EQUISEE PROGRAM SERIES
The Equisee Program at the Center is again offering a one-day intensive.
This seasons second program is:
Eckart Meyners, a internationally recognized Riding Biomechanics expert, states in “Program for Better Riding”
“A sensitive seat is the foundation upon which all training of both horse and rider is built. Only with a sensitive seat can the rider adapt her own movements perfectly to those of the horse and so in turn make her aids perfectly understood.”
WHO are CEA’s rider biomechanics presentations for?
All disciplines, including dressage, jumping, eventing, western pleasure, reining, cutting, endurance, rodeo, and trail riders benefit from learning the importance of healthy rider movement to improve their horse’s physical soundness and performance.
Those involved in activities such as therapeutic riding, ranch work, outfitting, and dude ranching gain understanding of the importance of healthy muscle development for a sensitive, balanced, and effective seat.
HOW do riders affect their horse’s movement and WHY does it matter?
Many riders ask…
“How does my riding style affect my horse?”
“How can I improve my riding to insure that my horse remains physically and mentally sound?”
Riders have good intentions; none intend to cause lameness of confusion in their horse. Rider posture can create an unbalanced horse by accidentally leaning forward or to the side. Inbalance in a horse can lead to chronic unsoundness by creating uneven weight distribution in horse’s joints. Lameness can develop when a horse’s body is repeatedly misdirected: either by constricting the horse’s joints and/or compressing the ligaments, or by compromising the muscles.
Rider Biomechanics Lecture and Demonstration
The presentation is made up of three sessions.
✦ Lecture
✦ Unmounted Exercises
✦ Mounted Exercises
PowerPoint lecture
2 hours 10:00 to 12:00 (followed by a 30 minute break for lunch)
Bring your own lunch and chair Dress for the elements Indoor arena
WHAT is the focus of this rider biomechanics PowerPoint presentation?
The lecture is filled with pictures and diagrams to help beginners to advanced riders understand how a rider’s posture can effect the horse’s natural movement.
This rider biomechanics lecture focuses on explaining the rider’s musculoskeletal system and how to maximize the four main areas covered:
(Rider biomechanics are more exciting and less intimidating than you might think.😄)
Additionally, participants learn how a riders posture and the rider’s training system can affect the horse’s movement.
- supple swinging equine back and the difference between back-movers and leg movers
- well-developed long head and neck axis and its effects on the horse’s ability to easily carry the rider
- yielding soft hand during training
- appropriate and effective aids
Hands-on Session Unmounted Exercises
2 hours 12:30 to 2:30
Bring your own lunch and chair Dress for arena exercises
Do it to learn and experience it!
You will learn simple exercises that will help you become a better balanced and more symmetrical, supple, and fit rider benefitting both you and your horse.
- Balimo chair
- Stable boards
- Bodyblades
- Hula hoops
- Bosu Ball
- Balance Balls
- Stability balls
- Yoga postures
- and more
This rider awareness workshop can help you develop your own training program. The program can be utilized:
- To improve rider fitness
- As a riding warm-up and/or cool-down
- To identify and correct balance or symmetry problems
- As physical therapy while recovering from injury
- As a riding rehearsal (motor imagery)
All of the exercises are really fun and motivating – especially when done with a group of friends or riding mates.
Rider Demonstration Going beyond “Heels Down and Shoulders Back!”
2 hours 2:30 to 4:30pm
Bring your own lunch and chair Dress for the elements in an indoor arena
It is widely accepted that a correct riding position is one of the foundations of good riding. A good riding position requires a balanced and relaxed rider. Any tension in the rider is easily apparent, as the rider will not be able to follow the movement of the horse without bouncing. When correcting a student’s position, an instructor needs to be aware of any new tension created by the correction. The change needs to deliver the desired result, and at the same time not create a new problem.
Some common position corrections include:
- Heels down
- Shoulders back
- Head up
- Breathe relaxed and deep
- Roll your seat under
- Rock your seat for a sitting trot
Often, when an instructor gives these suggestions to students, students misinterpret the intent and tighten muscles to make the changes in their positions. If the correction creates a tension problem, the instructor needs to reassess their approach and may need to change their way of communication. An instructor needs to choose their words carefully and give further explanation to make it clear what the desired result is.
Common Misconceptions Addressed
Heels down
The goal is for the student to let all of the weight of the back of their leg to slide down to the heel. The stirrup supports the toe and the image created is that the heel is lower than the toe. If one says “heels down”, my experience is that the student pushes his heel down which creates tension and usually pushes the foot too far forward. I have heard instructors give this correction, and noted that the result was tension in the ankle, knee, and hip. On occasion, the lesson continued without addressing the created tension.
Shoulders back
The same scenario for “shoulders back” seems to happen as with heels down. Sometimes the instructor will add chest up and breathe in all the way. This can create a stiff torso and a stiff shoulder. A stiff shoulder and a stiff upper body can result in bouncing hands. The desired result should be a relaxed upper body that is upright and positioned over the hip. If the rider breathes down from their diaphragm and breathes deeply, the chest naturally rises and the shoulders naturally go back and down, resulting in no tension.
Once the shoulders come back, it is then easy for the head to find its balance spot.
Roll your seat under
The upper most part of the pelvic bone should be the highest point and should be over the hip socket. When asked to roll their seat under, a student will sometimes push their seat under by using their lower back and tightening their buttocks to keep it there. This scenario creates tension. A different approach is to ask the student to bring the top part of their pelvis back over their hip socket by using their lower abdominal muscles. When using these muscles in an isolated way, there is no negative tension in the position.
WHAT training methods are followed in CEA’s clinics?
Groundwork and mounted exercises incorporating biomechanic and classical training principles training will be discussed and demonstrated.
What type of riders benefit from this equestrian biomechanics workshop?
It doesn’t matter if you’re a weekend warrior or a professional training and showing in any English or Western discipline, this workshop, can help improve your riding performance and improve your riding pleasure and performance.
Riding is a sport and as equestrians we need to look at ourselves as athletes. To be a successful riding athlete, one needs to be fit, balanced, supple, and coordinated. Most riders are aware of how hard it is to enjoy riding a horse that is stiff, crooked, weak, and unbalanced, but have you ever stopped to think how difficult it is for a horse to be comfortable carrying a rider who is stiff, crooked, weak, and unbalanced? It is a well-accepted concept that riders can really improve their riding by training off their horse utilizing a well thought out rider biomechanics and fitness program.
Essential Elements for an effective, sensitive, and balanced seat.
Fitness • Balance • Alignment • Weight Distribution • Flexibility • Mobility • Energy • Stamina
Relaxation • Breathing • Dexterity • Coordination • Rhythm • Contact • Partnering • Emotions • Feel/Timing
Why study Rider Biomechanics?
Human biomechanics is the study of how the anatomy (the muscles and bones) of the human body is put together and the mechanics (the nuts and bolts) of how the human anatomy works together to create movement. Rider biomechanics focuses on how the rider’s anatomy functions and how it work’s to connect with the horses’ movement.
How connected the rider is to the horse’s movement is dependent on riding style. There are two common riding styles; one is to ride from strength and the other is ride from balance. When trying to ride from strength by gripping with the legs or holding on with the reins, the rider becomes stiff and is not able to connect to the horse’s movement. A stiff rider is unstable and can more easily fall and the stiffness hinders the horse’s natural movement.
To connect to the horse’s movement, a rider needs to develop a balanced and supple seat. A rider’s balance is dependent on a grounded and strong core. Riders need to be able to stabilize their trunk (their core) by strengthening their abdominal and back muscles and to be in a balanced postural alignment with ears over shoulders, shoulders over hips, and hips over heels. With this seat, a rider is able to move his arms and legs independently and to relax and connect to the horse’s movement.
As a rider becomes more aware of their own body, they can work towards controlling their body to effectively connect to their horse’s movement. The independence of the arms and legs and the development of fine motor control are required for timely and appropriate aids.The understanding of basic human anatomy and biomechanics helps the rider to develop a this type of seat.
If I can do it so can you!!!!!!
I have found that it is transformational when equine enthusiasts have a foundation level understanding of how the body of the rider works.
By going down this path, you will gain confidence and clarity in your training methods.
