’s the idea: you use only your seat and leg aids to “write” your name in the arena. Sounds simple, right? But what it really does is sharpen your awareness of timing and clarity.  You’ll learn when your aids actually make a difference.  And you’ll have fun doing it.  All while creating a pattern that’s uniquely yours!

    You can sign up by CLICKING HERE

    It’s free to join, and every rider who participates gets access to a guided audio lesson to help them through the challenge. Plus, you’ll have a chance to win 3 months inside Connection (a $66 value)

    Restart & Reschool

    And if you would like a little more 1-to-1 coaching, explore Restart & Reschool Private Coaching. It is perfect if you’re starting your practice – or if you’re looking to turn your existing practice into something ‘real’ for you and your horse. I’ll guide you step by step on the way! You’ll not only get the full ‘OTTB; From Racetrack to Ready Program’, but also fornightly private lessons with me to move you forward in your riding.

    We can work on anything you would like; from groundwork, to lunging, to riding, to jumping… With the virtual private lessons, we can do all of these things – and more.  If you would like to find out me, you can let me know a little more about you HERE and I will then reach back out and we can chat!

    This is the support, training, and accountability you’ve been missing to finally follow through and start seeing progress. No fluff. No overwhelm. And as flexible as you need for your lifestyle. 

    Online Training & Coaching

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  • Developing Steady Hands as You Ride Your Horse

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    Do your hands sometimes seem like they develop a mind of their own when you’re riding?  You tell them to stay quiet, steady, and soft…  But they just seem committed to waving about. In fact, they feel miles away from being the ‘steady hands’ that you want as a rider!

    Trust me, you’re not alone! Steady hands are a sore spot for so many riders, with the added frustration of as soon as you recognise it as a problem, it can often get worse before it gets better!  Today we’re going to unpack how to begin developing steady hands that are more consistent and will improve communication with your horse.

    Why Steady Hands Matter

    Having steady hands isn’t about your hands being ‘fixed’ or ‘rigid’. Far from it actually. Steady hands is all about creating a consistent, gentle connection between you and your horse. It improves your horse’s trust in your contact and makes your aids clearer – and kinder.

    Ironically, the harder we try to force our hands to stay still, the more exaggerated their movements often become. It’s like being aware of them makes them become even more animated! 

    So let’s dive into practical ways to address this issue once and for all…

    What’s Really Happening?

    Before fixing a problem, you need to know exactly what’s causing it. There are generally two big reasons your hands may move too much. The first is that you’re actually moving your hands! I know, you might think ‘No Way!’, but it’s true! Especially if you’re always fiddling with and shortening/lengthening your reins.

    If your reins keep slipping so that you have to keep shortening them, you’re probably holding your reins wrong. Get that issue sorted first… Then move on from there :)

    The other way your hands can be moving about is far more unintentional.  It often comes down to you relying far too much on your hands for balance or support. This really shows up in trot, canter, turns, and bends. It can also show up as you post to the trot.

    Get Clear on Your Hands First

    Grab a whip or stick and hold your reins normally, thumbs on top. Lift your thumbs slightly and lay the whip horizontally across your fingers, then gently clamp your thumbs back down to hold it in place. As you ride, glance down occasionally to check if your whip remains ‘still’ or is it moving about all over the place! You will also be able to quickly see if you’re tilting or dropping one hand using this method as well.

    The other way to assess what your hands are doing is to film yourself riding with this setup. Bonus points if you wear bright white gloves! This makes your hand movements glaringly obvious, helping you clearly see what’s going on.

    Identifying the Root Cause

    So, if you’ve looked back over the videos and seen your hands merrily dancing all over the place, you need to find out why that is happening! Ask yourself: Is this simply a habit? Or is something deeper affecting your balance and stability?

    Often, unsteady hands signal balance and position problems. For example, riders frequently use their hands to balance, similar to how you’d extend your arms if you were walking on a narrow plank.

    Another thing to keep in mind is how incorrect posting to the trot can also be causing your issues. If you’re pulling yourself up, instead of using your core to rise ‘forward’, you will see hard, moving hands. If you see this as an issue, keep in mind that you were probably told to go ‘up-down’ when you initially learned to post.

    Also keep in mind that improving your core strength, along with correct posting techniques, will often help resolve this issue. 

    Practical Solutions to Steady Hands

    1. Relax and Check Your Elbows

    Believe it or not, your elbows play a huge role in hand stability. Some riders lock their elbows straight, causing their hands to bounce. If you see from your video that you’re doing that, rather gently let your elbows drape softly by your side.  Naturally bent and relaxed as though you were carrying two cups of tea.

    And just like if you were carrying cups of tea while walking, your elbows gently absorb the horse’s movement while riding. This helps to keep create steady hands that are soft and connected. 

    2. Strengthen Your Core

    Core strength is crucial for horse riding and creating steady hands!  If your core is weak, you will be far more likely to rely on your hands for balance. You probably know if this is an issue for you… You know, those ‘wobbly’ feelings that come up when you trot without stirrups, bend or circle in trot or canter, etc.

    Begin incorporating simple exercises into your daily routine, like planks, balance ball workouts, and the Equestrian Fitness Challenge (FREE HERE). These off-horse exercises help build core strength and stability, which will result in steadier hands for you in the saddle.

    3. Connect Your Seat to Your Hands

    Your seat and hands should work together seamlessly, with your hands following the subtle movements of your seat – not the other way around. Unfortunately, a lot of riders depend too much on their hands, so they end up leading the seat!

    If you are a little too ‘handy’ when riding, consider lunge lessons where someone else lunges you on your horse. They can direct your horse, which will allow you to focus on you :)

    If lunging with a helper isn’t possible, create a small, safe area to practice riding without reins at walk and trot, helping you strengthen your seat and core without relying on your hands for balance.

    4. Off-Horse Exercises for Better Stability

    There’s so much you can do out of the saddle to improve your riding. Get yourself a large exercise or Pilates ball and use it to improve your balance and hand steadiness.  Plus, it’s so much fun as well! Sit on the ball, create makeshift reins (or use your own reins fixed to something sturdy), and practice posting, sitting trot, and even canter motions.

    This type of exercise and practice will help your body develop muscle memory, enabling better coordination between your seat and hands when you’re back on your horse.

    Important Reminders as You Improve

    When you begin down the path to create steady hands in the saddle, be prepared for it sometimes getting worse before it gets better! It can feel that initially focusing intensely on your hands can cause tension, making your movements temporarily stiffer and more exaggerated. Don’t worry – this is completely normal! The key is to remain patient and consistent. Steady improvement will follow.

    Instead of aiming for absolute stillness (which isn’t realistic or helpful), aim for “steady” hands. Hands that softly and smoothly follow your horse’s movements, maintaining gentle contact without rigidity.

    Take Regular Videos

    Make video analysis a regular part of your practice. The visual feedback helps you notice subtle improvements and identify lingering issues. Wearing white gloves or using the whip technique periodically is also a great way to gauge your progress.

    Bringing it All Together

    At the end of the day, creating steady hands is not an overnight thing. It will require a combination of awareness, targeted practice, patience, and consistency, both in and out of the saddle. Strengthening your core, stabilizing your seat, and keeping relaxed, flexible elbows will lead you toward more stable, soft hands that genuinely improve communication with your horse.

    Remember, because your hands are at the ends of your arms (like your feet at the end of your legs) they often are a telltale sign of movement and tension happening in other areas of your body. 

    Want extra support? Join me over at ReturningtoRiding.com. Get on the waitlist to start mastering the basics and build your riding confidence.

    Happy riding
    Lorna

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    Online Training to Help Your Riding

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  • Revisiting the Basics; Why You NEED to Do This in Your Riding…

    Revisiting the Basics; Why You NEED to Do This in Your Riding…

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    It can seem like something that only novice or beginner riders would worry themselves with; revisiting the basics.  After all, surely there’s a point where, as riders, we can ‘set and forget’ a couple of things in our riding? Basics like position and the aids.  Or trotting and cantering…

    And I think a lot of this stems from the fact that we see the basics as being, somehow, for beginners.  For riders who are only just getting started on their journey.  Surely not riders who have been hard at work for 5, 10, 40 years… Or riders who are competing at high levels. 

    And yet, if riders could begin to swap out the word ‘basics’ and replace it with the ‘essential foundations for the current level of work or development’, revisiting those old places, from this ‘new level’, wouldn’t seem so bad after all, would it?

    Upgrading As a Rider

    As a rider, you are developing your skills all the time.  You learn new ways of doing things.  And you also stop doing things in certain ways because they no longer serve you.

    Being willing to put down old thoughts, methods, and ways is an essential part of growing and developing as a rider. 

    When riders cling to the ‘old ways’, progress will inevitably come to a halt.  Whether we like it or not, there is a capacity for what we can hold at any one point in time…

    And yet, letting go of the old ways can feel so uncomfortable!  There are thoughts like ‘well, it’s worked fine up until now’ and ‘if it’s not broken, why fix it?’.  To which I answer, why wait until it breaks?  Upgrades are essential for everything that is in good working order.  Maintainance and replacing worn-out parts keep things going – and make them better.

    You cannot ask a horse to halt the old way and ask a horse to halt the new way at the same time.  Something has to give. 

    Deciding What Needs Revisiting

    I am a huge believer in tracking things.  Looking for patterns and then tweaking a specific something in order to see what happens.  If you apply this to your riding, you will begin to clearly see what needs upgrading.

    For example, perhaps you have now begun to work on contact.  You can maintain good quality contact while you and your horse are moving forwards.  However, as soon as a downward transition is required – Hello Hollowness or Hello Heaviness! In this situation, it could be your half halt that needs to be revisited and upgraded to now include or allow for this new skill of contact.  Or it may be your balance of aids; how you are using your aids together to communicate something specific to your horse.  Maybe you need to learn to become less reliant on the reins through downward transitions and develop your seat and weight aids more.

    Each time you learn something new, incorporate something different or reach a plateau in your riding, it is worthwhile revisiting the basics. 

    Tracking your progress, and your horse’s development will allow you to see specifically what needs to upgrade in order to truly move forward to the next level in your riding.  And, as riders, it is important to both want to and try to develop your skills, understanding, and practice.

    What Makes a Great Rider?

    It’s a big question, I know.  But if I think about someone who I really admire as a rider, what usually stands out is how ‘quiet’ they are.  They really have taken the time to develop their skills in a way that allows for a ‘secret conversation’ to take place.

    Great riders, whether they realize it or not, are happy to adapt what they do in order to more effectively communicate and partner with their horse. 

    They are fluid in their thinking and actions.  They know that a one size fits all solution is not the key to working with any horse. They can assess and feel the situation without even consciously having to think about it.  And they have their own basics sorted out and developed so that their focus can be on the effective communication they want to achieve with their horse. Not fixing their position or using more ‘leg’ at a certain point in the movement.

    And they are not afraid to go back, spend time revisiting the basics knowing that what they put onto autopilot is what works NOW for them in their riding.  This creates clarity going forward in the training and development. 

    Revisiting the Basics in Your Riding

    This is a key point; your basics should be on autopilot.  You really and truly do not want to spend your time in the saddle focusing your attention on ‘lifting your hands or bending your elbows’.  You also don’t want to keep having to ‘fix’ your lower leg because it wanders.

    Whether you realize it or not, you already have basics on autopilot.  The question is, are those things still serving you? Or are they outdated and holding you back?

    How you stopped your horse the very first time you rode a horse looks very different to how you stop a horse now – we hope!  You upgraded your knowledge and skills.  And from this upgrading, you changed the actions you take to make it happen.

    Doing things a certain way because that is how you have always done something is only a recipe for becoming stuck and hitting a plateau in your riding. You MUST upgrade things in order to improve and thrive as a rider. 

    Start Today

    I bet that, as you read this, one or two things jumped out at you that you can begin working on or improving in your riding.  It could be the thing that an instructor or trainer is saying a lot… Or something that seems to be written on every ‘marks sheet’ you get from judges or assessors.  It may be something you keep complaining about to your equestrian friends, or your horse!

    Once you have identified something that needs upgrading (and something will always need upgrading), begin creating a plan to make it happen…

    Find out more about that basic.  How can it evolve or how can the role change?  What can you do differently or change?  When you know more about something, the path to making it happen will appear.

    Find exercises that will help you to work or develop that basic more. Some may be riding-related, or some may require you to upgrade your mindset or physical fitness. 

    Once you know what you want to work on, the final piece is to do it.  Take diligent, correct action, and see how things change.  Once you upgrade a basic, you will see a whole new level appearing in your riding.  And your horse will feel the difference as well.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    Returning to Riding Program

    For many riders, being out of the saddle for a while means that they are no longer sure of what needs work in their riding!  If you have been on a break from riding (2 months or 20 years) and would like a step-by-step system to get you back into regular, effective riding, make sure you check out Returning to Riding.

    This premium program (usually $497) is completely free if you join Connection, my monthly membership for equestrians, in the month of March 2022.

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  • Re-Defining the Rhythm in the Canter When Riding

    Re-Defining the Rhythm in the Canter When Riding

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    There are some things that many of us simply accept in life.  Rainy days. Horsehair is everywhere in Spring. The rhythm in the canter.  And yet, while we cannot change the weather (okay, debatable) and we definitely cannot get around the necessary loss of the winter coat…

    The Rhythm in the canter is definitely something we can have a more positive influence over when we ride – rather than simply accepting what is. 

    And yet, it can seem daunting! Many riders find that when they attempt to begin doing this, they tend to lose the canter altogether.  They quickly find themselves back in the trot.  Or the canter has lost its 3 beat sequence – so it’s technically no longer a canter!

    Why Redefining?

    I think that in order to really make your time in canter count towards the overall training of your horse, we need to first define what is already there.  Most riders know that rhythm in the canter consists of a repetitive 1,2,3..1,2,3..1,2,3..

    And yet, many riders almost see each stride in the canter as being the rhythm, instead of each individual beat that truly makes up the rhythm. 

    By redefining the rhythm in the canter, I would love for you to stop seeing the rhythm as being stride for stride.  But rather being noticing the individual beats that, together, create the rhythm of each stride inside of the canter itself.

    Noticing Each Individual Beat

    Once you have committed to really separating things out regarding what happens within each stride, the challenge becomes making this happen when you’re riding.  In canter, the strides can feel fast!  They seem to come flying along and so fast and furious that really being able to identify individual beats inside of the stride can seem daunting!

    Start with the first beat of each stride.  Start with 1.  Each stride, after the break that the ‘roll’ (suspension) creates, notice the 1 in each new stride. 

    Once you have identified the 1 of each stride, begin creating a connection between that beat and your outside seat bone.  1 is your horse’s outside back leg stepping down on the ground. Your horse’s back leg and your outside seat bone are connected.

    Let your awareness of the first beat inside of each stride, and its connection to your outside seat bone help you to begin to ‘define’ rhythm in the canter.

    Finding the Second Beat

    Once you have identified the first beat, it simply becomes a matter of mindfulness and awareness to begin identifying the second and third beats of each individual canter stride. I feel that one of the best ways to do this is to begin using 1 as an opportunity to half halt.

    Half halt is only really held for a beat, so using the beat from the 1 inside of the canter stride as a timer, will allow you to begin clearly identifying the 2 in each stride. 

    The second beat, 2 is when the horses inside back leg and outside front leg move forwards together.  It will feel like activation of your inside seat bone.  A swinging forward feeling.  Some riders describe it as a ‘scoop’.

    If you can begin to identify the 2nd beat within each stride, and then tie that in with the movement of your inside seat bone, it will allow you to start truly defining the rhythm in the canter itself.

    Third Beat and the Roll…

    The third beat, beat 3 happens when your inside seat bone has swung or scooped as far forward as it is going to go inside of that particular stride.  The 3 is the culmination of the stride.  However, the horse’s body now has to move forward over the inside front leg in order to start the process again.

    This ‘gap’ between the 3rd and last beat of the old stride and the 1st beat of the new stride is marked by a moment of suspension.  It feels like a rolling feeling when you are in the saddle. 

    This allows. your body to reset itself and be ready for 1 (or the first beat) again.  Any resisting, excessive tension or lack of balance from the rider will become amplified here.  This is where many riders can become a little ‘airborne’!  It is also where riders can tend to override with their shoulders and upper body.

    The key to riding the canter is suppleness and if is in this ‘roll’ part of each stride that a lack of suppleness in the rider will become very clear!

    Re-Defining the Rhythm in the Canter

    Once you can clearly identify each individual beat inside of the canter itself, you can begin to intentionally use your aids to have more influence.  Each individual stride is an opportunity to connect with your horse and help him to create more space within that stride.

    By consistently connecting your individual aids to each individual element of the canter stride, you can begin to intentionally ask different questions of your horse

    Questions like “Wait a fraction longer here please” using your outside seat bone on beat 1 of the canter stride. Or “A little longer please” using your inside seat bone on beat 2.  Or “A little shorter here please”!

    What is important is to remember that no one aid will be applied in isolation.  I am just mentioning the two above to help you gain connection to the individual beats within the stride itself.

    When you can easily identify each beat of the stride, you can begin to measure your influence as a rider.  You can be creating more space within each stride.  Defining each beat more so that they are ‘stand out’ and easy to spot (or hear).

    This is how you can then begin to improve the rhythm inside of the canter – for you and your horse.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    More Episodes on This Topic:-

  • Syncing Your Seat in the Canter with Your Horse

    Syncing Your Seat in the Canter with Your Horse

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    All riders can be put into one of two categories when it comes to the canter… Those who can move their seat in the canter with their horse – and those who can’t. This is a bitter pill to swallow for those on the ‘can’t’ side of the fence.  And yet, it is something that they would secretly love to be able to do.

    Having the ability to control your seat in the canter completely changes how much influence you have in the gait – and it is a lot more comfortable. 

    So, if you’ve been stuck in the ‘can’t’ camp for longer than you would like, this is how to finally move forwards into the ‘can’ camp…

    It’s All About Practice

    And not just any old practice.  I am talking perfect practice.  Doing the same, middle-of-the-road things over and over again, hoping for a different result is madness.  Rather spend less time, but more intention and focus in order to make your practice work for you.

     1. Start with syncing your seat to your horse’s hindquarters in the walk

    This is something that will happen naturally if you have already learned to ‘follow’ your horse. Another way of saying this is that you are willing to allow your horse to ‘lead’ you.  This requires suppleness and self-carriage on your part.  It also requires a good quality rhythmic walk.

    Devote time and practice to perfect your ability to know what is moving when underneath you at any given time.  Remember to carry yourself so that you can simply allow your seat to move unhindered.

     2. Work on Your Alignment, Posture, and Position

    The head, shoulder, hip, heel line should remain visible throughout your flatwork with your horse.  This is true for halt, walk, trot, or canter.  Also throughout your transitions into and out of each gait.

    This correct alignment will allow you to be in the best possible position to accurately and effectively use your aids to communicate with your horse. And to control your seat in the canter. 

     3. Weight Dropped into the Heel

    When in the canter, many riders tend to ‘pull their leg up’.  I feel that trying to ‘grip’ is the cause.  It doesn’t help!  Work on lengthening your leg.  Think about allowing them to ‘drape’ over your horse.  This means that they are in direct contact, but not squeezing or gripping.

    Weight into the heels will allow you to remain balanced, centered, and effective as you move with your horse in the canter. 

    As you canter, focus on allowing the weight to remain in the heel. Especially the inside heel, as this will help you to also connection your inside seat bone.  it is common for the inside seat bone to ‘migrate’ to the outside of the saddle in the canter.  Especially when on circles and bends.

     4. Carry Your Shoulders, Arms, and Hands

    There seems to be something about the canter that, as soon as riders get into it, they want to drop the whole upper body.  Collapsing your upper body will not help you or your horse.  In fact, this is one of the big reasons riders ‘bounce’ in the canter.

    The lack of alignment, causes their seat and hips to become ‘squashed’ by the upper body – preventing any meaningful movement. This blocks the energy, which causes the bounce. 

    Carrying your shoulders, arms, and hands feels exactly as it sounds.  Simply engage your core, open your chest, allow your arms to fall down from the shoulders, bend the elbows, and carry the hands.  It’s as simple as that. This applies to both the canter and the transitions in and out of the canter as well.

     5. Notice the ‘Scoop’ Feeling

    This always reminds me of ice cream!  You know one of those metal scoops that ‘rolls’ the hard ice cream up into a nice little ball, ready for serving?  Your seat in the canter can feel like this.

    Dig or scoop too deep and you will get ‘stuck’ due to you blocking the energy. Don’t scoop enough and you literally skim over the top with nothing gathered or collected.

    Practice finding the right amount of ‘scoop’ for the work you are doing at any given time with your horse. This will help you to, later, begin influencing the canter itself using your seat.

    6. Lead with Your Belly Button

    This goes back to posture and alignment, self-carriage, and moving with your horse. When you truly begin to move your seat in the canter with your horse, it will feel like your belly button is ‘going first’.

    Think of it as every new canter stride, your seat (and belly button) are getting their first – the rest of you is following. 

    Your seat and your hands are connected.  Whatever your seat does, your hands will mirror a split second later.  Many riders get this sequence confused.  They want to lead with their hands and have their seat follow.  This is when you see riders dipping up and down, back and forth, with their shoulders in the canter.

    You rather want your shoulders to remain quiet, and your seat to move with your horse in the canter.  Seat before hand.  Always. 

    This can only happen when you are in correct alignment, have great posture, and are willing to allow your seat to be led by your horse first.

    Your Seat in the Canter

    From this place, you can then truly begin to use your seat to influence your horse in a more positive way.  When you can truly sync your seat, it becomes a tool – rather than a hindrance.

    If you are still struggling to ‘sit’ in the canter, try taking your feet out of your stirrups.  This can help you to brace less using your legs and, therefore, ‘swing’ more using your seat.

    Canter takes work.  It also takes time, patience, consistency and correct practice. And, just like the trot, once you have it – you have it :)

    From there it just becomes a case of how you can control your aids more, to have an overall more positive effect on your horse’s way of going.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

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  • Putting 1 Basic on Autopilot in Your Riding This Month

    Putting 1 Basic on Autopilot in Your Riding This Month

    [fusebox_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/dailystridespodcast/1201_Putting_One_Thing_onto_Autopilot_in_Your_Riding_This_Month.mp3″ title=”Put 1 Thing onto Autopilot in Your Riding This Month” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”The key to better riding? Put all of the basics onto autopilot…” hashtag=”equestrianpodcast, #horseriding” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]

    Have you ever wondered how some riders seem to effortlessly connect with their horse when riding?  It genuinely seems like they are doing nothing in particular, and there is clearly an ongoing conversation, or magic, happening.

    The secret to seemingly effortless riding is to begin, one by one putting a basic on autopilot – and then revisiting and upgrading them regularly

    The basics in riding are all the seemingly small, but vitally important, things that are essential to developing as a rider.  They are like the foundations.

    Choosing a ‘Basic on Autopilot’ This Month

    I think that there are a few key areas that you can begin looking at putting onto autopilot in your riding.  Now, obviously, each of these topics is pretty sizeable and has many different facets to them; there are no ‘quick wins’ and ‘one solution fit all’ here.

          1. Following & Allowing with Your Seat
          2. Your Position & Posture
          3. Your Basic Aids
          4. Bending & Turning
          5. Trotting (transitions and what you do while trotting)
          6. Cantering (transitions and what you do while cantering)

    If you look at any rider who is having a great, connected conversation with their horse, they are not worrying about any of these things… They are not continuously ‘fixing’ their position.  Or trying to turn their horse.  They are certainly not still trying to figure out basic trotting and canter.

    Start with Your Seat

    Now, I realize that your seat, as an aid, is a fairly advanced topic for many riders.  However, how you get to actually really being using your seat to positively influence the conversation with your horse to begin learning how to feel with it.

    Can you tell exactly what is where at any given point when you ride?  Can you ‘pause’ a point in the walk and confidently say ‘his outside back leg is on the ground now’?

    Feeling with the seat is overlooked by a lot of riders because it often feels ‘boring’.  However, it is the single thing you can start with today, regardless of what riding you are doing or where to really be improving your skills in the saddle.

    Following & Allowing

    Another key area to begin working with, using your seat for reference, is following and allowing.  Putting this particular basic onto autopilot is essential to master; because ‘forwardness’ is essential for everything in riding.

    If you are asking for ‘forward’, and you are then blocking that forwardness; well things are not going to run very smoothly! 

    I like to think of this as allowing your horse to ‘lead’ your seat.  Let him move it.  Then, once you have mastered this, you can begin working on ‘allowing’ the energy or forwardness.  So many riders are unknowingly blocking or driving with their seat – all the time!

    Allowing, simply means, that you are aware of the influence your seat has over the flow of the energy from back to front in your horse.

    What’s Your 1 ‘Basic on Autopilot’?

    I would love for you to challenge yourself to this. Devote this week (or month, if you really want the full effect) to making this your mission each time you’re in the saddle.  Keep correcting or fixing yourself.  Constantly.  Until it just becomes the thing that you do.  Either, you make a new habit by changing the status quo.  Or you allow the correction to be on autopilot.

    So, what is the 1 thing right now in your riding, that if you didn’t have to think about or correct so much, would free up time for so much more?

    Can you imagine how different things would be if you no longer had to keep on thinking about this?  If it could stop distracting you from other things, once and for all.  And if, by removing this from your ‘have to look after’, will allow you to then move to the next, and the next… Until you are the ‘effortless’ rider :)

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

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