Fluidity, Concepts for Riding Like You are Part of Your Horse by Linda Parelli
Fluidity is a solution for stiffness; ribs that don't bend; shoulders that don't move; hindquarters that don't work; sore backs; hollow backs; crookedness and poor flexibility... For horses What is a good rider? In my opinion, it's one who can be in total harmony with the moving horse; one who is part of the horse's movement and not restricting it; one who sits naturally (as opposed to artificially positioned), who is supple and flexible, as opposed to rigid or stiff. One who has their own self-carriage and deportment before asking the horse to do the same, is balanced and in time with the horse's energy. In short, a good rider is a part of their horse and can enhance the horse's movement, not get in the way of it. Adopting a particular posture in the saddle so we look like a good rider is no substitute for the actual skill of becoming part of the horse. Somehow, equitation lessons don't quite help you get the "feel", it's more the look. Many equitation students and instructors I've worked with (including myself!) have a very difficult time breaking those hard learned patterns of stiffness in order to become more natural and fluid! The Pathway to Fluidity Pat explains fluidity in the most exquisitely simple way: "Do what your horse does, and do in your body what you want your horse to do in his." Simple words, but what do they really mean, and how do we actualize this? I've spent years studying how my horse moves, trying to understand what his back does and how to stay in harmony with it. For the most part I started to feel like a part of my horse... certainly more than when I was taking formal riding/dressage lessons. Pat's "Passenger Lessons" made the biggest difference, learning to go with the flow and do what my horse did... "zig" when he "zigged," "zag" when he "zagged," slow when he slowed, go when he goed! But the thing that was still eluding me was the sitting trot, especially when riding my Warmblood! Until I rode a horse with this big a movement and bounce, especially at the trot, I had fooled myself into thinking I was doing okay! So let's talk about what the horse does and how we can become a part of this so the whole experience becomes fluid! Use All Your Joints I learned that in my every day movements I was over-using some joints and parts of my body and under-using others. The ones I was over-using were my knees and my lower back. The ones I was under-using were my overall balance, my ankles, feet, and sternum (chest)... Hmmmm! When I would sit down or stand up, my knees and lower back would be taxed, whether I was getting in and out of a chair or up and down off the ground, walking up a hill or down a hill. It was through Feldenkrais awareness (the science of reprogramming your brain through the way you move) that I found a way to balance using my whole body to make all my movements. This meant I put absolutely no stress on my knees or my back. Very illuminating! _______________ Judy
