by Linda Parelli he Ribs - Zone 3
Horses can't bend their ribs on the circle unless you are bending yours. Once again, if you think about how much curve you want in your horse's body and do the same in your body, your horse will find the freedom to be able to do it. Many riders sit stiff and keep their horses stiff because of it. Experiment with getting more "flexy" and fluid. Exaggerate to teach and learn, then refine as you progress. Asymmetry Have you experienced your saddle slipping to one side all the time? So you constantly have to stomp your foot in the other stirrup to straighten it? The side to which the saddle slips is the "hollow" side. This is caused by your horse carrying his ribs off center, toward the "full" side. An easy way to correct this is to sit in the center of the horse's rib cage, which may mean you are actually sitting crooked on your saddle. For example, if the rib cage is carried to the left, you would sit on the left side of your saddle's center. This would put you in the relative center of your horse's ribs. The worse the problem, the further you need to sit on that side. Within minutes your horse will start to carry himself straighter and you'llbe able to sit more toward the center again, but you'll probably have to repeat this each time you ride until you've installed a new habit for your horse. Some other symptoms you might recognize if your horse is carrying his ribs to the left: left leads are easy, right leads are difficult. Right circles are easy, left circles are difficult. Your horse will "drop" his shoulder on the left circles because he is counter bent and can't shape himself properly on the circle to stay balanced. Of course, if your horse carries his ribcage to the right, everything above will be the opposite. Collection Versus Engagement I think there's a lot of confusion here. Horses can be mentally, emotionally and physically "collected" but that doesn't necessarily mean they are engaged. Engagement applies to when the hindquarters are carrying most of the weight and the hind legs are therefore positioned more under the body. There's upwards as well as forward movement, greater suspension and more power. Is Fluidity a Dressage Thing or Does It Apply to Everything? It would be easy to think that the fluidity I'm talking about applies only to dressage or English equitation, but it actually applies to all disciplines, English and Western. Fluidity is about using your whole body when riding and thus allowing your horse to use his whole body. Every horse and rider combination can become more harmonious, comfortable and balanced through learning to be fluid as opposed to rigid. Your horse and your body will thank you for it! _____________________ Judy
