Building Blocks

Centered Riding Basic Exercises:

What is your favorite exercise you use for any one or more of the Centered Riding basics?

This is a hard one, because I have riders who are so different in their abilities and thought processes, therefore I use a tremendous variety of exercises for all different issues. 

One example is for building blocks, I use the technique of pulling on the rider’s reins when they are mounted with bodies in alignment and out of alignment to illustrate that the rider creates pivot points and throws herself out of balance when her building blocks aren’t stacked correctly.  

Explain when you use the exercise:

I use it after they have warmed up, when I see that they are struggling with balance front/back and their horse is having difficulty maintaining a steady rhythm.  (often also a breathing issue)  Sometimes if the horse is a really good sport he’ll compensate for the rider error, in which case I use the rein-pulling exercise when I see misalignment.

why you use the exercise

The horse isn’t able to balance the rider (or himself) if her building blocks are out of alignment, which manifests as all kinds of problems often blamed on the horse.  I use the exercise if I notice or I hear rider complaints about the horse won’t go straight, he won’t keep a consistent pace, he won’t use his hind end, he’s stopping at fences, he falls in on turns, etc.

and how you use the exercise:

I will have the rider halt the horse and I will ask if I can place my hands on her center.  If she’s not comfortable with this I hold the reins and I have her place her own hands on her center.  Once she’s centered and if I have permission to touch her legs I realign the body to get the building blocks stacked correctly.  I sometimes take a “before” and “after” photo from the side so the rider can review the difference visually if that’s helpful for her learning style.  Two point position will often get the leg in the correct place as well because the rider can’t stay up in a two point if the leg isn’t underneath her.  I have the student “take it for a walk” and ride the horse around in this new position to make mental notes of how the horse has changed and how the rider's body feels.  Once we discuss how the new position feels I have her switch back and forth between the old position and the new position to give her practice correcting it herself without me micromanaging. 

Notice the plumb line goes through shoulder and hip, but not ear or heel

I explain that this new way is a balanced position, and it’s correct for dressage, western dressage, western equitation, and it looks good.  I explain that this is the position that wins, but that’s not why I have my students do it. 

I then have the student go back to sitting in their old position, I stand in front of the horse, and I tell the rider to stay in the saddle while I pull on her arms via the reins.  Mostly they teeter right out of the tack as they brace on stirrups or knees and lock lower back and elbows.  I then have them re-center, realign building blocks getting into the new position, and I tell them to take a deep breath while I pull on the reins from the front again.

Notice the plumb line goes through shoulder, hip, heel, and only misses the rider's ear

The rider is usually amazed that it takes nearly no effort to stay put in this new position when I tug on the reins.  I then explain that while it’s a prettier position, this STABILITY is why I want my students to ride this way.  They are SAFER.  No matter what happens on the trail, if a pigeon dive bombs them in the arena, or their horse spooks at who knows what, when they are in this position, GRAVITY holds them in the tack, not their muscles.  This makes it a much safer way to ride, and as an added bonus it looks good, too.  

These last two photos show the importance of saddle fit (particularly for the rider) affects building blocks and a plumb line.  Notice how in the photo with a poorly fitting saddle the rider's leg is WAY in front of the plumb line, and in the good fitting saddle photo the plumb line is very close to ideal.