The trot is a two beat movement with the legs moving in diagonal pairs with a moment of suspension between each pair of legs touching the ground. The trot therefore has four phases: Diagonal pair of legs on the ground, other pair in the air. Moment of suspension – all four feet off the ground. […]
In this article I look at the importance of being able to feel our horse’s footfall and follow his natural rhythm with our body. We will start off looking at the walk, as what we learn in a walk we can carry over into the trot and subsequently the canter. We all know that the
Biomechanics is the study of the functioning of the body in movement using mechanical principles. It is highly relevant to riding because in riding the human’s body and the horse’s body, each with their own normal way of functioning, come together to influence each other. In order to bring about the right biomechanical dynamic of
Why worry about the rider? Read More »
No one sits on a horse in perfect symmetry. Everyone favours one side over the other to varying degrees, ranging from nearly imperceptible in those who are exceptional, to very obvious in those who aren’t. So everyone sits with one hip lower, further forward or drops one hip more on one side than the other
So why is a correct and independent seat so important? As Bent Branderup wrote in his wonderful book The Academic Art of Riding, the seat is “the only aid you can’t stop using whilst sitting on a horse”. If we are crooked either laterally or vertically it WILL affect the way our horse goes. Firstly,
We are all asymmetrical to a greater or lesser extent; we may have one ear lower than the other, carry one shoulder higher or have one hip further forward than the other – this is our norm – and we think what we feel is correct and that we are level. Unfortunately for us our
Side to Side Issues Read More »