COMPENSATING FOR GRAVITY
We must find our best reference sitting, standing, and riding positions
To help ourselves and to share the joy of riding with our horses
We must learn to compensate for gravity
Reference Positions - Gravity Awareness - Riding Light
REFERENCE POSITIONS
Be aware of
unecessary tension in
any position
Detect tension starting from your own comfortable reference
position
To ride in sharing cooperation
seek your best
balanced position
GRAVITY
AWARENESS
If your body is poorly stacked gravity offsets its balance
If parts of your body where deprived of their support where and how would they fall?
To stack up your body properly
eliminate most unecessary tension
RIDING LIGHT
relies on the rider's abilty to compensate
for gravity even if the saddle fits
In all riding disciplines our basic sitting position must stack up our body properly
To remain light on a moving horse our body must be free of unecessary tension
CASE
STUDIES
CS - 199001
As soon as we leave our reference lying down position we must become aware of the ways we sit, we stand, and all the positions we adopt while we ride. First, we must notice how we relate to gravity whether we sit or stand on solid ground or on the back of a moving horse. The best way to help a horse we ride is to become aware of the unecessary tension we may build up to hold those positions.
We can detect tension using the same appoach we applied lying down. We can scan for tension from our own comfortable reference position. For sitting we can chose a chair or a recliner with some cushioning. For standing we may chose the comfort of the martial arts horse stand or a cane if we need it. For riding we must try to adopt any standard seat, even the jumping position. Then, scan.
Like we did in the lying down position we should try to eliminate most, and hopefully all, the hidden tension we discover. This would lead us to adopt a balanced reference position as our own best. With riding sharing cooperation in mind, we must always seek balanced positions. How can we sit properly in the saddle if we sit crooked on a chair, or rely on unecessary tension when we stand?
The difference between most lying down position and the other positions is the impact of gravity on the erected parts of our body. Gravity pulls down vertically any part of our body. Tension arises when we have to make an effort to prevent a part of our body from offseting our balance. We must keep all parts of our body properly stacked up to be able to maintain our balance.
Here is one good way to become aware of what holds us in spite of gravity. We visualize where and how a part of our body would fall if we remove its support. If we see it falling straight down without tilt
or twist it is stacked up properly. Otherwise, we must find from this kind of visualization the tension that affects the trajectory of the fall or causes the tilt or the twist. And, find a remedy for it.
Our attempt in trying to help stack up our body properly to prevent gravity offsets must always start by trying to eliminate as much unecessary tension as possible. The solutions should include the
"Coping, Compensating, or Curing" spectrum. There will be chronic conditions calling for coping or compensating solutions. While other conditions may dictate solutions yielding permanent cures.
"Coping, Compensating, or Curing" spectrum. There will be chronic conditions calling for coping or compensating solutions. While other conditions may dictate solutions yielding permanent cures.
Gravity is all riders' worst enemy. Sensitivity can be friend or foe. These are the gateways to the joy of riding in sharing cooperation. Unless we have a hard hand, the key to riding light relies on our ability to compensate for gravity. Whether we are tense or not our weight is the same. But, the way the horse perceives our weight
may vary a great deal. Even if the saddle fits the horse perfectly.
It does not matter which equestrian discipline we practice. At stand, our basic sitting position must stack up our body properly. The length of our stirrups and the position of our feet may vary but our ears, shoulders, and hip joints must be on the same vertical plan. Our ankles as well in dressage. In motion, all the principles of the dynamically connected or the centered position always apply.
Guided by these principles we are reminded that stacking up our body is not enough. It distributes evenly our weight on the saddle. But to remain light on a moving horse we must release unecessary tension from our body. It helps project our energy upward and forward. Otherwise our body is a solid mass pounding the back of the horse instead of being surfed by its motion.
Relevant case studies with Web pages of their own that are listed for reference with a case number, a clickable title, and an abstract.
My back hurts I can't ride anymore. Please help me! This is a true story reported as a Jane Doe case. An early age accident had handicapped JD. As an adult JD enjoys riding. When her back starts to hurt JD attends a joint clinic taught by PC and MK.
This page was last updated on: October 31, 2001
Copyright 2001,. All rights reserved to Michel Kaplan and Beau Geste S. O. A. R.
