rider’s relaxation

The goal of this exercise is to encourage the horse to reach for the contact, whether he is in a low position when stretching the neck down, or in a position with the poll being the highest point. By allowing the horse to round his entire top line, the rider will enable him to optimize his engagement, his pushing power, and his balance.

To reach this goal, it is critical for the rider to acquire some freedom of movements especially of his arms and hands. This will allow him to follow the flow of movement of the horse’s neck particularly when the horse lengthens his gait or jumps. Unfortunately, we all know that the natural tendency for riders is to get a good hold of the reins, and to bring the hands toward the belly. Too many horses are blocked in their cervical vertebras and in their back and don’t have this freedom of movement needed in order to use their full potential.

It requires the rider to practise and learn to stay in a vertical position while “giving” his hands to the horse’s mouth. It can be achieved by practising with simple exercises like the one in today’s session.

We’ve learned that a good oxygenation of the body is a key player in the muscle and mind relaxation. However, to learn to breathe correctly when riding requires some practice. This is today’s focus of this new exercise from Michel.

To breathe deeply and steadily when we are comfortably seated in a sofa is no problem. However, when we are challenged by something more physical, the breathing rhythm becomes shallow and spasmodic with some apnea moments. By simply watching how many riders are out of breath at the end of a jumping course, we can realize how difficult it is to breathe correctly while performing a physical activity. However, the correct oxygenation of our body is critical if we want to optimize our physical and mental abilities. As soon as a rider blocks his breathing, his body stiffens, his stress level increases, and he loses the ability to control the situation.
As Michel shows us, the horse is also very receptive to the positive or negative signals that the rider’s breathing emits.
So it is crucial for the rider to become aware of his breathing and to practise breathing correctly in all circumstances. Michel offers you a small practise session on a ground pole set-up. Don’t hesitate to modify the track and then, to replace the ground poles by some cavalettis then jumps, but make sure you stay in perfect control of the rhythm of your inhales and exhales.

This exercise is shown on the sheet M4 of the Training program 1

Michel offers a specific exercise that is extremely effective to release any tensions the rider might have especially in the arms and shoulders. We all know how bad the rider’s upper body stiffness can impact the horse’s mouth and consequently the comprehension of the aids. Michel offers an easy solution to correct this bad habit and provides good reflexes suitable for all level of riders. This training will also help the rider stay centred even when turning.  The horse can move with more freedom and consequently give more attention to the rider’s aids. Directing a horse with precision becomes then, extremely easy whatever the gait.

This exercise is shown on the sheet H6 of the Training program 1