In a perfect world the horse is connected to us through the reins, meaning that the contact we’ve established on the reins serves as the ultimate communication tool. There is no tension, simply touch and with it the power to execute energy through the horse at a moments notice.

What this means for us as riders is that the legs become quiet and are used primarily as a balance point, but please don’t misunderstand and think I mean balance through squeezing or holding on with the legs. There is a large issue of overusing the legs as it compromises your balance, creates tension upwards into your seat, can radiate into your hands and promote pulling on the reins not to mention add confusion and complication to your communication with the horse. The less that we have to use in order to let the horse know what we want, the better.

Contact on the reins can only be appropriate if the horse is pushing/propelling himself forward from the hind legs calmly, while also maintaining the proper bend. Without these our ability to communicate through the reins is compromised at best, though often worse – disconnected.

The magic happens quite brilliantly however when these elements are all in concert with one another, as you can orchestrate collection in the horse, gait transitions and spectacular lateral work that is forward, light and graceful primarily through the reins. The legs working secondary to the hand in providing support. On the other hand, to rely upon the legs primarily the hands are left to working in excess to either contain the anxious energy created by the overuse of the legs and force position to create second rate lateral work and dull transitions.

Wondering if you have good timing, good rhythm? Wondering why I am writing something that perhaps has more in common with music than riding a horse? Good question! Riding is so well connected to music and dance, but that connection is so easily forgotten. The way in which we move our body, the timing of our actions, their direction and the energy behind them all influence the horse on a level that is beyond that of mathematic figures or scientific theory.

So, I found this handy little online test to see what kind of rhythm we have. This Free Online Rhythm Test should be done in Internet Explorer browsers, or with an external metronome if you don’t have sound on your computer.

What were your results? My Rhythmicity Index (RI) = 68.5 < < < <

What was yours?

Oh, and they even have an online video demonstrating how to do the test.

What are the purposes of enclosing the horse’s mouth in Dressage or English riding? The employ of a tightened caveson, or flash, or other arrangement of noseband in the riding of the horse has long been purported as necessary to help the horse accept the pressure on the bit. To help develop the horse’s mouth. But what does it truly support?

This leads me to think of an action talked about recently about stopping the horse in a way not necessarily understood as to it’s working but that it does in fact work. To raise one rein upwards and taking the other directly back. It has been rolling through my thoughts unable to pin down exactly what I know it’s usefulness derived from, until yesterday. I was working with my lovely gelding, Tanjobi, when I thought I would experiment with it some. Not using it in quite the same way, while the direction of the reins was the same, the pressure was that of experimental value (read – very light). The action opens the horse’s mouth. It breaks the clenching resistance that comes when a horse attempts to run away with the rider. When the horse locks the mouth, grabs the bit, and runs. It also combines the elevation element inherent to the half halt.

So, Baucher then. Françoise Baucher prescribed a series of suppling exercises for the horse’s mouth while standing still, but primarily what they involve is the softening of the jaw. They emphasize opening of the mouth by the bits position.

I continued to run it through my mind then, the combination of the open mouth with a form of suppling, its connection with the use of a tightened noseband/flash/etc, and also how it can be witnessed that the horse can still run away with the rider and an open mouth.

Dressage horses, for as often as they are emphasized to be light and soft in the mouth, I have found often to be quite heavy. They take a very firm contact on the reins, which supports the use of physical force to then influence them. Could the noseband have an effect on this? Is it that traditionally taught Dressage looks for a horse to take that heavy/firm contact and it is best obtained with a tight noseband, which also hides the open/chewing mouth?

It isn’t uncommon for riders to see-saw the reins, that is pull left to right in an effort to soften the horse’s response to their aids, bring about a more ‘appealing’ head set, and gain some measure of control. This action ‘opens’ the horse’s mouth, whether it can be seen physically or not.

And then the horse who can still bolt and run with a wide open mouth… but is the difference really at the base of the neck? So a horse with an open mouth who has not elevated the base of the neck, is still enabled to run wildly on the forehand and thus subject to the forces of momentum? And a horse with an open mouth and elevation at the base of the neck will find themselves more at liberty to respond at the whim of the rider as their weight becomes more balanced? Very good questions that are still floating in mind.

I’ve written about the importance of bend in previous posts, but I would like to once again emphasize its use, as well as expand upon and explore the benefits of correct bend further.

The bend that I am referring to in the horse, is the from nose to tail. It encompasses the whole of the horse’s body and as a result it connects him into a single unit, allowing all of the parts to work in harmony and in balance. This also supports the development of collection and increases the efficiency and efficacy of subtle aids.

Naturally, the horse will have a stronger side, just as we do. This can complement or contradict the rider’s own preferences, but either way the horse needs to be strengthened on one side and suppled on the other. He will naturally stretch and allow the bend to one direction, and naturally contract to the other. The contracted side will carry the bend with ease, while the stretched side will struggle to balance out the strength of it’s opposite.

Largely, the way in which bend is established is through force. To understand how best to approach strengthening and stretching however, we must first look at the ‘mechanics’ of muscles. Like anything of a biological nature, when force is applied, it will be met with resistance. Secondly, less is often more. In order to encourage the contracted muscles to relax and allow the weak side to take the bend, we must induce relaxation. We cannot tell the horse to relax, and even if we could it often creates the opposite in people. Most often we are tense without being conscious of that tension, and relaxation cannot be forced, it can only be allowed. We must gain the horse’s mental trust, before the physical can change. Just as we would struggle to induce relaxation in a person who is mistrustful of us, the horse is no different.

This is where the quality of our touch comes in. Using touch to influence the horse is much like learning to master a fine musical instrument. There are plenty of people who are good, lots of people who are awful, and very few who have honed it to an art. How we take this touch to art, is with lots of reflection, consciousness, and listening. The horse will naturally begin to relax when we listen with our whole being in his presence, half of the task has already been accomplished at that point.

Let’s look more at what a correct bend supports and strengthens…

A largely popular, and perhaps even more greatly misunderstood, topic is that of the half halt. The action to produce the half halt is very simple in and of itself, but without the proper positioning of the horse (the bend), the half halt’s effectiveness relies solely on the horse’s mental decision and good graces. While our goal is to have the horse functioning off of his mental training, in the process of establishing that training it is helpful to know how to physically enable the horse to move properly. The bend plays an important role here. From head to tail, the horse’s bend connects the front to the back and allows the half halt to be used in such a subtle manner that it *is* imperceptible to any onlookers. It becomes an intention on the part of the rider without conscious physical effort.

Bend also supports more precise directional control. It enables us to switch smoothly between lateral movements, shifting the weight from one leg to the next, to change from a turn on the haunches to a turn on the forehand seamlessly. We can pick where the horse puts his feet, leading to the next benefit.

Gait transitions. With the bend working to connect the front with the back, we gain balanced and smooth gait transitions up and down. We are also able to rebalance the horse where necessary without complicated and complex figures or exercises.

All in all, bend is vital to the advanced training of the horse. Even while working the basics, encouraging the correct bend creates a positive foundation for the horse to build upon. And with that, a closing tip when working on the bend. Make certain that your outside rein is soft, the horse cannot relax into the bend if the outside rein is taught…

The importance of the half halt is considered bar-none to correct riding, however I think little is emphasized in the use of lateral suppling and it’s effect on the half halt. In my observations of riding, the presence of lateral suppleness maximizes the use of the half halt, while minimizing the pressure needed in the action of the aid. The horse’s balance is easier to influence and mold to our liking. Lateral movements find ease and fluidity.

Lateral suppleness is not gotten with gadgets and gimmicks.. or I should say “correct” lateral suppleness. When we use tools of force and leverage we lose the horse’s mind – which is the most important element. It takes instead, soft hands, consistent and smooth actions, and above all else, a conscious mind.

What does it mean to be a weak rider? Is it the inability to hold the correct posture and position in the saddle? Is it the lack of strength in the aids to apply them correctly and productively? What if weak riding were not a bad thing, but a highly sought after reality?

In weak riding, I am referring to the ability to use the mind & energy of the rider, over their strength. It is about connecting and communicating with the horse without reliance upon strength. That is weak riding. I brought up the topic of using only 5 grams of pressure in a previous post, and how it correlates with a person’s intention, and I want to build on that. To have an intention, the ability to feel and see the action you are hoping to create or inspire in a sort of psuedo-action type visualization. To feel the energy in your fingertips, but unable to see any movement stemming from them. The ability to sense a half-pass without seeing any chance in position, pressure or posture. That is intent, it is the ‘mind’s eye’ so to speak.

To be a weak rider gives the horse every opening at performing to his full potential. There are no interferences, no blocks, no force or energy working against, always working with. In particular I have been practicing this method also with my niece, when she doesn’t want to lay down for her nap or get ready for bed at night. I simply go through the motions without force – no force in my actions, in my words, in the tone of my voice. It is all calm, it is waiting, and still it has energy and movement. What I find is that in her resistance, she begins to attempt to help me. She resists, and when she is not resisted against, she then starts to help with whatever it is. Perhaps I am trying to get her changed for bed, she will help put her pajama top on. Or brushing her teeth, she will sit herself down so I can help her with her teeth better. Small things, but they break a cycle of resistance and temper tantrum. The same goes for the horse, he becomes engaged. We have caught his mind. The mind that we use when we are weak, we then attract the mind of the horse to.

The reality is that only when we have strength do we rely upon it. When we lack strength we must find other options, other answers to solve the problem. What if we all rode as though we were too weak to lift a bale of hay, to pick up our horse’s hoof, to hoist the saddle upon his back? Would we also temper our strength with our hands, legs and artificial aids? They would find an action that relies upon the energy and movement over the direct or indirect force.

I wanted to post this video, because somewhere near the middle it shows the very obvious use of force to try and control/contain the horse. It fails miserably. So I pose this question, if presented with a situation like this and you did not have the option to use force, what would you change? How would you work to stay safe while handling this horse that doesn’t rely on strength to be successful?

In the scheme of things, to find balance between touch and no touch, to find that weight of a mere 5 grams, seems a simple task. Not seated in the saddle there is no concern over one’s own balance in the saddle. Being connected via a simple rein, touch between the hand and the horse’s mouth, this is little else that is more simplified. But this connection is deceiving, because although it is our own control over that 5 grams, to convince our responses to follow those orders is another story. That is where I found myself in the moments of connection with Scout today.

To bring oneself to peace, quiet, waiting, feeling. To bring the horse to stillness, only to the initiate movement again. Easier said than done. The mind tries to pipe up and give it’s input, the logic attempts to discern every movement into information worth analysis, the body weighs heavier and heaviest, and the ego wants to simply employ force to get the desired response. Somewhere underneath all of those voices, there is a small one, a voice of silence, of solitude and peace. It is small, inaudible, but it is still present. It peeks out when all of the other voices have been quieted, silenced, that is when it takes the opportunity to say, “…” Nothing. That is the still point. That is the principle necessary before we re-institute movement.

And that movement, is pure intention. It is the thought, the feeling only through our mind. It causes such small changes in our energy that we fail to perceive them in most cases. We miss them for the larger movements that overpower them. The intention is more powerful, more capable, but it requires time, patience, quiet, still. It requires dedication of the mind, of the intent. We can only be so strong with force, with muscle, with bone. But with energy, we can exceed the strength of 100 men, we can exceed it through the influential power it holds. We can, but we often fail to believe that we can, instead we settle for the minute measure of potential strength that physical force conjures up.

So come back to stillness. Find that still point where the silence resides, where that small voice of nothingness exists, and then begin your intent. Begin the flow of energy, let it build gradually, let it build as it is meant to. Let it find it’s potential power by feeding it with calm intent.

The thought of 5 grams, the weight of a nickel, the weight at which muscles do not resist when pressed. A simple weight, a simple pressure, simple but not easy. To apply a mere 5 grams of pressure with the hand is nearly indistinguishable with no touch at all, it is subtle and short of any convincing force. It is the weight at which we can palpate the physical pulses – that of the heart, the lungs, and the dura. It is a weight to aspire to, rather than aspire from. To touch and then relinquish that touch until we reach 5 grams. Try it, with a scale, set it to 5 grams and weight your hand pressure. Can you maintain it consistently? Do you find your hand jumps, it floats from too much to too little with such speed you feel it is not within your control at all but at it’s own whim and fancy? Or do you find a steady hold at too much or too little, bearings unable to force more or less to bring it to the elusive 5?

After a recent Craniosacral session, and the conversation surrounding that of 5 grams, it has been ever present on my mind. I cannot say with certainty that I have ridden with only 5 grams of pressure, but I know that I have aspired unconsciously towards it, reaching within sights. But perhaps like the scale test, found myself unable to regulate the consistency, my body jumping to heights of too much or too little with speed and inaccuracy, taking turns with the effect of weight too much or too little consistent.

Anyone want to take a challenge with me? To ride with only 5 grams? Bring yourself to feel pressure, and move away slowly, release that pressure, focusing on the beat of the heart or the lungs, or the dura. Focus until you feel it, until you’ve been able to release enough that the flow fills that vacuum. Let’s challenge one another.

In working with our horses, it seems a never-ending goal to ride a light horse and constantly be light with our application of the aids. Lightness, however, has taken on the role of a relative meaning. It has a different image in the mind of each user, it is seen as something solid, tangible, an object that we can hold onto and either have or not have.

On the contrary, lightness is not relative to the application, rather it is relative because just at the moment when we believe we have reached the ultimate in lightness a new opportunity awakens to provide us the chance to seek more lightness. We always have the chance for greater refinement of the aids, of our actions, of our expectations.

Lightness comes in part with the advent of relaxation. Lightness relies on movement, constant movement. Lightness is the result of the mental, emotional and physical aspects between horse and rider reaching harmony. It is these moments that lightness shows up as pure joy, because it is effortless, thoughtless. It is simple energy capable of being directed at will. That is the beauty of lightness.

Lightness is not lack of touch, it is not an emptiness in the hand or a rushing away from the leg. Lightness is the unique lack of resistance and force. It is the presence of a perfect dance partner. One that understands and interprets the music with the same timing and precision that you do. That is lightness.

Lightness naturally inspires collection. It inspires beautiful transitions. Lightness relies on the energy it creates. Lightness relies on the posture it creates. Lightness relies on the simplicity it creates. It is a circle, neverending. That which lightness creates it also consumes, it lives off of. When lightness begins disappearing it is only regained by re-establishing the very things it relies upon and creates. Logical and illogical, that is the meaning of lightness.

Lightness creates more energy. It does this through inspiration. It enables greater muscle usage without tension or resistance. Lightness encourages mental participation and clarity. Lightness is the epitome of personal awareness, relaxation, curiosity, patience and balance.