As any horse rider knows - it is difficult to make riding well look effortless. There are numerous books that help you to learn how to 'ride in balance'. However they all fall just short of really teaching you how to balance on a horse because you must first be in balance off your horse. It is easy to feel in balance just standing, but true balance is achieved when you can move in balance.
The key to moving in balance is to use just those muscles that facilitate the movement with the greatest ease, flexibility and strength. If you need to stretch and do exercises to feel flexible then you have muscles in conflict. It is when our muscles are in conflict with one another that we become stiff, are prone to injury and become less balanced. Over time as the habits become more ingrained we become stiffer and stiffer experiencing pain and are more prone to injury.
Watch the video for a demonstration of riding stiffly and riding with ease. Contrast the behavior of the horse with the body of the rider. Your horse simply reflects in his body your limitations and stiffness. If your horse is 'stiff' on the left then that really means you are stiff on the right - yes, the right side of your body!
At Designed for Movement we teach you how to become balanced as you move on the ground and then help you learn to translate that paradigm to riding and balancing with your horse. We provide clinics, DVDs, personal sessions and more to guide you to becoming truly balanced on and off your horse. You will find that everything you learn applies to the rest of your life and that you experience more ease and think better!