Imbalance for Balance

This past week it rained and snowed and we were unable to ride.  We had a lesson anyway, which can be a nice thing - to be able to focus on our riding without horses.

My instructor had us do a number of exercises in the barn to help us simulate the feelings we should have while riding.

For instance, we practiced walking the catwalk of the barn aisle.  As amusing as this became (especially with our sole male lesson goer full-on strutting), the idea was actually to show us a couple things.  First, it showed us how our horses should be moving - with stretched out limbs, not short choppy strides.  Second, it simulated the feeling we should have in our lower backs and hips - the swinging, figure eight movement that we often force or resist while riding.

Another exercise we did was a contact one.  One person wore the bridle (this was picture-worthy, but alas, I have no proof) with the headstall around our necks and our hands on the bit.  The second person got into riding position behind and drove the first person.  This also went downhill. Think fake horse race down the aisle.

Anyway, the point was also twofold.  The horse had to react to the rider - slow down if contact got too heavy and speed up if contact got too light, or of course, turn if it was uneven.  This was difficult as the horse and frustrating as the rider because it really showed our unevenness.  The horse was also blind since we weren't facing the rider.

About the point I insisted on cantering my fake horse down the aisle, my instructor took over being the horse and me and my partner got to see how bad we really were for contact.  I learned that I am way too heavy in the hands (which I already knew).  She kept backing up into me before we ever got started, and I realized that I am probably about 10x too heavy.

Of course, we are all uneven too.  And I learned that in order to fix those imbalances, we had to be imbalanced.  This last point really threw us all for a loop but it made more sense when she showed us.

For instance, I am stiffer and less fluid in my left hand, so she made me pick up a noticeably stronger contact with my right.  To me, it didn't feel balanced at all, but as the horse, she felt more comfortable.

Similarly, when we practiced standing on the ground in riding position, she had me almost bend more to the right.  My right knee blocked out my right toe, but I could still see my left toe.  She said that it might feel like I was bending to the right, but from face on, I was actually more straight in the lower legs.  In other words, when I'm riding, my left side is more stiff and to compensate, I need to put more weight into the right.

For me, I think the most useful portion was the contact part.  I knew that I was heavy, but I didn't realize that I was that heavy.  Especially considering that I was less heavy in our fake situation than I normally am when I ride.  It left a lot to think about.