Simplicity Horsemanship

It’s almost like they’re related…

When I get a new rider, I often spend a few weeks putting them on Simplicity my Equicizer and we work out the minutiae of finding the rider’s correct alignment.

Because it’s individualized, each rider has a bit of a different experience, but the commonality is that their physical challenge in the saddle is always apparent out of the saddle. Most riders have one hip that sits high, one shoulder that’s low and rotation through their core one way or another.

Riders have been taught to brace through their leg which causes them to anchor and essentially ride primarily off of one side of their body.

Most rider’s step 1 with me looks like finding full body breathing, filling up all 4 corners of their torso, breathing from the pelvic floor to their shoulders so that I can get their pelvis to relax into alignment, and be available to take motion from the horse.

This rider happened to have a restricted muscle in the pelvis that prevented natural alignment without a lot of contortion, so we worked on releasing that muscle and getting the other muscles nearby to soften after that release. This by itself improved alignment nearly 85%. Once we found that alignment we worked on anti-rotation exercises and some mobility exercises paired with whole body breathing. We needed to practice relaxing the hips level while being in motion. The rib cage rotation has reduced drastically and so has the unevenness in their shoulders. They will no longer make the horse crooked just for sitting on them, so we got promoted to a real horse this week.

And guess where we started on the horse?

Full body breathing, and softening muscles to allow for the body to find alignment in motion.

So many fitness programs start with going straight to work. They often skip getting the body to feel safe enough to move.

Breathe like it matters.

Because it does.

Saturday morning group lesson fun!

We did groundwork working on breaking down important pieces of handling the horse- moving forehand, hind end, setting up good balance and sending on a circle today.

I haven’t stopped to take a real picture of this guy in a while.

December 2023 when I got him for comparison

What do ya think? Improved some?

**the grimace is due to a lingering horsefly that has been antagonizing him. He’s fine and feels safe, sound and happy. I promise.