Riders often overuse some parts of their bodies and under-use others. But a horse uses everything to move. When we don’t use our whole body to move, it’s going to compromise the horse’s movement. Be aware of your knees, lower back, ankles, shoulders and overall balance. If we lock up our shoulders and lower back, so does the horse! If we hollow our backs, so does the horse! If we can’t or don’t use our ribs, neither can our horse. This opens up a whole new responsibility as a rider…a new perspective on rider responsibility for the beauty and freedom of the horse underneath us. This awareness can take us to new heights of harmony, refinement and balanced riding.
Maybe it’s because of the weight and hassle of saddling, but maybe it’s because it just feels more natural and balanced than riding in a saddle where parts of your body, like your ankles, are challenged.
As soon as horse riders put their feet into their stirrups, everything changes. Why? Because their ankles get stiff. When you stiffen your ankles, every joint from there up to your jaw gets stiff! When this happens, riding becomes uncomfortable, especially the sitting trot for us, and every gait for the horse.
Some students think they can just ride in the saddle without stirrups, but then as soon as you get into stirrups again, you will stiffen up because you have not yet learned how to flex your ankles as shock absorbers for everything from there up.
For balanced horse riding, work on making your ankles loose. With every step, your ankles should flex just as your horse’s hind leg ankles/fetlocks would flex. If you’re pushing down on your stirrups you will inhibit every movement and flexion your horse has in his lower leg.
Move your hips like your horse moves his hips in each gait. Move your ankles like he would, too! Your feet should feel light in the stirrups, not pushing down or out, no matter what style of riding you do, English or Western. We’re talking natural locomotion, joint flexion, articulation and movement.
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