Photos from the ‘Saddle Up’ 2 hour lesson

This is the whole 2 hour lesson that Nic Durrant won through the ‘Saddle Up’ magazine competition. Read the whole story here. First, I had Nic go ahead and ride as she normally does, then feedback what she was feeling. We could see that Lily was tight in her back and neck, hollow, and not connecting from behind.
Also note Nic’s straight arms; only her toe in the stirrup; tendency to look down; closed thigh.
	Next I spent time with Nic on the ground, explaining good posture, with exercises to show her the difference. We are aiming for posture that enables us to be effortlessly strong and secure.
Now, onto Connected Groundwork for Lily
Showing Nic where tension is held	Cheek Delineation
Caterpillar: encouraging the vertebrae in the neck to release and telescope forward and down.		Lily processing what she is feeling
Soon we got this lovely release from Lily. “The ground work exercises were very simple but had a dramatic affect on Lily.  Something was going on inside her head to create the soft eyes, licking, lip trembling and dropped head.  Lily seemed to particularly like the Cheek Delineation exercise and she visibly relaxed in front of my eyes.  It was good to be able to connect with my horse using such simple techniques that were enjoyable for both of us.  I found it very relaxing too and will definitely use these techniques from now on before a ride, especially if it’s been a particularly hectic day in the office.  One of my problems is that I always do everything at a 100MPH and this simple set of exercises will be a good way for me to slow down, and switch off from the stresses of the day, as well as benefiting my horse”, said Nic.
A Caterpillar for Nic, so that she could appreciate what it feels like and the responses it invokes. “
Caterpillar on the right side…
Then some ‘S’ walking. If your posture and therefore connection to the horse are correct, you will suck the horse along with you, enabling them to release through their body and start to step under.
At this point Nic got on and rode again, to see if she could feel the difference a short period of ground and bodywork had made.
Nic said, “The ground work exercises were very simple but had a dramatic affect on Lily, and the benefit of doing them before riding was clear.” You can see that Lily is softer, and less hollow.
Now: time to work on Nic’s position! This is the ‘before’ position. Only toes in the stirrups, straight arms, looking down. I did various tests, to let Nic feel what was or wasn’t happening with her body.
Here is the ‘after’ foot position. The stirrup tread needs to be on or slightly behind the ball of your foot, making a stable platform and allowing the rest of your body to be balanced and secure.				I also levelled Nic’s pelvis, released the inner thigh, and showed her how looking down was affecting both her and Lily. Then, I led Nic around, eyes shut, so that she could feel the differences between the 2 positions, before letting her loose on her own again.
“Before the body exercises on me, I hadn’t realised how insecure my riding position was.  Simple things like altering my feet in the stirrup irons and adjusting my thighs created a much firmer and secure seat.  I felt more grounded and solid.  The other surprising discovery was how focusing positive energy out and away through the chest helped to create a stronger seat. Slight adjustments made in my knees and back, along with the outward focus had a dramatic result and I could really feel the difference. “When being led around on Lily with my eyes shut, I could really feel the difference in the ‘before’ and ‘after’ positions.  In the ‘before’ position I wasn’t particularly aware of how she was moving, it just felt like it always did; slightly wobbly.  However, in the ‘after’ position I could feel more through the saddle and I was sensitive to where each of her legs was moving. It certainly helped me feel more in tune with where we were going, but most importantly for me, I felt ‘glued’ to the saddle.”
Then, further ridden exercises. Here they are, learning how to ‘rotate’. “Altering my focus and directing my belly button in the direction I wanted to go was another great discovery.  It proved to me that I could ‘steer’ my horse by shifting my body and focus without actually having to haul on the reins. ”
Last but not least, Nic practices cheek press, and ‘S’ walking.
“All in all it was a day of discoveries and I am now far more aware of my riding position.  I experienced so many positive changes in 2 x hours, and I realise that this was just the tip of the ice-berg.  It’s very exciting to think of what else can be achieved with more practise. Retraining my muscle-memory to keep that secure seat is high on the agenda, as is breathing and sending out all those positive thoughts!”

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©Trisha Wren June 06

Additional photos taken from ‘Saddle Up’ article, 29 June 2006