by Linda Parelli So How Did This Affect My Riding?
I found that I would often experience lower back pain and shoulder/trapezium pain either during or after riding (so what was my horse experiencing?!). In trying to analyze what I was doing while riding, I found I would stiffen my ankles, lower back and shoulders. If you think about it, the horse uses everything in order to move. So when we don't use our whole body to move, it's going to compromise the horse's movement. If we lock up our shoulders and lower back, so does the horse! If we hollow our backs, so does the horse! If we can't or don't use our ribs, neither can our horse. This opens up a whole new responsibility as a rider... a new perspective on rider responsibility for the beauty and freedom of the horse underneath us. But hey, let's not get depressed! Instead, let's put it in focus and learn how this awareness can take us to new heights of harmony and refinement when riding our horses. Riding with your whole body is just one ingredient that makes a well-rounded rider. In this next batch of topics, we'll take a look at some of the ingredients that help create the foundation for harmony and refinement in a rider, Level by Level. When Bareback Riding Feels Better Than Riding in a Saddle: Resistance Versus Flow Nearing completion of Pat's Level 2 Harmony program, many people start riding in our Bareback Pads more than in their saddles. In fact, they get to hate their saddles! One would like to think this might have to do with the weight and hassle of saddling. But I wonder if it doesn't feel more natural and balanced to ride in the Bareback Pad instead of getting into a saddle where certain parts of your body, like your ankles, are challenged. As soon as riders put their feet into their stirrups, everything changes. Why? Because their ankles get stiff. When you stiffen your ankles, every joint from there up to your jaw gets stiff! When this happens, riding becomes uncomfortable, especially sitting trot for us, and every gait where it concerns our horse. Ouch! People have said to me "Well, I'll just ride in my saddle without stirrups." Fine, except that you'll just be doing the thing you can already do. As soon as you get into stirrups again you'll stiffen up because you haven't yet learned how to flex your ankles as shock absorbers for everything up from there! Think of it this way: make your ankles loose. With every step, your ankles should flex just as your horse's hind leg ankles/fetlocks would flex. If you're pushing down on your stirrups you will inhibit every movement and flexion your horse has in his lower leg. Move your hips like your horse moves his hips in each gait. Move your ankles like he would too! Your feet should feel light in the stirrups, not pushing down or out, no matter what style of riding you do, English or Western. We're talking natural locomotion, joint flexion, articulation and movement. ________________ Judy
