The Balance of Body, Mind and Soul
I have learnt that balance in life requires harmony in all aspects. The body, mind and soul and you will come to see that my approach to horsemanship entails just this. In the videos that follow over the next few months I aim to share with you the ins and outs of practicing horsemanship from all three aspects of life because in my view the ultimate ride requires balance of the body, of the mind and of the soul of rider and of steed.
Horse & Human Body Awareness
My goal is to help you achieve the ultimate performance not from but with your horse. To achieve this you need to understand your horse’s body, mind and soul as much as your own and more importantly you need to understand how the two of you can function as one.
I recently did a reading where a horse asked its owner to stop trying to control him with her hands but rather to ride him with her seat. A simple request and a request right up there with the essentials of correct riding.
Horses often ask their owners to breathe more so that they can read their human’s intentions – another request that parallels with the essentials of proper riding form.
Horses don’t ask for unrealistic demands, they simply want the basics that we have forgotten along the way.
The importance of YOUR Physical Wellbeing for your horse
In most sports, sportsman spend the bulk of their energy working at and perfecting their own bodies, and yet so many of us are happy to let our horses to do all the work.
Riders are often focused only on the condition and ability of their horse’s physique.
I’ve often heard the words…
“I know I should have myself treated but my horse is more important.”
Although a very noble sentiment, it doesn’t help your horse or your ride.
In another recent reading, the horse complained he couldn’t connect with his rider. Her spine was rigid and stiff and he couldn’t feel her.
The reality of this situation is that the rider has a less than satisfactory ride and assumes her horse is ‘out of alignment!.
She calls a physio or a chiro to treat her horse. Her horse feels better for a while because he has indeed physically compensated for her physical restriction but naturally it doesnt last because the true cause of the problem hasn’t been addressed.
Your pelvis should be moving backwards and forwards, side to side with your horse’s spine and back musculature. When your spine is unable to move along with your horse’s, your horse’s muscles take strain because you are the like a kink in it’s spring.
He cannot move through his full range of motion and in time this limitation causes restriction possibly even pain in his back. Maybe you have your horse treated again, but still you are not addressing the cause of the problem, which is YOU.
Your Physical Form Matters
Always start your ride by ensuring you are in good physical form. Make the effort to be supple in the right areas so that you may avoid rigidity in your frame which can block his movement and prevent you from looking for answers in the wrong places.
3 Stretches for Horse Riders
Here are some recommendations that you as a rider can do on a regular basis to ensure you are supple enough to deepen your seat and limit any rigidity through your spine.
Please note that stretches should never give you pain. A stretch may cause a 2 to 4 out of 10 pulling discomfort but anything more than that or any pain means you are stretching further than you should or you may require soft tissue work from a qualified practitioner.
Remember that it is normal to feel achy when starting a new exercise regime but if you are in pain, please seek help.
1. Deep Squat Stretch for Horse Riders
Stand upright with your legs at a semi-wide base and lower your buttocks so that your elbows can rest inside your knees.
2. Adductor Stretches for Horse Riders
The Adductor muscles are the inside thigh. To stretch the Adductors, get onto all fours and spread your knees wide beyond the width of your hips. Lower yourself down onto your elbows and deepen the stretch in your inner thighs.
Deepen this stretch further by pushing your hands out in front of you on the floor until your arms are straight.
3. Spine Stretches for Horse Riders
Because there’s so much movement through your spine and pelvis while riding your horse, it’s important to supple the muscles of your spine. The well known Cat Camel Exercise is a really great exercise for the spine.
Invert the Cat Pose into the Camel Pose
Finish off this stretch with the Child’s Pose.
Watch the video above to see how you can adjust the Cat Camel Stretch for horseback variations.
Grab My Rider Suppling Downloadable PDF
I’ve chosen a few of the most important stretches for the purposes of this post.
For a fuller stretching program aimed at the rider please purchase the Rider’s Supplying Program.
Advice for Horse Riders
- I advise these stretches once a day for 2 weeks and then continue stretching twice a day.
- A stretch can be held for 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
- Go into and come out of a stretch slowly and gently.
- Breathe out into your stretch. Always.
- Visualize the fibres elongating in your muscles.
- Visualize the increase in blood flow.
- See the oxygen increasing in your muscles.
- A stretch should feel good and comfortable.
- Don’t compare yourself to others. We are all built differently and we are all at different places in our Iives.
More From This Category
Peace of Mind for you and your Animals this Holiday
After a challenging year, you deserve to rest, and you should utilise the time for soul replenishment and family connection. To better this experience, ensure that the stresses at home are well managed. One thing you do not need to be anxious or guilty about this...
Life’s challenges are our biggest paths toward growth.
I’ve come to learn that you need to delve in the valleys to reach the beauty of the mountains.
Many of us have overcome such challenges and experienced the power of growth from those hardships. I’ve personally experienced that in life, some doors have had to close to allow windows to open elsewhere. These windows have led me to my soul’s purpose.
The benefits of using Heat Packs
Before we get into the benefits of using heat packs, let's first understand what heat is. The heat of an object is determined by how active the molecules and atoms inside it are. The more excited these molecules are, the more heat will be generated. When applied to...
0 Comments