If your horse is resistant, spooky or unbalanced when you ride him, take a good look at his posture.  How he carries himself (his frame) effects how he feels physically and mentally as well as his ability to perform well.

Horses naturally carry themselves in 3 postures.  Looking along the spine from croup to withers, the back is either Level (relatively straight), Round (slightly lifted) or Hollow (dropped or concave).

Unhealthy Posture – Hollow:   When the horse braces and drops his back, his neck is up and his hindquarters trail behind.  Instead of pushing with his hind legs, he pulls himself forward with his front legs.  His movements are awkward, stiff and unbalanced.  There is increased stress and strain on his spine, muscles, and joints.  This physical stress negatively effects his mental state and he becomes more reactive, spooky and difficult to ride.

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Nervous Riders & the Hollow Backed Horse:   Horses and riders mirror each other.  Nervous riders, carry tension in their seat, back, legs and arms.  The horse drops his back in response to the pressure from the riders’ tense seat; and, braces his neck, poll and jaw against tension coming through the reins from the rider’s arms and hands.

A less experienced or nervous rider will find it difficult to maintain her position, balance, and confidence when riding a hollow backed horse.  And so, an endless loop of stress, tension and imbalance is created between rider and horse.

To end this loop, you and your horse both need to go back to basics.

[tweetthis]Improving your #horse’s posture helps you both feel more calm and confident. @AnneGage[/tweetthis]

For your horse, do ground work that helps him lengthen and stretch his back, build his core strength and engage his hindquarters. Avoid using gadgets that force the horse to keep his head low.  Force does not create relaxation and suppleness. Instead, a good place to start is with a playground of poles and small cavalletti (raised poles) in different patterns that you can walk your horse through slowly and calmly.  Linda Tellington Jones offers some wonderful ideas.  When you and your horse can comfortably negotiate these obstacles from the ground, put some together that you can walk over while riding.

For you, take some lessons on a quiet, steady horse with a professional who will help you develop a secure, independent seat.  Lessons on the lunge line are great for helping you become a more balanced, supple and aware rider.  When your body and mind are tension free, you truly open up two way communication with your horse.

When your horse has a healthy posture and you are relaxed and balanced on his back, you will both feel more calm and confident together.  That’s a true partnership.

Need help with your riding position?  Book a Ride Analysis Session with me.  Also available in Virtual Lessons