One of the most difficult things for a rider to learn is how to use their hands properly. Wait, no. Let me restate that. THE most difficult thing for a rider to learn is how to use their hands properly. Why you may ask.. because the hands are connected to the wrist bone, the wrist bone is connected to the arm bone… and so on right down to your ten little piggies and the hair on your chinny chin chin.

Joking aside though, good hands require a rider to have a balanced seat, which requires the rider to be in the proper position for their individual center of gravity, which requires the proper muscle suppleness and flexibility which is not innate in us human beings. Good hands also require the proper education, something that the vast majority of riders never get and are unlikely to encounter in their average riding lessons. Why? Because their instructors never received it and so can’t pass it on.

Essentially all of these requirements make it nearly impossible for a rider to gain good hands without going through and learning a properly balanced seat so that their hands, seat and legs can work independently from one another.

Now, let’s go back to the original question about bitless bridles, or bridle-less riding. The usual reason behind using either of these ‘tools’, or ‘methods’ if you will, is to circumvent some sort of problem that the horse is having with a bit in it’s mouth. The horse tosses it’s head, has a hard mouth, can’t relax, over-salivates or is anxiously gnawing at the bit, runs through the bridle, etc. Let us also keep in mind that the horse’s mouth is one of the most sensitive areas on his body without losing sight of just how sensitive his skin is alone to a single fly’s presence… ahem.

Essentially it boils down to this – the rider is replacing his lack of skill with a piece of equipment designed to relieve him of ever having to go through the process of developing a seat and thus independent aids and eventually having educated hands that no longer cause all of these “bit issues”. It is for this reason I don’t recommend these tools but instead continue to champion the learning process that first develops a rider’s balance WITHOUT allowing them access to the reins and only after they’ve acquired a seat and independent legs are the reins introduced with education. Never haphazardly as seems to be common – to throw a beginner rider on a horse and leave them wander about the ring not knowing the first thing about how to communicate with the horse and without any balance to then abuse the horse’s mouth and blame the horse’s resistances on the bridle…

I love visuals, so thought I would put some commentary on my observations from some video I just browsed. I have some history on the horse but will wait to share it until after you’ve watched the video to keep from pre-suppositions if possible.

In The Bitless Bridle -

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I watched this video first so am posting in the order that I viewed them. The background information was highlighting that the horse was moving in free extension, self carriage, even collection. I will admit that he is different in certain superficial ways from the video showing him ridden in a bit but I would never say that his actions are that of true extension in the gaits, self carriage or collection. He is not relaxed, is not stepping underneath of himself, is not round in the back, etc. Instead he is a horse who is moving swiftly forward, braced in the neck, tense in the gaits and who is at the same time also doing a commendable job at (imo) trying to do as his rider is requesting.

The problem is that he cannot be in self-carriage, it is not possible with both his level of tension and the rider’s lack of balance. She is not falling off the horse but she is behind his movement and falling downwards at every sitting stride and having to work too hard to push herself out of the saddle in the rising portion. His walk is completely lateralized as is the canter, i.e. both legs on the same side are moving in unison rather than separated into the 4-beat tempo that should be the walk and the three beat canter tempo. His neck is raised but not from the base, rather more inverted and that is shown by the thickness of the underside of the neck.

What bit of extension the rider may be feeling is simply the horse moving more swiftly, or there are a few small moments (if not in this video there is a second one also showing him in the bitless bridle) where he is getting closer to stepping under himself. His hind hooves are not stepping into the front hoof prints and therefore his hind legs are by definition trailing.

Compared to the video of him in a bit he is more confident appearing in his forward movement and less confused about whether he should be going forward or slowing down, which is very common if the rider uses their hands too much in conflict when riding in a bit that they will improve in this way in the bitless bridle.

In a Kimberwicke -

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This video I watched immediately after my observations on the bitless bridle video, I was curious to see how changed he would go in a bit. Again, the rider is behind the movement of her horse and as a result her rein aids are in conflict with the forward movement she is asking out of him – she is using the reins to aid in balance which she has to because her seat is not developed, her legs are neither suppled into position nor independent and therefore her hands will be affected by whatever happens with the seat and legs. The horse responds through confusion – her legs say go forward, her seat cannot follow the movement because it has to work harder than necessary, and her hands say slow down or stop. He in turn reacts out of frustration and confusion.

I don’t want you thinking I am picking on this rider, simply my observations and nothing personal. I could pick out a million other videos and point to the same issues, she is not alone and I have been in her place myself. I have ridden the horses with terrible bit problems, head tossers, balkers, horses that were sucked back and behind the bit, that would bobble between running forward and running backward in confusion. I have ridden with poor balance, heavy hands and the thought that my horses were collected or balanced when they were anything but.

I’d really love to throw up a quick video but alas do not at the moment have free access to a horse so this post will have to suffice for now. Be wary however the trap that is easy to fall into believing that a bit of tack can solve all of your troubles. The bit has a specific purpose and that purpose is to allow for some of the most refined communication available with your hands. The horse’s nose cannot compare in sensitivity to the horse’s mouth – which is the good and the bad. It is why a bitless bridle allows for more refined appearing riding when there is no tact in the rider’s hands or balance in his body and why that same rider can develop a horse with the most horrendous evasions when riding with a bit.

My first dressage instructor used to bring up with a sort of endearing tone and mystical hope in her voice this idea she had heard about – something to the effect of master equestrians riding their horses with a single thread of silk to connect their hand to the bit their touch so refined, subtle and effective. Later I came to experience the power of riding with that refined of communication with the hand – where less is louder to the horse than more. Where a mere 5 grams (the weight of a nickel!) is all that is needed to convey your wishes to the horse and have them be understood. But… that kind of tact is not available when your hands are connected to  your feet which are connected to a body that is out of sync with the horse’s movement, space and time.

Food for thought…

One bug I’ve always had in regards to the posting trot, however, are the flailing lower legs that seem to accompany it. You know what I’m talking about, the lower leg that bounces on and off the horse’s sides with every rise and fall as the rider unintentionally kicks out the lower leg in order to get that bounce out of the saddle and just as surely rakes it back to the horse’s side when their seat finds the saddle’s.

Not only is it unsightly it also creates instability and insecurity for the rider, excessive and annoying signals to the horse, a lack of balance, and extra work for the rider.

So… how does one go about changing those lack-luster legs and correcting the flaws that accompany them? It won’t be easy necessarily but, like anything worth doing, with the right amount of practice it can be achieved!

When riders learn to post it is usually by way of figuring out a way to thrust themselves up and out of the saddle with the appropriate timing to follow the horse’s gait, and aside from changing posting diagonals that is the peak of their posting trot practice. Some go on to learn that posting on a particular diagonal can help strengthen the horse depending on which direction they are traveling, or other tips and tricks in regard to the posting trot. But without the stability in those lower legs whatever help provided cannot be redeemed behind the confusion that those bouncing, failing, lower legs create.

Posting is often created out of a pivot point in the knee, weight is pushed downward into the stirrup and the knee becomes the most stable contact point with the horse’s side. This allows the lower leg to bounce around at will and makes it impossible to keep consistent contact between the calf and the horse’s side. To change this, we need to shift the idea of a pivot point, we want the lower leg to be the consistent place of contact, the knee to be free and open, and the weight in the stirrups to be non-existent.

To achieve this, picture yourself kneeling, your foot is going to press backwards as though against the foot pegs of a motorcycle. To kneel there is no need to pinch your knees, they are free to move inwards or outwards – to be open and soft. The calves need to only find the pressure needed to create enough friction to maintain their position, rather than squeezing they simply embrace. They don’t work so hard that they completely fall away from the horse’s sides afterwards in order to recover their strength for the next squeeze, they can be consistently quiet and effective without disturbing the horse with their erradic signals. This also helps the horse remain more responsive to a lighter leg aid.

The posting should be quiet and short lived, meaning that you shouldn’t be hovering in the air for periods of time, but simply graze close to the pommel of the saddle without an excess of distance  from the saddle, just long enough for the horse’s stride. Rider’s often push themselves so hard out of the saddle that once again their leg muscles simply collapse in order to gain strength for the next post that they then fall back into the saddle, losing control and balance. Allow the horse, instead, to push you out of the saddle – you only need a little push – and then control your sitting by pulling yourself back into the saddle with your hamstrings – the muscles on the back of your thighs. You no longer fall, and the rise is only enough to clear the horse’s stride rather than overposting and falling back into the saddle. Your leg muscles do not tire as quickly, your hamstrings get an effective workout so you also tone your legs, and best of all you have stability and security in your rising trot.

Think of your hips leading the way, this avoids an overbending in the hips and a leaning with the shoulders. The shoulders should not lean past your knees, but also avoid straightening so much at the hips that your shoulders throw off your balance and you cannot help but fall backwards into the saddle and overusing the quadriceps (muscles on the front of your thighs) to lift yourself out of the saddle.

Probably the biggest issue is, once again, the pinching at the thighs and pushing downwards into the stirrups. If you are accustomed to using the stirrups for balance you will find this a difficult habit to just throw away in a day. It can help to be conscious of how you are using your stirrups in the walk and sitting trot and work up to finding that awareness benefiting your posting trot.

What is a hard-mouthed horse exactly?

To be honest, I believe there are several different ways to reference a hard-mouthed horse. Some are defined by the inability to flex the horse in whatever direction is desired, others self-diagnosed as such while they are running away with their rider – refusing to stop or slow down.

Are hard-mouthed horses created by the rider and training, or is it natural to some horses and not others? Both. Horses can learn to use it as a method of self-defense, others it is their natural reaction to communication with the reins that has never been worked through properly. Just like some people enjoy having their feet massaged, others it drives them crazy because they are ticklish and so they tense up the moment they believe you are going to touch their feet… same principle.

So what, then, is the key to solving the hard-mouthed horse?

It is a combination… none of which involve directly flexions or any auxillary hardware (so you can just set those draw reins down and step away slowly…). The first is fixing ourselves – always the first step. Chances are more than great (probably close to 900% probability) that any rider having issues with a hard mouthed horse is pulling in some way shape or form on the reins – either to direct and/or control the horse, or (and maybe coupled with) using the reins for supporting their balance in the saddle. The vast majority of riders struggle with both of these issues because a) pulling is a natural response for our body when we are in a state of anything but complete and total relaxation and self-awareness; b) having an independently secure and balanced seat in the saddle is not standardly taught in a fully functional fashion for most riders.

Pulling on the reins will elicit resistance from the horse. Even if the horse is soft in the mouth, the resistance will form in some other area of the body in order to accomodate the pulling of the reins by the rider. Pulling on the rein as well is a hard thing to describe in it’s entirety, because pulling doesn’t have to be forceful, which is what most of us picture when we think pulling, but any backward action of the rider’s hand can be interpreted as pulling by the horse.

And in regards to a rider’s seat, without having independence of the seat (not relying upon the reins, legs or stirrups to maintain security and being able to act separately from the legs and hands both unilaterally and bilaterally), everything we do with the rest of our aids is compromised because it may be conflicting due to the mixed use of balance and aids. This is why I put such strong emphasis on the importance of seat training early on for all riders, because with a secure seat the rest of the aids come easily, and it often resolves many other issues that riders are currently or may potentially face with the horse.

Back to resolving a hard-mouthed horse…

Once our own issues have been resolved to avoid conflicts and mixed signals to the horse, we can move on to addressing the issue straight on if it is still present. We usually interact with the horse in a sort of monologue – we tell the horse what we want and he either does it or doesn’t do it, which may or may not result in more or less telling. Rarely do we listen to the horse as thoroughly as we expect him to listen to us, not even a fraction of such. So the second part is learning how to tap into a conversation with the horse that is equal rather than unilateral… which I will go deeper into in another post. :)

I work a lot in metaphors, it helps my mind connect ideas and make sense of theories that may otherwise leave me in the dark. So, this is how I’m going to compare collection in the sense of competitive dressage… a bit like a weight lifter bench pressing weights that are inflated with air. Sure, it might look like he is lifting 300 pounds and his muscles are certainly flexed, he has some sweat upon his brow… but there is something missing and that is the reality of the weight, the action, the exercise. It looks like a bench press and acts like a bench press, but is he really lifting any weight? No.

What we see in the competitive arena are collected movements that look like collection, act like collection, are called collection and scored as though they are collection, but there is that vital thing missing – the reality of collection.

Let’s think a bit about the individual movements that are a result of collection : Piaffe, Passage, Canter Pirouette, Flying Changes, Collected Canter, Collected Walk, Extended Trot. Collection unfortunately is often mistaken as being synonymous with slow or short. We see many variations on these different movements and instead of writing a giant article, I think instead I will pull a collection of pictures together and make comments. I like the way my brain functions with visual interaction…

The Piaffe

Let’s start with something easy. Why do I say easy? Well because there are many more pictures of piaffe that I can track down than there are collected walk.

Ever notice that there is a large prevalence of stallions in the competitive arena of dressage who succeed vs geldings and mares at the international levels. Certainly, it is beneficial to promote breeding stallions, but it occurred to me a question of whether it has anything to do with the strength of their neck muscles, in particular those which help to lift the shoulder girdle. Testosterone does lead to more muscle mass and development, and stallions naturally have a greater development of their topline. It can certainly help mask one of the indicators of collection, and that is the ‘little dipper’ in front of the withers. Many stallions are without it thanks to mother nature. So how does this play a role in collection you ask?

The neck muscles assist in lifting the cervical vertebrae as well as the shoulder girdle. Changing this alignment assists the hindquarters in bearing weight and flexing of the joints… all important elements of collection. In many ways, the efforts of asking the horse to collect are a way of improving the horse’s posture. Just like humans, we don’t always have naturally good posture, and when we then lift things and become weight bearing we can damage our muscles, our joints, our bones, etc. Things wear and tear that aren’t supposed to. What happens when you pick up something with bad posture? Do you find that you are nimble, agile and able to move easily about with this new weight, or do you tend to feel the weight pressing down upon you, having difficulty moving up and down stairs with this weight, maneuvering tight areas and so on? Then try lifting an object and carrying it with good posture so you are in balance, that is exactly the purpose of collection, and the movements listed above that come about are only signs and signals of that achieved balance while bearing weight.

Okay, I’m getting a bit off direction, but that is okay. I wanted to touch on the matter of hock injections in dressage horses who have not yet hit the age of 10. Sound like they are wearing their joints improperly? Absolutely! That is a sign of weight bearing that is not in balance, and is not in collection! It is one thing in a sport of impact such as jumping and eventing, but riding your pony about a 20 x 60 meter, imo, should not warrant hock injections at an early age. Back on track…

Let’s see some pictures.

Now, before you go scrolling down and getting adventuresome on me… let’s talk about the first picture. Yes, I will be blacking out faces because I would hope someone would do the same for me and this isn’t some personal vendetta against competitive riding, my only goal is to pull attention to what to look for in clues whether your horse is giving you collection.

I want you to look the picture over, maybe even write down what you like and what you don’t like. Let’s do this with 5 things each, 5 likes and 5 dislikes. We’ll compare notes later. Often piaffe is considered correct when the horse brings the hind feet underneath the body, i.e. underneath the point of hip, when the diagonal legs are moving in unison, and the horse’s head is on the vertical. Now we’ve already covered some points referring to posture, but I want to reiterate. In particular with the position of the horse’s head. Not all horses are posturally capable of bringing their nose on the vertical and still maintaining the posture needed to be balanced in collection. Often what happens is that the horse compensates in his body somewhere for the position of the head that he is otherwise not physically capable of maintaining.

Humans do this sort of postural compensation all the time. It is prevalent among our species and you can see it in person just walking down the street on any given day… that is if you know what you are looking for. If you don’t, people just look like people, normal everyday people. In this case it is usually only those who overstep the boundaries by a large margin that we notice – someone hunched over with a humpback posture, or someone with such an extreme swayback that it obviously affects their walking pattern. The person who’s neck juts forwards, or the man who doesn’t seem to have any bend in his neck at all.

For the most part, we all have postural problems, and unfortunately it is considered a norm. The things that cause chronic but not completely debilitating low back pain, the migraine headaches that we put up with or try to sooth with medication and dark rooms. The list goes on. With the horse we invent new gadgets to deal with the postural problems, we use more force and leverage to ‘stretch’ and ‘flex’ him into “suppleness.” Then there are the new methods of training that are ‘based upon classical principles’ and only prove to further injure the horse on a whole new level.

Let’s see how this horse might be compensating for posture that isn’t bringing him into balance.

I hope you like the marks I made, it will help guide your sight to the what and where’s that I talk about. Firstly, what I mentioned earlier about the development of the neck muscles and the tell-tale dip in front of the withers. That is marked with a red circle and labelled with a 1. It isn’t the best quality picture, but it is fairly clear to see.

Next we will move on to spot 2, the second red circle. This is referencing the closure of the horse’s throatlatch. Again, not all horses are capable of maintaining an ‘on the vertical’ nose position without having to compensate somewhere in their body. Line 3 references this as well, showing the nose on the vertical. Line 4 references the poll being the highest part of the horse’s body. His is close, but no cigar, the crest of his neck beat him to it by a few hairs. Why is the poll being high an important indicator? With the exception of some stallions (particularly Spanish bred) whose necks are so cresty they would not in a million years make the mark, it shows that the horse is not compensating in the cervical vertebrae. When the horse is overbent, or made to come to the vertical without the right build for it, his cervical vertebrae will help compensate and as a result the posterior portion of the neck (the top of the neck) will protrude higher than the poll. Think of a piece of paper, held so you are looking at the flattest/thinnest portion, held between your thumb and forefinger on either end. When you hold the paper taught so that it is straight, it is structurally at it’s strongest (if paper can be strong… :)) without having to be modified. You can lift one end and lower the other and it stays the same strength. Now, you are going to hold one end (this will be considered the horse’s withers) just as before, the other end (which is now the horse’s forehead), you are going to make a fold about an inch from the edge as though the new ‘tab’ is the front of the horse’s face. Make it in such a way that it is about a 45 degree angle difference from it’s original position in a straight line. Resume holding the tab with your thumb and forefinger, now bring the horse’s nose to a vertical position. What happens along the horse’s neck? Does the crest bow upwards behind the horse’s poll making it the highest point? And what about near the withers? Does it create a hollow there as well? This is why the common use of bringing the horse’s nose on the vertical is not a sign of collection, but often a sign of postural compensation.

Let’s get rid of the paper. The next point is line 5 – which shows a vertical alignment for the weight-bearing front leg. Notice that the leg does not align vertically? What this shows is that the horse’s posture has to compensate in some manner for weight bearing the hind legs. The horse is bringing the front leg behind and under him to assist in bearing weight vs flexing the joints of the hindquarters, adjusting the relationship of the cervical vertebrae and the shoulder girdle and finding balance in collection. So the front legs are still bearing a large amount of weight that the hind legs are not capable of doing in this postural arrangement.

Line 6 is just a basic reference for your mind. The relationship between the point of shoulder and the stifle, points to the fact that the horse’s hindquarters are not actually ‘sitting’ anymore than the joints are flexing.

And finally, the lines of 7. These show the reference angles between the joints in the horse’s hindquarters. The angle between the stifle, hock and fetlock shows it to be very open, bracing almost. The foot is well under the horse’s body but the lack of flexion shows that the horse isn’t balanced and isn’t collected.

In Case you are wondering about the ‘naked development’ of the horse, i.e. the horse’s physical development in piaffe without a saddle and rider… here’s a link to the same horse performing piaffe in hand. Note the same dip in front of the withers, nose on the vertical creating the highest point of the neck to be behind the poll. Lack of engagement in the hind legs…

Wow, isn’t this fun! I just love playing with pictures some days, though admittedly it happens only once in a blue moon…

Next Up : Another Piaffe

So again, as before, 5 likes and 5 dislikes. This is a good contrasting piaffe because these are two very differently bred horses, and two different kinds of compensation.

Now, onto the next example, I hope you haven’t been peeking…

Once again I have laid out lines to make it easier to understand. I managed to forget numbering them however… so bear with me.

We’ll start from right to left, first with the vertical line, showing the horse is actually behind the vertical with his nose. The horizontal line again demonstrates that his poll is not the highest point, by a greater measure than our first example. The circle around his throatlatch shows that it is closed. Second circle near the withers points out that although the horse has a very well developed crest, there is still a mild dip near the withers.

The vertical line on the weight bearing foreleg shows that he is not compensating nearly as much to support the weight bearing of the hind legs by dropping his front leg underneath himself, but if we then turn our attention to the hind limb that is weight bearing we can see that he is not on the hindquarters at all as it trails out almost behind his body in the weight bearing phase.

I like to think of it like this a little… what happens when we mess around with our posture. Take your head and bring your chin in as far as it will go, if you can touch your chest great, if not that is fine. Take it to the limit that you can structurally go. Now, hold this posture while you are sitting first. Maybe even sit beside a full length mirror. Pay attention to what happens to your shoulders. Do they round forward over time? Try to hold your posture perfectly straight while you keep your chin in position. You may be capable initially, but over time your muscles become tired and your body tries to compensate for this awkward and unnatural position.

Now, do the same exercise while standing. Pay close attention to what happens to your hips. Do they rotate forwards or back? Are you able to flatten your low back and take the curve out of it? That is in effect much of what the horse has to do in the piaffe when correctly collected, he utilizes the strength of his loin while changing the angle of his pelvis. In humans it would be taking the curve out of the low back, flexing our leg joints. How is your body feeling with your head in this position? It would be really easy for someone to influence your speed and direction if you kept your head in this position, it affects your posture and weakens your balance point.

Next!

By now, you should know the drill.. 5 likes and 5 dislikes.

I just want to point out ahead of time, that of the three examples, this is the only image which displays a horse whose tail isn’t swishing and muscles overall appear generally soft and supple. Just a side note.

Now, onto my marked up image, and I even remembered numbers! Yay…

I have failed to add the circles around the throatlatch and at the withers on this image, for two reasons. First, the throatlatch is open and I think that is pretty clear to see. Second, the withers are not really clear to see beyond the saddle pad, so will receive little commenting from me, I try not to make assumptions when possible.

Line #1, shows the horse’s nose beyond the vertical, allowing his throatlatch to stay open, him to effectively use his neck muscles in lifting the shoulder girdle and adjusting his overall posture to change weightbearing to the hindquarters. Line #2 demonstrates the poll as the highest point.

Line #3 shows the one vital place of weakness, that being that the front leg is stepping underneath the horse to help bear weight. Based upon the overall picture of this piaffe I could try to surmise that it may be some form of muscular weakness that he has not yet been developed physically enough to maintain this correct posture without some help from the front end yet. That being said, it is still only a guess and will lead into nothing more.

Lines #4 show more flexion in the hind limb joints. They are closing more, think of how an accordion folds into itself. The angles between the lines are also fairly even which shows that the joints are bearing stress fairly equally.

Line #5 is a reference showing the relative position between the weight bearing foot and the horse’s point of hip. The hip is beginning to be the primary point of stress overall, vs the fetlock, hock or stifle joint. If the horse were to come underneath himself anymore the loins would take the brunt of the load.

Line #6 is again one more reference showing that the hindquarters are indeed dropping rather than maintaining level with the horse’s front end.

And with that, I think I will end this portion of Competitive Collection : Bench Pressing Air Weights. Tune in next time for examples of other collected movements…

[youtube uhr7h0TExAI]

I wanted mostly a light workout for Scout today, considering the predicted drop in temps for the evening combined with a strong wind chill factor, I wanted to avoid any sweating if possible. Keeping this in mind, I had no problem devoting much of the energy to my own development. A light warm-up with walking laps around the arena in hand. Forward, forward, forward.

Once in the saddle we proceeded to resume the laps about the arena, encouraging forward. Combing the reins to encourage him to stretch down into them, take some contact. I played around with the various seat exercises, pretending in my mind that someone else was calling them out in quick succession, trying to separate my mind from the actions. Take the thinking out of it and let it become a simple reaction.

We played at the walk and trot with the seat exercises, then moved back to the walk with more combing the reins. I then moved back and forth between elevating his posture with light half halts and stretching his posture down and forwards with combing the reins. Following that we did circles about the arena of varying sizes, forward, forward, forward, letting the quality of the circle be the tell-tale of the correctness of his tracking.

A very enjoyable ride, very cold by the end, but so rewarding. I will be certainly happy when the spring breaks through and I can justify spending 9+ hours in the barn alone.

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.

• Encyclopedia Britannica – (horsemanship)Art of training, riding, and handling horses. Good horsemanship requires that a rider control the animal’s direction, gait, and speed with maximum effectiveness and minimum effort. Natural aids are a rider’s balance, hands, voice, and legs; artificial aids include bits, reins, saddles, and spurs. Horsemanship was important to cavalrymen and cowboys, and is the fundamental element of dressage.
  (equitation)A rider’s ability to ride correctly with a strong, supple position and effective aids. This is judged in equitation classes, or classes at horse shows that mainly judge the rider’s performance and control of their horse, as opposed to the performance of the horse. Equitation classes occur in the Hunt seat, Saddle seat, Dressage, and Western disciplines. A good equitation rider is always in balance with the horse, maintains a correct position in every gait, movement, or over a fence, and possesses a commanding, but relaxed, presence. They are effective riders, able to direct the horse with nearly invisible aids.
• Dictionary - (horsemanship) The skill of riding horses; equitation. (equitation) The art and practice of riding a horse.

When we are in the pursuit of knowledge, attempting to glean it from every viable source, it helps always to know whose definition of equitation we are gleaning that knowledge from. For many they answer number one to different reasons – money, ego, curiosity. What is the *best* definition of equitation? I suppose it is best for each of us in turn to answer that question for ourselves. In the interim, I will gladly explain what my definition of equitation is and why I pursue it, so that in some small feat of discovery, you may know where this potential knowledge is being gleaned from…

So Much More

To me, equitation is not in and of itself about the interaction with the horse. It is, and it isn’t. Like everything there is a yes and a no, a left and a right, an up and a down. There is riding horses for riding horses, and riding horses for not riding horses. Coupled with this is the third element, the middle, the balance. Between the yes and a no there is a maybe. Between the up and the down there is a center. Between the riding the horse and not riding the horse is just being. Balance is a key element to much more than the context of the horse, but applies in full right to every facet of our lives. To me, riding is about riding, and about living. It is about riding in order to learn more about living, and living in order to learn more about riding. They both support one another intrinsically and intimately. To have one without the other is to have neither.

Ourselves

The way in which I ride, tells me everything about the way in which I am living and interacting with those around me. The horse is a perfect mirror to us. We can find mirrors in other people as well, but they are often tainted with their own interpretations and expectations, fears and beliefs. The horse on the other hand can give us a picture perfect reflection of ourselves. The horse gives us an open opportunity in every interaction, every meeting, every moment. When the horse is strong, we are strong, when he is light we are light.

When I see a horse reacting, evading, misbehaving – the thought comes to mind of what as a rider and person can I improve. Where am I lacking the refinement or understanding to improve the communication, to encourage the horse back to a balanced place. That is how I look at equitation – a skill of self-refinement. Much compassion is needed, because in the horse we must see ourselves to understand the mirror. And, in all of this there is still more. In the mirror there is transparency, and somewhere in the middle is the balance point. To see ourselves, see our horse, and see ourselves in our horse.

Why bend is so important is because it is the basis of posture, and posture is how you direct the horse’s movements. Posture is also how you affect the horse’s speed and balance. So you can see they all go hand in hand. Bend comes before posture, because if you lose the bend or are obtaining it through force (and with force comes resistance on the part of the horse) and then attempt to create the posture to then direct the horse, it will not work as efficiently or may not work at all.

There are particular instances when straightening, and thus losing the bend, is appropriate. In between lead changes for example. If the horse has changed the bend away from you, he places you at a distinct disadvantage and in danger if you are on the ground. From the saddle you lose your ability to influence him with the reins in a predictable manner. It becomes more clear why the bend is so important as we look at the dangers.

Bend controls the direction the horse travels in, affects your ability to posture the horse which controls the speed that the horse moves forward, sideways or backwards, and the horse’s balance.

Bend cannot be forced or coerced from the horse, but rather finessed. It takes tact, patience, timing and rhythm to develop and maintain the bend. It is the basic of rein aids and can be trained before the horse is ever ridden.