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As riders, we tend to get to a point in our riding where we would much prefer it if our horse did not anticipate the upcoming movement or question. This is usually because it causes a lack of suppleness; physically and mentally. However, as riders, we are actually doing the same thing more than a lot of us are willing to admit!
Have you ever found yourself expecting something to go wrong before it even happens? Well, whether you realise it or not, in that moment, you’re probably bracing!
In this post, I want to explore the idea of bracing vs. embracing (rather than just relaxation), and how it is having a huge undercurrent on all of the training and work you’re doing with your horse. I also want to argue for embracing the moment and how this could be the single biggest shift you can make in your training this year.
What Is Bracing?
Bracing is a contraction. It’s that tightening, restricting, protective posture we automatically shift into when we expect impact. And so often, we do this without even realising it! Physically, it might look and feel like a clenched jaw, tight shoulders, locked elbows, gripping with your thighs and knees (turning into a clothes peg on your horse’s back!), or holding your breath.
But bracing isn’t just physical. It also shows up mentally and emotionally, especially when you expect the worst, worry about the consequences or results, and try to control EVERYTHING!
It’s a fear or anxiety-based response that is so often linked to a past experience that didn’t go well. This past experience might not even be to do with horses. However, your mind and body ‘braced’ and this worked in that situation. So, you now believe that “this keeps me safe.”
But when bracing becomes your default response to uncertainty, challenges, or a specific situation, it stops helping and starts hurting your progress.
Why Bracing Becomes a Problem
So aside from expecting the worst, there are other issues with bracing when working with your horse. Lack of feel, softness, and connection are the three big challenges! And when you work with your horse, whether on the ground or in the saddle, these qualities are essential to develop and improve.
Your horse reads your body language like a book. Which means that when you ‘brace’, your horse feels it. And because many horses are masters at mirroring, they’ll often respond with tension or resistance.
Which is often the key reason that the ‘worst thing’ you were has the potential to begin playing out! And remember, not because of your horse, but more to do with the energy you brought to the moment! Your bracing ends up becoming a self-fulfilled prophecy!
This can play out in so many different areas of groundwork and riding. Upward transitions are often a great example of this. A rider asks for trot or canter, but as soon as the horse responds with energy, the rider braces! It’s like saying ‘go’, but then immediately changing your mind and shouting ‘no’! They tighten the reins, lock their back. And the horse says, “Hold on… Didn’t you just ask me to go?”
Confusion sets in, tension rises and the rider becomes frustrated. All while, over time, the horse becomes resistant.
What Bracing Blocks
Okay, so let’s be honest – bracing is literally you avoiding some sort of a perceived collision or interaction with someone or something. It is you ‘backing off’ whatever it is you think is coming. So when you brace, you block all of the good things that are necessary to ride ‘through’ something. Things like:-
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- Energy
- Flow
- Connection
- Rhythm
- Suppleness
- Trust
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This is why bracing becomes a bigger problem over time, especially when your horse learns to anticipate your bracing. When your horse begins to expect that response from you. Horses are really good pattern-readers. This is how we work with them by setting expectations.
Except when your horse begins to expect a block every time you ask a specific question… He is soon not going to respond the way you want but rather the way you ‘expect’.
So, if everytime when you’re out on a hack, another horse whinny’s in the distance, and you clamp the reins, your horse begins to learn that this ‘hardness’ is your response to this. Obviously, this is a reaction from you. But your horse sees it as a response. Soon, you’ll find that you’re not just riding the horse; you’re riding the pattern you’ve both unknowingly created.
What’s the Opposite of Bracing?
Now, most instructors will say “relaxing.”. And I myself have also said this for years. “Try to relax a little more as you ask for the transition into canter” is something I know I have repeated on many occasions! And yes, relaxation is important. But it’s not the real opposite of bracing.
The true opposite of bracing is embracing. To actively remain open, stay present and curious, and to remain connected. To be self-aware enough to go with the movement and the moment.
Think about the last time you physically embraced someone or something. Maybe it was a hug, a smile, a decision to walk through the door instead of run! You weren’t trying to control it, but rather allowing the moment to unfold. That’s the energy we need to bring into our riding and interactions with our horses.
Embracing When Riding
So, instead of gripping with your legs, you soften your calves, knees, and thighs, which allows the energy to flow and the movement to work forward. Instead of locking down your elbows, you allow your hands to follow your horse’s movement. Rather than white-knuckling the lead rope because another horse is showing off in the field nearby, you breathe and say, “It’s okay. We see it. But we’re still here.”
Embracing doesn’t mean you like everything that happens. It means you’re willing to meet what’s happening and respond with awareness and curiosity, rather than anxiety and fear.
For many riders, this habit of bracing often shows up before they even get into the saddle! Maybe you’ve noticed that when you’re walking out to the field thinking, “this is going to be a 45-minute chase”. You’re preparing for the worst, and because of this you’re probably not really giving off ‘I’m fun to be with’ vibes!
Maybe you’re tacking up already anxious about how the ride will go, or you’re holding your breath while mounting, literally waiting for something to go wrong. Your horse feels this. All of it. Your energy matters before the work begins. It sets the tone.
Start Embracing Instead of Bracing
This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being aware. So, next time you ride, pay closer attention to your actions, thoughts, and feelings. Actively begin noticing where you are potentially bracing. Is it while preparing for or during transitions? Maybe it’s when you’re leading? Or, as I mentioned, it could be as early as when you’re out catching your horse?
Once you notice it, breathe. A deep breath is often enough to begin shifting your response. Then soften one part of your body. Your hands, jaw, hips, shoulders, elbows, fingers, knees… Then become curious.
Ask yourself, “What would happen if I embraced this instead of bracing against it?”. And then simply begin to practice this every ride and every interaction you have with your horse.
You can even put it into practice in your day-to-day life. Maybe it’s something someone says, or a report on the radio that you hear. I think if you are bracing, it is probably not only happening on your horse. Begin looking for opportunities to practice everywhere, and see each opportunity as a chance to choose differently.
Is Bracing Ever Okay?
Look, there will always be moments when bracing is the exact right response for that particular situation. It might keep you safe in a sticky situation. Or it might help you stay on board during a particularly hairy moment! And that is more than okay.
However, for the most part and especially in your everyday riding, the habit of bracing will more than likely work to keep you stuck as a rider and an equestrian. So why not make this a mini-project for yourself? To shift your awareness and your energy when working with your horse. To learn to embrace.
Happy Riding
Lorna
Want Support While You Do This?
Inside Connection, are dedicated to working on the 5 essentials, the keys to refining all the training elements we just talked about. It’s exactly where your progress begins again.
If this episode made you squirm a little, and wonder “…is she talking about me…?”, then Connection is exactly where you need to be! Join us for the Half Halt Training at:- https://stridesforsuccess.com/join
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The Your Signature Ride Challenge
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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.
Connect with Lorna online:-
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- Connect in the Daily Strides Podcast Online Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/dailystridespodcast
- Connect with Lorna on Instagram @lornaleeson or @stridesforsuccess
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