My First Alexander Technique

I just had my first Alexander Technique lesson this morning. WOW! As the day progresses, I have less and less tension in my shoulders and neck. By the end of today, I have no muscle tension or strain. Anywhere! I just hope I can remember part of what I have learned today.

Sally Swift, Centered Riding founder, followed Alexander and integrated Alexander Techniques into her program. She also wants all instructors to have a thorough understanding of both Basic Dressage, which is the foundation of CR, as well as Alexander Techniques, which is her foundation of proper body alignment.

All I can say is what a difference in how I felt after an hour of instruction in proper alignment of my body. First, Nada, the instructor, watched me walk. Then she had me sit down on a chair and stand up. After she analyzed how I did this, she had me sit on a stepstool to start my work. Nada helped me to realized how stiff I was through my sternum to clavicle and through my neck muscles.

First she showed me how to concentrate on my frontal lobe and to stand with my head first, without using neck muscles. She wanted me to release the muscles around my clavicle and stretch from my clavicle out towards my shoulders. She cradled each armpit and had me release my shoulder down into her hand. The results were huge, as I totally relaxed and my shoulders dropped. Then, Nada moved on to the elbows, moving them so my upper and lower arms relaxed. My arms continued to release until she could hold the very fingertips of my hands and move my arms.

Nada ran her hand up and down my spine, allowing it to relax the muscles and flattening my back. My pelvis tipped back.  She showed my that before, as I walked, my back was arched.  I was leaning backwards (which coincidently, as I loped, I lean slightly backwards too). Once I learned to stand with my head first, my neck and spine came into alignment, my pelvis was where it should be, I sat on my seat bones.  When I stood up, I didn’t lean back to walk.

This all felt strange, as what I had known before is what I thought was correct.  This new posture is correct, but felt strange to be sitting and standing the way I did.  But when I walked, I floated!

When I walked, I had a spring to my step, instantly, I felt like how a kid walks with a skip. Nada said I walked more evenly, as she said that before I collapsed the left side. I walked effortlessly, without a strain in my neck and without that tightness behind and between my shoulder blades.

She said that yes, kids walked like this, because they didn't carry any tension in their bodies. When I walk relax, I'll be able to translate this into my riding.

Next, Nada did some stretches with me laying down on a table, with my knees bent. She did some arm exercises so that my muscles would relax. She showed me how to breathe and think forward and out through my head, with my nose and jaw being a little heavier, allowing the muscles to quit holding my shoulders up.  She showed me how to lift my arms effortlessly, without any strain in the neck.

After I came up off the table, my walk was bouncy and even, with a lightness that I never had before. Now to translate that lightness to my riding.  I hope I can remember even part of this tomorrow.

What was interesting tonight, as I laid down on the carpet, with my knees bent, my 2 1/2 year old granddaughter laid down beside me, in the same position.  As I moved my arms, she moved hers.  How much fun is that to relax together.  Now, to just copy her an do my exercises with that same level of tension, which is none!

Read below to understand what Alexander is all about:

"The Alexander technique is a way of learning how you can get rid of harmful tension in your body. Although certainly not a full definition of the Alexander Technique, this is a good start.*

"The Alexander Technique is a method that works to change (movement) habits in our everyday activities. It is a simple and practical method for improving ease and freedom of movement, balance, support and coordination. The technique teaches the use of the appropriate amount of effort for a particular activity, giving you more energy for all your activities. It is not a series of treatments or exercises, but rather a reeducation of the mind and body. The Alexander Technique is a method which helps a person discover a new balance in the body by releasing unnecessary tension. It can be applied to sitting, lying down, standing, walking, lifting, and other daily activities..." (This more complete description is offered in "Changing The Way You Work: The Alexander Technique").

Horsemanship Clinic

I had a Horsemanship Clinic at Chance Ridge in Omaha.  8 riders attended.  I taught some Centered Riding exercises.  I love teaching these exercises to riders.  I love showing riders how to have a better riding relationship with their horses.

Thanks to all who came. I look forward to the next Horsemanship Clinic.

Traci and Katie, first listening intently, then who know what they are laughing about.

Chick

Dixie

On Bob, a gentle, quiet, soul!

and at the end of the day,



with Chick and Dixie, great lesson mares!

a well deserved drink of water!

Centered Riding Clinic Group Lessons Recap

Friday - Sunday, April 8-10, 2011

Each group on the different days of the Centered Riding Clinic, that I attended in Kansas, had slightly different exercises, as well as a slightly different focus, for their lessons.

Topics and exercises we discussed and performed were:

Leg Release and letting go of tension.

Sitting forward on the seat bones, then dropping the spine and back down into the seat. Think of flash lights pointing straight down from Seat Bones.

Posting effortlessly from the Center - allowing the Center to post you.

Following Seat and feeling the movement of the horse. What motion do you feel? Pedal backwards.

Feeling the steps at the walk and trot, and counting the steps the horse took during each breath.

Soft Eyes vs. Hard Eyes. Where is the level of your gaze.

Broken Line through cones, walking and trotting between cones, breathing, and with soft eyes, turning shoulders through turns.

Turning with Center and shoulders - think eyes in front of shoulders. What do your legs do when you turn? Inside knee opens and outside leg comes on the horse.

Center - with a circle inside the Center. How big is your Center?

As horse walks, give and take with reins and have horse stretch and reach down.

Heavy Elbows and follow walk with lower arms and elbows. Our Center is connected to our hands. Our elbows are shock absorbers.

Barber Pole in the corners at the trot, thinking of a V, and stretching out the sides of your rib cage as you post, for a “Diagonal Connection”.

Find Bubbling Spring on foot, and feel grounded in the stirrup.

Walking in Half Seat (2 Point) position with walking the knees and Dancing Knees.

Posting Trot, feeling the weight in the knees, alternating.

Horses mirror our bodies. Where are we tense and where are they tense?

Prepare for down transitions by spinning Center slower and down yet walk with forward motion.

Hip Circle exercise - on the ground, make a circle with the toes.

Building energy in the Center, while keeping the Center low.

Halts, with Center and Breath.

Ride with a Bubble around you, with Soft Eyes and Breathing.

Think Diagonal line from outside shoulder to inside Seat Bones. Notice other diagonal. Which is easier to imagine. Change direction.

Move your Center to move your horse.

2 point over logs.

Clear Intent - want to turn left, think left.

Release when horse stops. Breathe deep into Center, Exhale deep into Seat Bones, ask for the stop, and release.

Relax your jaw by running your tongue around the bottom set of teeth, then upper set, then write your name, in cursive, on the roof of your mouth. The horse relaxes too!

Half Halts, move on to walk or to trot.

Arm stretches while mounted. Opening up chest. Raising shoulders up. Arms overhead and turn palms out to lower arms slowly.

The inside hand feels the rhythm of the walk.

Walk the arena, staying to the outside of the 4 cones that are set in the corners.

Inside ring finger squeezes the rein, prepares the horse, flexes the horse around the turn.

Think of a Carousel Horse pole as you turn a corner.

Alternate leg aids as the horse walks.

Use outside leg muscles and relax inside leg muscles.

Allow Center to rise for a bigger, extended trot.

Lope from your Center.

Allow the knee to drop.

Drive from behind with the Following Seat.

Recycle the Energy from the horse’s front to the horse’s back.

Rider’s Remarks after Group Lessons:

Horse relaxed when everything came together.

Guide the horse better when looking more with the rider shoulder.

Larger walk when there is more energy coming from the Center.

Keeping a trotting tempo. With shorter posting strides, think and post “up”, with quick strides, think “down”, meaning sit deeper on the down part of the post.

Dropping our weight down in our back, picturing the Alligator tail down, stabilizes ourselves in the saddle.

Ground the outside foot.

Feeling grounded and secure.

Using the Center more.

Having a stronger connection to the horse.

Think what you want the horse to do, not what the horse can’t do. Don’t turns into “do this”.

Lift the shoulders up while turning into the corners.

Transitions become smoother as you Center and Grow, lifting up the shoulders and rib cage.

Posting becomes softer with a taller, but relaxed, back.

Remember the pieces of info you want to keep, do the right thing, and stay with it.

Felt a difference in the Following Seat when I dropped my Alligator tail.

Warmed up, thinking of the X, moving from Center up to shoulder during posting.

Centered Riding Clinic Day 3 Group Lesson

By Sunday, the third day of the Centered Riding Clinic, we were reviewing everything, and adding a few more exercises to reinforce what we knew. We worked on Balance, dropping our Center, and lifting up our shoulders.

Something felt different as I dropped my “alligator” tail into the seat. The Following Seat motion seemed to glide. It was a different feeling than ever before, and very smooth.

As we warmed up the horses, I thought about the large X across our front. As I posted, I reminded myself to move up from the hip, through the Center, to the opposite shoulder. As I turned to the right, I made sure to turn with my shoulders more.

I practiced lifting my rib cage and side as I turned, and really stretched up through my sides. I could feel the muscles on each side of my body, between the ribs, as I alternately stretched my sides.  Today’s exercise was all about spiraling our horses down into a circle, then spiraling back out. As we walked the circles, we were to keep our shoulders up and turning with our bodies.

X(1)

X(4) X(2)

X(3)

4 cones were set out in a diamond pattern, and we were to walk a circle on the outside of the cones, then walk to the inside of the cones. Then we slowly walked in a spiral pattern to the center of the circle. We then spiraled out at a walk and once we were to the outside of the cones, we were to turn a 90 degree at cone ,X(1) toward the center of the circle, and walk a straight line from cone 1 to cone 3 and back to line.

We repeated this exercise at a trot. Then we repeated the exercise, but once we spiraled out, we reversed, turning a 180 degree away from the Center, and added a lope departure. The horses were on contact with the bit, as we were spiraling with our Center and shoulders, but still giving some direction with the reins. The lope departure came easier than from the walk or trot.

Each group worked differently, depending on what they needed as riders, and what their horses needed. Some exercises were the same, some were different, and some were a variation of the exercises that other groups had done.

Centered Riding Clinic Day 2 Group Lesson

Saturday’s group lesson started out with some stretches. We worked on stretching our arms and moving our shoulders. We started by breathing into our Center, with bent heavy elbows, by keeping our elbows bent and our lower arms light. Continuing to breathe into our Center, we dropped our weight into out Center, then into our Seat Bones, then into the Ground.

We did an exercise to release the pressure of a stiff neck and shoulders. Roll your tongue over your bottom teeth, in a circular motion, first on the outside from right to left, then inside from left to right. Then roll your tongue over your top teeth, in a circular motion. Finally, write your name, in cursive, with your tongue on the roof of your mouth? How does your jaw feel? How does your neck feel?

Do you know what happened when I opened my mouth to feel my jaw? Shaggy dropped his neck! He felt the relaxation also!

The group practiced diagonal stretches of the body. To the right, I needed to lift my left shoulder up. When you ride a slow moving horse, you need to think “UP” from the outside hip, to the Center to the inside shoulder. When you ride a fast moving horse, you need to think “DOWN” from the inside shoulder to the Center to the outside hip. Transitions become smoother and the Center becomes deeper.

For me, I had to Center and GROW! I need to sit taller without being stiff. I need to raise my outside left shoulder as I travel to the right.

We worked on our Energy. To move a slow moving horse, think high Energy in your Center, spin your Center fast, breathe out in 3 quick breaths, and go. Add leg when needed.

To Halt, breathe out and let the horse hear the breath! We practiced different transitions, such as walk. then halt. Each “Down” transition, lower the Center and breathe out. Walk, halt, move on instantly. Move up to the trot, halt, walk on or trot on. Add leg when needed.

For the final exercise, we walked 10 steps, lowered our Center, halt with an exhale, then instantly, with a quick breath out, trotted.

I learned that I need to raise myself up, not like an arch in the back, but an
“Up-ness” to the body. I realized that I need to turn more with my shoulders.

I know about muscle memory now. You MAY think you are doing something right, but until you SEE yourself, you won’t believe what someone may tell you. Your brain NEEDS to realize that what you thought was right, isn’t right now, and that you need to do something different.

I encourage everyone to have someone photograph you or video you, as this will make sense if you SEE yourself.

What an eye opener I had this past weekend. I am a good rider. I realized how much more I need to learn.

Centered Riding Clinic Day 1 Group Lesson

I started off the lesson with leg work. When the legs are relaxed, the pelvis is in position, and the lower back is able to sink down into alignment. The seat becomes deeper and more secure. This is a wonderful feeling.

To ground the outside foot, we did an exercise that isn’t a Centered Riding exercise. We lifted our arms out to the side and did windmills. Turning from the waist, we stretched one arm out front and the other towards the tail, and slowly looked at the tail. Then we changed the arms, bringing the arm that was towards the tail, back towards the head of the horse, and the other arm towards the tail. We looked towards the tail from the other direction, slowly. This helps to stretch out the back and engage the hip joint.

We walked using our “Following Seat”. We worked on spinning our Center, backwards and faster, to move our horses into a longer, freer stride. We added the trot and posted, using only our Center to post. On the corners, we did the “Barber Pole”. We worked on the wrong diagonal and spiraled our posting upwards as we rounded the corners, as well as grounded our outside foot. We squeezed the outside leg as we were sitting, doing this since we were in the wrong diagonal. On the correct diagonal, we maintained the grounded outside foot.

We practiced an exercise to get the correct bend in our horses. 2 cones are in each corner, set at an angle to the corner and far enough away from the corner, so the horse can travel between the 2 cones or on the outside of the cones (between the cones and the arena wall). As you near the corners of the short end of the arena, ride your horse between the first set of cones on a slight bend, then ride your horse on the outside of the 2nd set of cones, asking for a bend to the inside while pushing or keeping the horse to the outside of the cones with your leg.

You may also add some outside rein to help move the horse over, as long as the horse has a bend in his/her body to the inside. Don't pull so much on the outside rein that the horse will look outside, as that will give an incorrect bend and cause the horse to drop the shoulder to the inside. Actually, when you do this, the horse will be in a very slight bend. and the horse will start to frame up. On the straight rail of the long sides of the arena, let go of the horse a little and let him stretch out.

At one point, Carol, the Instructor, told me to not turn with my shoulders so much. This is a habit from looking too far in advance where I am going. I need to look only a little past the corner, so that I don’t have too much turn in my body.

We worked on freeing up the horses and moving them out. I hope Shaggy is ready to move out today. His trot is great. His walk is sluggish, and I need to be able to transfer the energy from my center into his freer walk.

More later tonight after today’s clinic lesson! Have a great day!

Centered Riding Lesson

I'm at a Centered Riding Clinic this weekend, and yesterday afternoon, I had a private lesson. What a great feeling I had when the lesson was over

What a big difference this will make! Post from your Center. To do this, allow
the horse's movement to induce the post. In other words, don't try to post,
just let it happen.

If we're working on the post, then we know how to post. Now, just let the
horse's movement help you to post. And just think about only your center
posting.

I felt like I wasn't posting at all. My instructor, a level 3 CR instructor,
plus a Hunt Seat and Dressage instructor, said the difference was incredible. I
could have posted forever, it was so easy. And as I was letting my center and
the horse's movement do the posting, my horse started stretching out and down
with his neck.

It was so effortless. All I can say is to ride from your center, think about
your center as you are walking, trotting, posting, cantering, loping. Don't
overdo any motions. Just ALLOW them to happen!

and have fun while you figure this all out. remember, this is a journey! and
it takes a lifetime!

Yesterday's lesson should me, even more, that I need to breathe out and let go of the stressors of the day. This is just not a deep breath or two, this is a total relaxation of the body during the deep breaths.

I don't bring "life's moments" to my riding anymore. But the tensions may still be there. Yesterday, Carol did some leg work on me, while I was in the saddle, and it felt wonderfully to feel the legs totally relax, and "let go". It's hard to explain, but it's like a total emptying of anything tight within my legs, or in the body when you work on the body. It felt wonderful to feel the total relaxation. I could have gone to sleep, and that was just a minute of "hands on" relaxing ONE leg.

Later, when she did a little bit of pelvic work with me, and shifted my pelvis forward 1/8", even less, she had me release down into my lower back. She had me feel like I had an "aligator tail" at the end of my pelvis, and to drop that tail into the saddle, and into the ground. What a difference. I did feel very grounded. But I felt like I was on the front of my pelvic bones too much and I also felt "heavy in the cantle", which we don't want for CTR. Carol said that that was because it's our body's memory, which I know, and that the right thing may feel wrong until our body gets used to it. How right she is.

For example, you feel straight in the saddle, but looking in the mirror, you can tell you're leaning forward or backward. You feel right, but you are seeing yourself, and you're not straight. It will take time to have the right stuff feel right, when we have years of doing it wrong. We need to reteach muscle memory that right is RIGHT!

I'm off to my first day of Clinic. later...

"Embrace the Journey!" I'm wearing my bracelet today that has that quote on it!

B

Bleak Fall Day and Thinking Ahead to Spring

Yes, Fall is here and Winter is coming. I can see it getting closer today. The skies are gray. It‘s trying to rain, and we had a mist all morning. There is that feel in the air. There is a dampness.

Most of the leaves are off the trees. There is a lot of brown in the fields. When the wind blows, it is cool. When the sun goes down, it is cool. It is cooler doing morning chores. I need gloves some mornings, but no all of them. So far, I’ve only seen frost 1 time on the grass. And none of the water hoses, that are still laying out on the ground, are frozen when I want to use them.

We had 70 degrees on Sunday and Monday. Unseasonable warm. Unbelievable for November. I took full advantage of one of the warm days, laying on the lounge chair, enjoying the afternoon. I even mowed a small patch of grass that looked high. I have never done that in November! I made a jug on ice tea again.

This weather makes me want to get inside as soon as I can and curl up on the couch. I just told someone yesterday that I really start to hibernate as the days get shorter. And when they get cooler, I’m in sweats. When the wind starts to blow and howl, you’ll know where to find me.

Now is the time to get ready for winter. We have turned on the heaters in the barn. We have the tank water heaters ready to install. I better work on that this weekend. I better drain water hoses too. I hate trying to coil frozen hoses. For those who never had the opportunity to do that, it doesn’t work! I better close the big barn doors, too, before the north wind blows so hard that I can’t budge the doors by myself!

But now is also the time to start thinking and preparing for Spring riding too! I just talked to someone about who in my area gives dressage lessons, and she thought this person may come to my barn! That would save hauling, and I would actually stay committed! If I want to further improve my Centered Riding, I need dressage lessons to give me a better understanding of Sally Swift’s philosophies. I love the idea of knowing exactly how to move with the horse when the horse moves a certain way. My goal is to become one with my horse, whichever horse I happen to be riding. I’m sure that goal is going to take longer with some of my horses!

I’m almost done reading the Centered Riding Book 2. My winter time will be dedicated to making a curriculum that I will follow for my lesson times. I have outlined book 1, and will soon be done with book 2. Now I want to put my outline into the computer. During a lesson, I’ll have all the exercises listed. When a rider wants to work on a certain area of Centered Riding, I can go to my outline for guidance. And I’ll have a handout ready to give the rider as a summary of the day’s lesson. I’ll have a summary of exercises to share after my horsemanship clinics, where I’ll teach the Centered Riding exercises.

I want to give more Horsemanship clinics next year. I want to help as many people as I can. I want to teach about the relationship and the experiences that you can have with your horse.

It’s time to start promoting what I have to offer. I’ll start with outlining the Centered Riding books and exercises on the computer. That is what I’m going to be working on this winter. That, and trying to exercise a little. Maybe I’ll have a woman’s exercise group meet once a month!

How about you? What will you do to get ready for winter and ready for next spring?

Balancing the Body: Neutral Pelvis

I don't think we can balance the lower part of our body if we aren't sitting correctly. We need to find our Neutral Pelvis, and sit on our seat bones.

The easiest way to do this is to lift one leg up and bring it up to the pommel. Slowly drop it and pick up the stirrup/iron. Repeat with the other leg.

IF your horse is very calm, or if you have someone holding the horse, you can do both legs at one time, first putting one leg on the pommel, then the other. Slowly drop each leg and pick up stirrups/irons.

Another way to find your neutral pelvis is to rock your pelvis forward and backward, each time rocking a little less and find that neutral area. I like todo this first, then lift my leg up and down, on and off the pommel.

Once you can do this, and walk your horse, remaining comfortable in this position, than we can balance your legs and feet. If it gets uncomfortable sitting on your seat bones, rock a little way, back or forward, and don't sit where your seat bones are sore. You have a 1/4-1/2" area where your seat bones can be. It doesn't seem like much, but it is.

As your sitting on your chair, trying these 2 exercises now. Be comfortable with how to find your Neutral Pelvis before you're on your horse!

Let me know how this feels for you!

Balancing the Body: Legs and Arms

After you Stretch out the legs joints - ankle, knee and hip - from the previous post, are your legs even?

Day 4

First, you have to move your legs back... from the hip joint. Let's exercise the leg joints first.

There are a few leg exercises. First, start with the ankle. Move it up anddown. Move it in circles. Stretch it down. Stretch it up. Each stretch should be done slowly.

Next, stretch the knee. Move the lower leg. Swinging it slowly.

Than, move the hip joint. March in place. First with one leg, than the otherleg. With the leg straight, swing the leg back and forth. Slowly.

Finally, move the hip back. Grab the back of your breeches or jeans, and pullthe leg back, slowly. Once the legs are balanced, you will stay balanced.

Day 5

Do you have even weight on each stirrup? Are you sitting square where you have the same length of leg on each side of the horse?

Try leaning a little heavy on one side, putting more weight into that stirrup. Then lean the other way, putting more weight into the other stirrup.

Now, don't lean with the body. Sit square and straight. If you have to balance the upper body, do this know. First lean forward, with your back straight, than backward, leaning a little less each time until you rock into neutral position. Then lean a little sideways, each direction, until you rock your body into neutral position from the side.

Now sit square and balanced, and with only putting more weight into your legs, push down into the stirrup a little with one leg, than the other. Push down a little less each time, until you find that neutral area where you are holding equal weight with each foot in the stirrups. You shouldn't be pushing down with either leg.

Day 6

Now your arms need balanced the same way. Lift them over your head than out to the side. Slowly drop your arms down to your side, with your palms down.

Lift your arms straight out in front of you, than straight over head again. Stretch up slightly with one arm, than the other. Stretch until both arms seem even. Turn your palms out, and slowly drop your arms down to your side.

Now your body is balanced? How do you feel?

Try it now, sitting in a chair. Are you sitting taller? Do you feel even?

If you ride this weekend, try these exercises on your horse and let me know how you feel. Try to keep the feeling of balanced body parts. If you feel a body part isn't even, stop and rebalance.

You may just want to stretch and ride balanced for 15 minutes. Add time slowly each day so
that you aren't sore the next day. Build your time up slowly until you can ride balanced during your whole ride.

Let me know how your riding is going! I'm anxious to hear from you!
Brenda

Balancing the Body: Head, Shoulders and Middle

Day 1

Balancing the Body: Head

As I continue to move boxes to reopen my tack store for 2 months, I am a little sore today. My neck is a little stiff and my shoulders hurt a little last night. As I laid in bed last night, trying to find a comfortable spot, I thought about how I could balance my body. Centered Riding exercises can help in all areas of your life, not just riding.I decided to lay on my back, so there was equal pressure on both shoulders, with my head straight on the pillow.

I balanced my head, tipping it back and forth a little, trying to find that balance spot where my neck wasn't as sore. and it worked. I found a comfortable spot and went to sleep. This morning, I'm constantly rebalancing my head to find that spot where my neck isn't sore.

So as you're sitting there, or go ahead and stand up, what body area feels a little off?

Can you rebalance it by tipping back and forth or putting more weight there,then go back and forth, from too much tipping or weight to too little, trying to find that neutral place? How does it feel after you rebalance?When you go back to continue to do whatever you were doing, does your rebalancing of your body make a difference? Play with this and let me know. Next time you ride, take the time to rebalance each body part and let me know how you feel. Start with your head, and it will make a difference! You will be looking up at least 2" higher. Even stop and do your head now. Look at a spot, remember that spot, then rebalance your head by tipping it back and forth, less and less, to find that neutral spot. Remember to go sideways also. I usually start sideways, then do the chin up and down last.

Let me know!

Day 2

Balancing the Body: Shoulders

hmmmm... does this sound hard? Think about how stiff our shoulders get? If I'm tense, my shoulders are always tense. When I'm tense, I may roll my shoulders back to loosen them, but I have never balanced them. Until now. Once again,with moving tack store boxes, my joints are letting me know that I'm not as young as I used to be, and I keep doing the things I always used to do - bymyself. So after the 3rd day of loading boxes by myself, and having a little bit of help unloading, my knees and shoulders are letting me know that I'm older. Thank you very much!

So today, I balanced my shoulders. I move them forward and backward, finding that neutral spot. I lift them up and down, finding that neutral spot. I roll them backward and forward, finding that neutral spot. Moving those shoulders help to loosen them up. Moving them into the neutral position keeps them from being stiff. When I go to bed, I'll be moving my shoulders, finding both that neutral spot, and that comfortable spot! What area of your body stiffens up when you ride, and what do you do to loosen that area?

Day 3

Balancing the Body: Middle

Head, shoulders, now our middle. Acutally, it's the whole body! Where is our upper body when we ride. Forward? and over the horse's shoulders? Making the shoulders sore? Backwards? and over the horse's loins? Making the back sore?

Or in the middle? Over the horse's center of gravity?

To balance the middle, lean forward and then leaned backward. Lean a little less each time, until you settle into neutral. You are balanced. Relax. No really, relax your whole body. Sink down into the saddle, into the stirrups or irons. Relax your head, your shoulders, your middle, your thighs, your legs, your feet, your arms, your hands. Enjoy the feeling of being totally balanced with your body.

Embrace this feeling.

Embrace the feel!

Then enjoy the ride!

Building Blocks: Balance Your Head!

As I'm thinking about teaching Centered Riding to adults new to Centered Riding, I work on the Building Blocks. I balance each part of the rider's body, top to bottom. Head to foot.

I have discovered that starting with the head and neck is important. By starting with
the head, which weighs 10-14#, I have each rider nod back and forth, and move
their head side to side, to find that middle spot where the head is in neutral
position.

Before I do this, I have each rider look at the wall and remember where they
are looking. After we balance the head, I have the rider look at the spot again. We
always look a little higher after balancing our neck.

We raise our head a little, and by doing so, we raise our shoulders up and back,
and raise our whole body up. This is the desired effect.

We also bring our neck up and back. Think about your head being pulled up by a string. This image causes us to lift up and straighten our neck. This image doesn't quite do it for me. I understand it, but my body doesn't move. Another image is the turtle sticking his head out of his shell. My neck looked like that. Squished down and out. I asked the Instructor of my Level 1 clinic to demonstrate what I do. When I saw her tuck her neck down and out, then pulled her chin back and straightened her neck up, I got it. I practiced all last fall, and I am starting to carry my neck straight. I will say that my neck and shoulders ached a little all the time for at least 3 months. As I practiced every day, I'm sure that I kept a little strain in the muscles that supported the neck. Over the winter I didn't practice the exercises since I wasn't riding. I think it gave my neck time to relax and to become used to the new building block position.

Take your time when you stretch your muscles or reposition your body. There will be some strain and you will want to go slow with changing your body.

Try it now, sitting in your chair. Try it when you get on your horse.

I'll talk about other body parts next time.

I sure hope this humidity stops soon so we can get out and practice and ride!

Centered Riding Introductory Lesson

Sunday, August 22, 2010

I had a great group of riders here for a Centered Riding Introduction lesson Sunday morning. Three of the riders where new to me for lessons and 1 of the riders is already taking lessons from me. We started at 9 in the morning with exercises on the ground. Here is a brief report of how much we did in 2 1/2 hours!

We first had some stretching exercises. We worked on opening the chest muscles, both out and up.

We worked on having Soft Eyes and how much more you can see when you use soft eyes as compared to hard eyes. We broke out into pairs, with one person standing still and staring with hard eyes at something on the wall. The other person walked around them, and put a mark on the sand when they walked out of the view of the person who was staring. Then I had that person take a deep breath, and then used soft eyes without staring. Their partner walked around them again, and remarked an area in the sand when they walked out of view. Each time, the person could see at least a foot further with soft eyes.

We worked on deep Breathing and how to do that. I think breathing deep and using your diaphragm is one of those things that you hear about but don't do unless you are a singer and have been taught how to breathe deeply. Everyone only moved their chest when they breathed. I had them put a hand on their belly, and breathed as deep as they could, making an effort to fill their lungs with as much air as they could. This will cause the diaphragm, the largest muscle in the body, to push down, which causes your belly to move.

We talked about out Building Blocks and how to balance our bodies, starting with our head and working down. Our head weighs 8-14 #, and tipping it slight forward puts that much more weight on the horse’s withers and front end. Tipping our head back puts the weight on the back part of the horse’s back or loin. We rocked our head back and forth, and side to side, to find that point where our head is balanced. I find it interesting that every time I do this, I look a few inches higher than I did before.

Then we talked about out Center, where our center is, how our center moves, and how to relate that while on the horse. We have an imaginary ball within our center, spinning at the speed the horse is moving. We can regulate the speed of the horse but slowing or speeding up our center’s motion.

Clear Intent is riding with a purpose and we didn't talk about that except to mention it. During lessons, I talk about having a plan or purpose about where you want the horse to go.

We Grounded our feet, and talked about where to place our foot in the stirrup, which is usually a little further back than where we traditionally put the stirrup. Each person grounded their own feet, finding where that spot is on the bottom of their foot where they feel a “zing” up into their leg. Unless they are like me, and I only feel a dullness.

We did the same exercises on the horse. I Grounded everyone's feet, so they felt that place again on the bottom of their foot. They felt the sole of their foot in the stirrup.

We worked on Balance, starting with balancing our heads and where we are looking. We balanced our upper bodies, rocking back and forth until we found that spot where we weren’t rocking any more. We “woke up” our leg joints, by doing some leg stretches. We rotated our ankles, we moved our legs up and down, we stretched our knees by marching, and the hardest stretch, moving a straight leg from the hip joint. You need to swing your leg slowly, as when I do this, I can feel a “catch” in my hip. We repeated the arm and chest stretching exercises on the horse.

We found our Center and our Neutral Pelvis. We placed one hand in front of us, thumb on our belly and fingers pointing down. The other hand was on our lower back, directly in line with the first hand. Then we felt our hip joint as we swung our leg. By imagining a line between the hip joint and the center of our hands, we found our Center.

To sit balanced, we should be sitting on our seat bones. To find this area, we placed first one leg, than the other, onto the pommel. Slowly dropping each leg and picking up stirrups, we are now sitting correctly. I also did a hip release on 1 rider, showing the correct alignment for the leg. I showed the riders how they can do a hip release by themselves.

We worked on the Following Seat, allowing the horse to move freely and to feel the movement. Imagine a ball in our center, spinning backwards, and imagine the size of the ball. To increase the speed of the walk, imagine the ball growing, spinning larger and faster. To slow the horse's motion down, spin the ball in your center slower and decrease the size. To maintain a slowness but with an extended stride, imagine a large ball spinning slowly. Every now and then, I reminded the riders to use Soft Eyes and Breathe.

We worked at the trot, posting while using our leg joints. While in a revised seat, standing balanced in our stirrups, we worked on allowing the ankle, knee and hip joints to take up the movement of the trot. By doing so, there will be less stress on our joints, allowing our bodies to move with the horse. We worked on Dancing Knees, allowing our knees to move while the horse trotted.

At the end of the 2 ½ hour lesson, 3 of the riders practiced the lope. I had one of the riders practice loping off with their center, by thinking of sending her center forward in time with the horse’s hind leg. I had her maintain a feeling of sitting up as she loped. I wanted her to lope with a feeling of “up” through each stride when the hind leg pushed off and into another lope stride. By just thinking up, the rider had a more correct and gracefulness to her body. It was exciting to see the change in the horse‘s movement also, as he maintained a more collective stride.

Each rider worked at their own level within each of the basics. That is exactly
why Centered Riding works for all disciplines and all riders. Everyone is a
different point in their riding skills but you can work on the exercises and
maneuvers at every level of ability.

I'm excited that 2 of the riders were new to me and they are continuing lessons.
One of the riders wants to continue lessons and learn how to work with desensitizing her horse and to ride balanced if her horse should be jumpy while riding. I can't wait to have my next group lesson!

Click here to check our more about Centered Riding.

The journey has begun for a few more riders!

“Embrace the Journey!”

Are you a Balanced Rider

Why do you think you are not a balanced rider? What is not in balance? Your upper body? Your lower body? Or an individual part of your body? Your legs? Your head? Your right or left shoulder?

One of the Centered Riding Basics is Building Blocks. The alignment, that we were all taught in 4-H or basic riding lessons, still applies. Back of ear, through your shoulders and hips, to the back of the heel. A straight line from your shoulder, hip to your heel. But what is also just as important is the ear.

How much do you think your head weighs? 2#? 5#? 10#? How about 10-12# for an adult! That is a lot of weight that can throw your whole upper body off balance. And where do most people go when they are thrown off balance? Forward, over the horse’s neck.

Even if you are not thrown off balance, but you are constantly looking down, where did the weight go? Forward. And down. Down onto your horses withers and shoulders to the front legs.

As I’ve been doing lessons the past few weeks, I have concentrated on balancing the head of the rider, as well as the rest of the body. It is amazing how much more you look UP after you have balanced your head. First, look straight ahead, and look at a point on the wall. Remember where this point is, because we will come back to that point to see if we are still looking at it.

We start to balance our head by tipping the head side to side, first one way than the other, slowly. Each time we go from side to side with out head, we tip our head a little less each time, until we settle into the middle. Then we balance our head from front to back. First touching our chin to our chest, than slowly leaning our head back. We tip our head a little less each time, until we settle into the middle.

Where are you looking now? Every time I do this myself, I am always looking a few inches higher. Another thing that I have realized this past month, as I’m doing the exercises along with the lesson people, is that I’m not as stiff in the neck and shoulder area as I used to be. I still am a little tight behind one shoulder blade, but as I do the stretches, I can tell that my body is starting to relax and to stay in proper alignment.

Another exercise that I feel has been helping with the head alignment is a vertical stretch of our arms. First, let’s get our soft eyes and take a couple of deep breaths. As we stretch, we will breathe deep. Breathe in through your nose, fill up your lungs, so that the air pushes down onto the diaphragm and your stomach moves. Exhale through your mouth. Breathe deep a couple of times.

Now, with your hands on top of your shoulders, and your eyes soft, breathe in deeply. Try this now, sitting in your chair. First put both feet flat on the floor, shoulder width apart. Look straight ahead and see where you are looking.

Now, as you breathe in deeply, slowly straighten your arms upward, then as your breathe out slowly through your mouth, turn your palms out, with palms down as you slowly lower your arms to the sides of your body. (Turning your palms down as you lower your arms is important so there is no twist on the bones in your arms.) Repeat 2 more times, slowly, deep breathing and with soft eyes. Where are you looking? I am looking about 2” higher than I was looking before doing the exercise. On a horse, looking at the arena wall, I may look 6” higher, depending on how far the wall is.

We always want to move our joints slowly, to allow the tight muscles and ligaments to stretch without causing them any harm. And as always, if you feel any pain or discomfort, stop stretching. If the pain or discomfort continues, please see a doctor (I almost said vet! Lol).

I am interested in what you are thinking so I can help you. Do you tend to lean one way? Do you feel like you're not sitting straight? Where are your muscles tight? What gets sore when you ride?

I’ll move on to balancing the shoulders and more upper body exercises next.

Come along on the journey!

Teaching the Lope Lesson Part 2

I had a fantastic lesson last week, teaching 2 adults to lope the lesson horses. They did fantastic. Both were apprehensive, a little scared, and tense, but after showing what the horses can do on a lunge line, they both were loping short distances off the line!

I got on Starlet first, to show how she lopes. I think that helped them a lot to see her lope, as it showed the riders what the horse will do and how the lope on her looks.

After the adult lesson, I had a youth lesson with a youth who has been with me awhile. She has loped a little for the last 2 years, but now at age 11, she was able to put it all together and lope Starlet around the arena a couple of times before stopping. I had a fantastic time with my youth rider too.

Yes, I can't wait to share how I did the lessons and what Centered Riding exercises I used. But what I will really share is the connection between the horse and rider. And the connection between Starlet and I.

The previous post, Teaching the Lope Lesson, Part 1, went through the exercises to get the rider prepared. The exercises did more to relax the rider as much as to “awaken” their joints and muscles. As the riders went through the exercises, they became more comfortable on the lesson horse. They were paying attention to how to do the maneuvers, and they could move the horse where they wanted the horse to go.

The riders started with leg exercises, to open up the hips. I had the riders find their Neutral Pelvis by rocking their pelvis back and forth. We worked on putting our head in alignment through the Building Blocks exercise. This helped the riders to lift their chin a little higher, and able to see further ahead. Using Soft Eyes, the riders could see more of the arena and where they were going to lope their horse. I had them Ground themselves, by feeling their weight into their feet, as if they are standing on the ground. I wanted them to feel the weight through their legs, into their feet, and moving down to the ground and feel like they could sink into the ground, as if they are standing in sand.

We worked on moving the horse with Breathing and using the rider’s Center. The horse needs to be moved with our center, as well as our hands and legs. Think about your center as a small ball moving backwards. If you want to have your horse move out, mentally spin the ball faster. If you need the horse to go slower, spin your center slower. If you need the horse to have a longer stride, spin your center larger. Have your center grow from a golf ball size to a beach ball size, or any size in between. Picturing a certain size ball spinning in your center will help you with your horse’s movement.

We also use our center by spinning in the direction that you want to go. As we prepare for the lope to the left, we want to spin our center forward and to the left.

We lope off with Clear Intent, We need to know, and express to our horse with exact cues, where we want to ride our horse to, at what speed, and knowing what to do if the horse breaks to a trot.

For my lesson horses, they will lope off better for people with these cues: I have the riders hold with light contact on the reins. I have the riders take a deep breath. I have them look in the direction they want to go, and as they breathe out, I have the rider squeeze with their outside heel. Depending on the horse, the leg cue can be soft with Chick or it needs to be firm with Starlet.

If the horse only trots, we stop the horse, take a step back to make sure we have enough control to stop the horse if we need to. Then we ask the horse to lope off with a more exact cue. As the rider looks ahead as he lopes, we continue to add enough leg cue to keep the horse loping.

When we use our Center and give the horse exact cues with Clear Intent, then we can do anything that we want to do. Practice and you can accomplish whatever you want to do.

“Embrace the Journey!”

Teaching the Lope

July 15, 2010
Part 1

I was exhausted the day after the lope lesson. I think the 4 days of having a vendor booth at State 4-H in the rain and humidity did me in. Then my lesson day started at 6 am, with lessons at 7. I’m still tired, but not as tired as last night. But the way I feel tonight, I still may not get this done. But I will start and post Part 2 tomorrow.

We worked on preparing for the lope. We worked on walking using the following seat. We learn to stay relaxed enough and trotting the arena. Working on control through stopping and backing.

Both adults are comfortable walking and trotting the lesson horses. They understand the Centered Riding exercises. We have been applying the exercises during the lessons. We also do leg exercises to loosen up the ankle, knee and hip joints, especially the hip joints. To get the leg back underneath our bodies, the leg has to move from the hip. Our pelvis needs to be open to do this, and we find our Neutral Pelvis to do this. As we engage our joints and open our hips, our body stay relaxed. We work on the Building Blocks and putting our bodies in alignment. Then we won’t bounce at the trot and the lope. We start with our head, moving to our hips and legs, rocking our body into balance.

We Ground our feet and feel the weight into our stirrup. We want to feel that we are standing in sand, yet feel like we our standing solid on the ground. Breathe and use Soft Eyes. We Center and we move the horse with our center. We allow the ball in our center to grow and go faster to get the horse to move out. We let the ball grow smaller and move slower to slow down the horse. We worked on half halting to the stop by breathing out and sitting deep in our seat.

We ride and moved our horses around the arena with Clear Intent, meaning we ride with a purpose. We need to look where we are going and put the horse there. Last week, we worked on maneuvers, and 2 tracked (half passed) into the corners. When we learn to use our legs as well as our hands to guide the horse, we gain more control. The riders are learning to feel how the horse’s move and to gain control when they lose the movement.

Next we transitioned into the lope. More tomorrow.

Learning to Lope

For tomorrow's lesson, I have an adult who wants to learn to lope. My lesson mare, Starlet, is great for this. She is a little western pleasure loper, very true and very smooth, if she goes slow. Starlet listens to my cues, so I have the rider on the lunge line, and we both cue Starlet for the lope. The rider gives the body cues, and I give my subtle cues with my voice and body. This gives the rider confidence in knowing how to execute the lope.

How will I use Centered Riding, and CR exercises? I will ground and center myself first. Then I will have the rider do some exercises while on the lunge line. Before asking for the lope departure, I'll have the rider breathe, center and have clear intent on asking for the lope. I'll let you know tomorrow how the morning goes.

Training Tip: Loading and CR: Breathing

This past weekend, I went trail riding on Savannah. She didn't load easily. We worked on loading when I got home, and I blogged about it in the previous post.

When the horse doesn't do something that I know that it can do, then we go back to work mode and do some additional training. She didn't want to load, so we did some work until she was willing to load. I made it her choice. She refused to load, we went to work. I put her into a lunge circle. After a few circles, I asked her to load. She refused, so we went back to work on the lunge line. I changed directions so as to break up the routine of a circle, so as to not to strain legs as I wasn't sure how long we would be lunging. After a few more circles, I asked her to load. At the 3rd attempt, she loaded. She was rewarded by some hay in the manger, by me standing still and petting her, then by being asked to back out of the trailer. But she had to load again willingly. She didn't, so she went back to work until she loaded easily. She was to jump in by me just sending her in. After she loaded the 2nd time, we rested, had a pat or 2, and unloaded. Immediately she was asked to load again, and she jumped right in.

This may be a different way than working with a young horse who has never loaded, or even an older horse who is scared. I knew this horse has been loaded, so she went right to work. With a younger or scared horse, I will give them a buddy. I'll load a quiet horse, and teach the young, scared or timid horse that it is ok to be inside a trailer. I won't take them on a ride that first day, but I try to take them on a short 5 minute ride a few days later. Then I'll take them on a 15 minute ride.

I make the trailer a nice place. A place to eat if you don't mind your horses eating in the trailer, which I don't. I've hauled many miles with horses eating hay and have never had a problem. And on long hauls, anything from 2-12 hours, this keeps their guts moving.

I make the trailer safe, and a resting place from work.

I make the trailer a place to relax, and they are petted and left alone to think.

Most horses don't refuse the trailer after they know that they have to load and they will get in. Sometimes this may take an hour of work, but it is worth it to have a horse jump in willingly.

I didn't do my homework before the ride, but I did when I got home. I'll see if my horse needs more homework later this week.

oh, and about Centered Riding, try breathing during trailer loading! If I would have been breathing more, I think I would have stayed more relaxed. But it's easier to stay relaxed when you aren't on a time frame.

Later this week, I won't be on a time frame, and I'll breathe deeply before each time I ask her to load.

Soft Eyes and Breathing

First, I’d like to say Happy Birthday to my friend Gretchen. I hope you had a fantastic horsey day with Rainbow and Tootsie.

Let's work on Soft Eyes and Breathing. Even though this seems really easy to do, once we start concentrating, we move into hard eyes and quit breathing. We start to stare at 1 spot. We start to hold our breath. We tense. And our horse tenses as well. We forget about the world around us, but our horse hasn’t. Feeling the tension, our horse starts to tighten his muscles, he lifts his head, and may start to be skittish.

As we tense, we tighten up. Our shoulders get stiff. Our hands tighten on the reins. Our arms quit moving with the motion of the horse. We lose our center and our seat. We tip forward or backward. Our thighs tighten, and we start to grip without knees and calves. We lose our weight in the stirrups and the grounded feeling.

Now take a deep breath, then take another deep breath, and let in sink into your center. Take another deep breath, and let it settle and sink down into your seat. The 3rd deep breath should sink down into your feet.

Now take a moment and see everything that is around you. Open your eyes, while looking straight ahead, still see what is around you. Breathe deeply. Now see the same view, use your peripheral vision. How much more can you see? As you breathe deeply, how much more relaxed do you feel?

Begin to walk your horse. Breathing deeply through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth, feel how much more relaxed you and your horse is. Breathing deeply, realize how much more you can see. Pay attention to nothing. Ride anywhere, allowing your horse to relax and drop his neck.

As your horse relaxes, you as the rider, relaxes. The horse begins to move freely, and you as the rider, begin to move more freely. As you move, the tension leaves the moving parts. Therefore, you can’t be tense and move. As you look around, you breathe easier. You aren’t concentrating on 1 thing, but you are taking in everything.

Before, we were spiraling downward, as hard eyes and holding our breath was causing tense muscles and a tense horse. The tenser we got, the tenser the horse got. We caused the tension with the hard eyes and lack of deep breathing.

Now, we are spiraling upward. As we soften our eyes and breathe deeply, our horse relaxes. We feel the horse moving freely and we relax. The more relaxed we became, the more relaxed the horse became. It is easier to see everything. It is easier to breathe deep. Our limbs move, our joints are relaxed, and we’re riding the horse without tension. The horse moves out freely. His movement becomes deeper. The tension leaves our body and we move freely also.

I'll chat more about this topic on my chat Horses Are Our Lives, at
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/horsesareourlives

Come join in on the discussion, and the journey!

Embrace the Journal!

Centered Riding Update Clinic Day 4

June 17, 2010

Day 4 was the last day of the Update Clinic. With all the preparation work for the canter, today was canter day. Shaggy needs to be able to pick up the canter without trying to trot faster and faster, and falling into the lope.

We did cavelletti work. We walked and trotted over 3 logs laying on the ground from both directions. Then we raised the logs by sitting them on another log and placing them about 4 ½ feet apart. We trotted these logs, asking the horse first to extend the trot. Then the logs were put closer together, and we worked on going over the logs in a collective trot.

Building on the previous day, we worked on the walk to trot to walk transitions. The horses needed to move out to the trot on the first stride. Two logs were placed together on an angle on one of the corners. As the horses trotted up to the logs, we were to ask for the canter right before the horse took the stride to go over the log. Shaggy spooked as her neared the logs for the first time at the trot, so we walked up to and over them in both directions. We trotted the log first, then at the next trot time, we asked for the canter. We were successful in getting both canter leads.

I had Susan sign my Centered Riding book. She is a gifted artist. Along with signing my book, she drew a picture of me riding Shaggy. What a wonderful memory.

I spent Friday evening through Saturday noon with the 2 grandbabies. Jacob, Amber and Caden came out to visit while I was there. The 2 little ones hadn’t seen each other since Christmas. I had a fabulous time. Makenzie and Caden got to ride her “Pody”. I’ll post Pony and Play time photos soon.