In order to visualize a rider that is truly balanced on his mount, I recommend you rent and watch any old Western film. Observe the Native American rider. He rode expertly without the use of any of our modern day equipment. Not only did he ride his horse, he hunted and fought off the enemy on horseback. How was that possible? No stirrups to help maintain balance, no horn to hold on to and no bridle to control his horse. I believe the answer is that he didn't "think" about riding, he simply rode.
Today's society offers
such a wide array of tools to help us improve our riding skills. We have different types of saddles to provide us with more security, bits and bridles to offer more control over our horses and an endless supply of horse training trinkets. The aspiring young rider could easily be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of items listed in any horse catalog. What do I recommend? Put it all aside for now. It's time to get back to basics and stop "thinking" so much about our riding and just ride.
I recommend that you ride your horse without the use of a saddle, bridle or any other encumbrance that will actually deter you from acquiring true balance on your horse. Naturally, you will need a safe, calm mount to practice these exercises.
Begin in a small space, such as a round pen. Practice mounting your horse without the use of a mounting block or any other aid. Grab a handful of mane and jump. The goal is to land your stomach on the horse's back. Once you get your belly on the horse, it takes little effort to swing your right leg over and sit the center of your horse. I see many riders struggle with this exercise so I recommend you practice it over and over until you become skilled at it.
Once you are sitting on your horse, simply ask him to walk on. Use your seat and legs to encourage forward movement and to control direction. Use your back to control the speed. When you sit back, deep and brace your back, your horse will soon learn that this is his cue to slow down or to stop. Practice using your legs to control his direction. Again, you are in a small area and this is quite safe. You may need to experiment a bit because all horses come from a different background and have been trained differently. Feel your horse and notice what cues he responds to best. Does a squeeze with the right leg at the girth cause your horse to bend around your leg or does he tend to move away from the pressure of your leg. Continue to practice this in the round pen using your legs, seat and back. You'll be amazed at how quickly you and your horse learn to communicate with each other in a very natural way.
At this point, you should be feeling quite comfortable on your horse without a saddle. Practice such movements as turning around on your horse. Sit your horse backwards and then continue spinning around until you are facing forwards. Remember, don't think too much. Just do it. Enjoy a soda, cup of coffee or have a conversation with a friend while practicing. These are all ways to become more comfortable and to take the focus off the exercise. It should become effortless and be performed with no fear. Trust your horse.
As you become more comfortable, try these exercises at a trot. This will certainly be more challenging at first, but stick with it. Always focus on using your seat, legs and back. Work on transitions. Using your seat and back, encourage a downward transition. Continue working on transitions until they become natural. You will be forced to feel your horse and maintain balance.
The more advanced rider may try these same exercises at the canter. Don't rush through one exercise until you've mastered the previous one. The goal is to feel safe and comfortable. Any stiffness or fear will immediately be felt by your horse and your skills won't work. It's equally important for your horse to feel relaxed as it is for you. The ultimate goal of this work is for you and your horse to become one. When this is felt by the rider, one may say that balance has been achieved.
Julie Chaffee has been riding horses for over 35 years and welcomes this opportunity to share her experiences with you. She currently owns and operates a full service horse training, boarding and lesson facility in Cleveland, Texas. For more information about horses, please visit her site at http://www.clevelandarena.com
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