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Becoming aware of your horse’s
breathing allows you to gain an immediate response, helping to bring greater
balance and inner harmony to your relationship. When we have an understanding
of core breathing, we can develop more poise, symmetric posture, and stability
in the saddle. We can also positively influence the horse on the ground by
reducing the need to move around when we would prefer him to simply stand
still. Core stability is achieved through correctly using our stomach muscles
when we breathe in and out, helping us find our centre of gravity which will
influence our balance in riding.
You can test how your breathing
affects your balance with a simple exercise on the ground. Stand still and
place your hand on your stomach. Notice that as you breathe in, you can feel
your tummy expand with the air you are taking in. As you become aware of the
air filling up within you, feel your back lengthen. Focus on your breathing to
remove any tension or tightness in your chest area so that the breath can
travel round your spine, expanding your rib cage. Breathing inwardly this way
will make you feel more centred, taller, and stronger. Now it’s time to take a long outward breath. Feel it moving through your back into your abdomen. Now become aware of your pelvic floor muscles and tighten them. They are the ones you can feel when you cough. Your tummy should feel deflated and empty. Doing this even a few times while standing still will show you how your core breathing allows your stomach area to support your upper body.
To give you the feeling of balance within core breathing, start walking a circle on an outward breath. As you do this, feel how the air is transformed into energy as it travels through your spine, releasing tension so that your movement becomes more fluid. Walk a couple more steps and take a deep inward breath. Feel your upper body becoming strong as it lengthens and re balances. Now stand still and breathe normally. When you are ready, breathe out even deeper. Bring awareness to your spine and walk forward. Can you feel your lower back releasing and letting go? Paying attention to the way you breathe not only helps your own balance, it makes it easier for your horse to carry you with increased natural balance.
Whether we realise it or not, when we ride, we affect the horse’s natural equilibrium. Over time, both horse and rider learn to adjust to each other’s bodies, although not always in a free and fluid way. The art of riding within a balanced relationship involves awareness of our own symmetry and poise within different movements and gaits.
A relaxed horse will breathe rhythmically and deeply, supporting himself while carrying a rider with less strain and tension. We unintentionally disturb this process if we hold onto our breath or take shallow breaths. Correct breathing not only releases tension and improves posture, it is also a carrier of information. You can literally be “inspired” to breathe your way to phrasing your requests so that you need less conventional means of control and thus create greater harmony in your relationship. Core breathing not only lessens anxiety in your horse, it helps regulate pace and reduce tightness (resistance.) For example, if we find our horse tends to run off in a particular section of the school, or on a portion of a circle, we tend to hold our breath in anticipation, contracting our muscles and creating tension. Horses sense even the slightest muscular contraction which is a daunting thought, meaning we can unintentionally contribute to an unwanted situation.
When we breathe inward deeply, forward energy is slowed down, reflecting a lengthening of our upper body as previously discussed. This gives a signal to the horse, a virtual half halt, to prepare for a transition, a change of direction or to focus his mind. Breathing our way to a real connection is a wonderful thing. When we breathe out deeply, the energy, previously contained, can be expressed as lightness, forwardness, a relaxed mind, etc.
