In riding, as in life, balance is of paramount importance. As the well-known symbol of balance, the yin-yang, suggests, we, as riders, are constantly working to find a state of harmony between opposites. Relaxed, yet active, strong, yet gentle, forward, yet controlled. But, what if we take the concept of balance back to the beginning? To when we were beginning to walk, performing yet another feat that only a fearless child could master, or playing with the easeful and natural skill of a child.
As children, we take for granted the gift of balance, as it is a skill that we learn and develop everyday. However, as we age, this important ability begins to diminish, mainly because it is not used or challenged. As we stop utilizing the stabilizing and balancing muscles of our body and the systems that activate them, they slowly stop receiving neural innervations, resulting in a poor response when balance is required.
So it is that, as adult riders, we are often left with only a memory of our days of astounding balancing acts and death-defying feats. For the majority of adults, the body systems that helped us to achieve a state of balance as children, namely the vestibular system (inner ear), our vision and perception of our body, have been underused. To balance our bodies, sensors within the joints and muscles, called proprioceptors, send messages to the brain regarding the position of the body. The inner ear and visual system complete the picture, allowing the brain to pinpoint the exact position of the body in space. This then allows the body to have an optimal level of control over the entire muscular-skeletal system. Unfortunately, when we do not regularly challenge our balance, many of the motor and sensory circuits fall into disuse, and the muscles they innervate to achieve optimal balance become weak or seemingly non-existent.
Riding and Balance
Obviously, a lack of balance will have a major have an effect on our riding. Fortunately, as riders, we generally have better than average balance, due to our many hours sitting on a small piece of leather atop a huge and often wiggly animal. However, as your balance, stability, and ability to perceive the movement of your body in space improves, you will often see a noticeable change in your riding and your horse’s willingness. Improved balance translates into a quieter, more effective rider, which is reflected by a happy and comfortable horse.
When our weight is imbalanced in the saddle, it is not only agitating for our horse, but can also create areas of compensation, imbalance, and pain. If our bodies are balanced and we are in control, it is much easier for our horse to achieve balance.
Balance Test
To see how balanced you are, let’s try an easy test of balance.
Stand on both feet and slowly lift one leg off the ground, while facing a mirror. Hold for 20 seconds. Place your hands on your hips and watch your body carefully in the mirror. Your hips should stay even for the entire time the foot is lifted. If this is easy, try closing your eyes.
By closing your eyes, you are essentially eliminating one of your major systems involved in balancing, vision. Practicing this exercise with your eyes closed will therefore bring even greater benefit to the remaining systems, the inner ear and the propriocepters. You will feel the work of the proprioceptors as your ankle, leg, and core muscles are constantly activated to maintain your balance.
Next, begin to write your name with your toe of the raised foot. This exercise further challenges your stability by adding another movement to the mix. Time how long you are able to hold this position. It is reasonable to expect that any rider should be able to maintain a stance on one leg for over 30 seconds without falling. Last but not least, try the same exercises on the other leg. You may be amazed at the differences between your two legs.
There are many ways of challenging and improving your balance. As balance is one of the most easily trained components of fitness, your balance should improve noticeably within 2 or 3 training sessions. Practice the exercise above, adding more components to make it more challenging. Ask a friend to throw a ball to you while you maintain your balance on one leg, rise onto your toe and back down, or stand on a slightly instable surface. Try hopping gently on one foot, making sure the knee stays in line with the hip and foot. Pause for 2 seconds on the ground before jumping again.
If you work out at a gym, try out the balance board(s), remembering to keep your knees bent and the shoulders and neck relaxed. If you have access to a stability ball, make sure it is the correct size, and try to sit on the ball while raising one foot or both feet off the floor. Don’t forget that you can also improve your balance in the saddle, while in the saddle. Take the time to do some work with no stirrups or even bareback. If your horse is quiet, stand up in the stirrups with your reins released. Try this at a walk and trot. It is also important to realize that the balance of your saddle will have an effect on how much balance you can achieve. It is difficult to feel balanced when the building blocks (shoulder, hip, and heel) are not in place due to your saddle.
Give these exercises a try and remember to have fun. There is definitely room for creativity, so try making up a few exercises to improve your balance. After all, we are trying to rediscover the wonderful sense of balance we had when we were children. Good luck with your journey into balance. Remember happy and healthy riders = happy and healthy horses.
Alexa Linton, Equine Sport Therapist
www.balanceworksequine.com
Copyright © 2008 The NW Horse Source, LLC
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