7 Steps to Better Ride

STEP 5 – STAYING ON TRACK

By Deborah Hopkins

For the athlete, human or equine, straightness doesn’t come naturally but must be developed.

According to German equestrian and riding coach Peter Hick, no living creature is perfectly straight. While most people favour their right side, most horses favour their left. Paradoxically, the path to straightness for the horse is on a circle.

To correct straightness, the rider’s goal is to get all four of the horse’s feet moving on the same track. By riding circles, and using bending line, serpentine and shoulder-in exercises in both directions, the horse starts to develop muscles equally on both sides, and in time develops straightness.

Part of the equation is, of course, straightness in the rider. The rider should have equal weight in each stirrup and sit with even weight in the saddle. Viewed from the side, the rider’s ear, hip and ankle should all fall on the same plumb line to be in perfect balance.

To keep the horse’s feet on track on the circle, the rider rotates the upper body. “Eyes in your stomach: look where you want to go”, advises Hick.

Next Post: Step Six – Shift to the Rear