Finding Feel: Exercise 1
The first
step to becoming a good rider is to find "feel."
It�s that elusive term used by all instructors to
describe how a rider can have the move influence on
their horse with their aids, and helps the rider
anticipate what the horse is about to do and either
stop or encourage the behavior in a split second of
time.
There are many ways to begin to
find more feeling in your riding. Since all riding
is about balance and engagement of the horse�s hind
leg, I like to start with the hind legs. I do this
by helping riders simply find the moment at the walk
when they can have the most influence on the horse�s
pace, length of stride and leg placement. While this
can be more easily done with a ground person
helping, it can also be accomplished when riding
alone.
To begin, simply watch your
horse from the ground. Look at the horse�s hind legs
and watch for the moment when each hind leg is
coming off the ground. At this point in your riding
and learning, this is the moment when your legs on
the horse�s sides will have the most influence. At
the walk, if the leg is on the ground and fully
weighted, the horse cannot respond and move it more
forward, to the side, etc. You need to wait for the
moment when it begins to come off the ground. At
that moment, you will have the most influence on
what the horse does with its leg on that side.
Next, get on your horse and
find the moment when the weight is fully on the leg
and when it is fully off. If you have a ground
person, have them call out the moment when the
inside leg is coming off the ground to help you feel
the difference. Often people will describe a fully
weighted leg as having the back feel more rounded up
underneath their inside seat bone. When the weight
comes off, it feels like the muscle under the inside
seat bone is more elastic and that the horse�s side
drops slightly away from their leg on that side. You
can look for the feeling on your own, but it is much
easier to find with a ground person helping.
Test the
feelings and lightly put your leg more "on" the
horse�s side when the inside hind leg is coming off
the ground and encourage more energy or more stretch
in the length of stride. See if you get a response.
If the horse is listening and active off your legs,
he should be able to react more quickly to your
commands. Keep testing the leg aid closing and
softening, so you are using it only when it can have
the most effect on the horse. At the same time, feel
your seat softly move with the horse�s back on
either side. Feel the slight bunching and softening
of the muscles and allow your seat to go with the
movement.
If your
horse is trustworthy, you can even close your eyes
for brief moments to help you find the moment and
focus on only our seat and leg. If your horse is not
trustworthy, stay safe and simply focus inwardly on
the feeling while remaining aware of your
surroundings. As you learn to develop "feel" in your
riding, it becomes easier to keep your eyes ahead
and softly focused on where you�re going while
following and feeling the horse with your body. It�s
a shift in focus from simply visual to the physical.
