Thank you for your interest in the Posture For Equestrians class! This class is for anyone who believes that how they use their body will influence how their horse uses their body. It is appropriate for anyone who thinks they can use more information and practice in building awareness of their body, at any level.
This is a 3-hour class, split into two sections. In the first section we will discuss the following topics:
- What is posture, and why should we care about it? (It’s not pulling your shoulders back!)
- How the breath mechanism works, and how to increase awareness and control over it
- Target muscles in riding: which need to stay strong, and which need to get stretched
- Dissecting your “seat”: all the bones and muscles involved in the seat and how to be better aware of all of them.
- Practical exercises to improve control of the muscles of the seat
- Activities to understand how the horse feels the rider’s seat and legs
On Day 2, we will discuss your top half:
- How to balance your torso over your lower body – all the way up to your head
- What is contact, and what muscles are involved with having good rein contact with the horse?
- Continue discussion about breath
- Target muscles in your upper body: which muscles need to stay strong, and which need to get stretched
- Understanding the jaw: how your jaw will affect your horse’s movement
- Practical exercises to improve control of the muscles of the upper body
- Activities to understand how the horse feels the rider’s hands
Any materials or equipment we will use will be provided. Just bring yourself and your curiosity, and wear comfortable clothes that you can move and stretch in.
