rider’s looseness

Warm-up and stretching exercises for the rider

Droits d'accès:

Abonné

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Résumé listing:

How to improve your straightness, relaxation and suppleness…This topic is developed by Veronique Bartin, horse rider and instructor of the Alexander program, through of a series of small exercises to practise a few minutes before getting in the saddle.

Niveau de difficulté:

Débutant

Goal:

Veronique Bartin, horse rider instructor of the Alexander program, will show you a series of small exercises to practise a few minutes before getting in the saddle.
As Michel Robert says:
“Riders don’t pay enough attention to their physical fitness. However, we know that the rider’s stiffness, muscle or joint tightness have a direct impact on the horse. The slightest tension in an arm, the hips, or even an ankle…will impact directly the horse’s motion and his freedom of movement. If we require our horse to be supple and loosened, let’s start with the same level of demand for ourselves. To become supple and fit doesn’t require the same training as a high level professional athlete, so everyone can do it.

Practising a few progressive and simple suppleness exercises is already a good start. When you start your riding session, it seems obvious to you to warm up your horse before any serious work. So why to not do the same with our own bodies before getting in the saddle?

That’s what Veronique shows us today in this video with a few simple yet progressive exercises to practise every day. It will take you only a few minutes but it will save you some time in your riding practice.
We are going to learn how to get each part of our body straighter, more relaxed and supple with this very simple set of exercises to be practised standing up in the barn near your horse with no accessories or a dedicated space.

Progress:

We are going to start by releasing the tension from the upper body: the neck, shoulders and arms. It is important as it will help the rider not only to improve the use of the eyes as an aid, but also to increase the elasticity of the arms thus to get a softer and more consistent connection with the horse’s mouth.
Veronique will then show us how to supple the low back and hips. This excellent gymnastic will help you in following the horse’s movements whatever the gait and while jumping.
We close the session by stretching the spine and the entire body. At the end, Veronique will feel that her legs are well grounded, her back is longer and her arms are looser. Each part of her body is loose.
There, she is ready to ride Phragy…who didn’t hesitate to tell us what he thought about it during this session.
Your turn to have some fun!

Théma:

RIDING LESSONS

Basic riding theory

Keywords:

Warm-up and stretching exercises for the rider to do before getting in the saddle

REF HANB114

Rider’s Fitness preparation

stretching exercises for the rider

Rider’s position

improving the rider’s position

rider’s looseness

rider’s skill

gymnastic for the rider

Cours associés

Cours associés:

Mental and physical control

Rider's physical training

How to improve your 2 point position

The rider's back

How to stretch your horse's neck when under saddle

Breathing and relaxation in the action

Miniature cours associés:

Accuracy of the track and suppleness of the horse – Step 2

Droits d'accès:

Abonné

Image Miniature:

Résumé listing:

This second part of the exercise is to be done at a canter with a horse well-schooled and responding perfectly to the leg and hand aids. The rider will have to be demanding to be in a perfect control of the 4 feet of the horse.

Niveau de difficulté:

Intermédiaire

Goal:

his second part of the exercise is quite difficult and can be achieved only if both the rider and horse master it at the walk and the trot. This is the reason why the rider has to take his time to practise the exercise and can practise it over several sessions. To be successful practising the exercise at a canter, the horse needs to be available and the rider needs to anticipate and plan ahead correctly. The goal is to keep some light and discreet aids. Therefore if the rider has to flail, twist himself, pull or push, or even if he needs to use strength, there is no point in practising this exercise yet. So it is necessary to achieve one step at a time at the lower gaits before trying it at the canter.

This exercise is linked to the sheet A7 of the Training Program 1

Progress:

Michel recommends to start with the most comfortable side for the horse. As seen in the first part of the exercise at a walk and trot, the rider has to be active on the right and then his left side staying centred and symmetrical in his position.

Michel offers some modifications of the set-up to make the first few practices easier and to gather some positive results before increasing the level of difficulty.

Michel gives us also an insight on the mind set we are looking for in the horse and the rider to reach the maximum relaxation while keeping the canter rhythm steady.

At the end, you will notice how comprehensive this exercise is. It will take you a certain time to get it, but you will definitively notice the progress you and your horse will make. Practise well!

Théma:

Keywords:

in control of the canter

suppleness of the horse

track

rider’s looseness

Comprehension between the rider and the horse

leg aid