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HORSELOGS.COM - Feature Article from Lindsay Grice...
Feature Article from Lindsay Grice, December 2005

Q. My daughter has been taking riding lessons for some time now and at each lesson I hear the trainer remind her about her position - heels down, thumbs up, shoulders back, etc. When I asked my daughter the reasons for such attention to a rider's position, she really couldn't tell me more than "That's just the way you do it." Can you help this horsey mom understand?

A. I missed out on the "whys" in my riding school days as well. It's a shame because giving some relevance to the "hows" makes the concepts easier to learn. So let's take a look at some principles of correct rider position and I'll explain why they work
Eyes and Head
I tell my students that where they look they will go. It does no good to look down at the pylon you don't want to run over or the fence post you don't want to hit. Neither does it help to look in mid air between the horse's ears. Instead, find a dot in the dirt approximately 40feet ahead to chart the path in front of you. If you are riding a curve, this will mean turning your head. "Big eyes" take in all that's going on around you in your peripheral vision and prevent collision with other riders.
Upper Body and Seat
Your upper body needs to be stretched up as if someone were lifting you up by the ears, stretching the curves out of you spine. Leaning forward puts your weight over the horse's forehand There is a balance between straightness and stiffness. A stiff back can't follow the horse's movement and absorb shock.
Hands and Arms
When riding with two hands (either western or English) the rider needs to maintain a straight line from his elbow, to his hand and through the rein to the corner of the horse's mouth Riders that hold their hands either above or below this line sacrifice strength for decreasing the horse's pace or sensitivity for asking him to collect. It is important to communicate "yes" immediately to your horse after he has responded to your cues. Many riders forget this positive reinforcement and end up hanging on their horses' mouths in tug-of-war fashion. I teach my students to return their hands to "home" position, over the withers as soon as their horse has responded. Hands are held with soft wrists and at a 45 degree angle whereby only the first two knuckles are visible when glancing down. If the thumbs are turned in toward each other, the elbows will stick out. Keep a soft, straight rein - neither skipping rope loose, nor guitar string tight In order for you to be able to do this without bumping accidentally on your horse's mouth you need to develop the same kind of "following" sensitivity that you use when driving in your car over train tracks with a cup of coffee in your hand.
Legs
A rider who has his ear, shoulder, hip and heel in a line perpendicular to the ground is in balance and isn't likely to fall forward or backward. I mostly see riders with their legs too far forward so that if they glanced down they would be able to see their toe poking out in front of their knee. Stirrup leathers (or western fenders) should be perpendicular to the ground. Stirrup length is a few inches longer for western than for English but with either discipline, your knee and ankle joints need to be bent in order for them to function as shock absorbers. It takes a bit of practise to push your weight down into your heel. This deepens and strengthens your leg. I like my riders to turn their toes out a little bit which flexes the ankle in and enables you to use the back of your heel and the tip of your spur to communicate more effectively to the horse. A "toe in" position causes the rider to pinch the saddle with her knee, losing contact and stability with her calf. In lessons, I give my students various exercises that address any position problems they may have and we work on them in three minute segments, like commercials in between other work we are doing. This avoids muscle fatigue that could lead to sloppy practise, developing another bad habit en route to correcting an existing one. Riding in , and practising correct riding position is like a carpenter skilfully using his tools and keeping them sharp. This enables you to ride effectively.

Q - Is it beneficial to lunge my horse before riding him?

A. - Lunging, is an exercise that has many benefits. I lunge most of my training horses each day before I ride them because it gives me the opportunity to observe and assess them before climbing aboard.

Much of what I know about horse movement and behaviour I gained from hours spent lunging many different horses.

By studying their horses on a lunge line, riders can observe from the ground what they feel from the saddle. How does the two-beat rhythm of the trot differ from the three-beat rhythm of the canter? I'll have my students count and step in time with their horses' footfalls. What does it look like for a horse to be cantering on a disunited lead? Did they notice that he bulged his shoulder to the inside just before he cut into the circle towards them? A spook or buck can be nipped in the bud by a lunger who has learned to observe her horse's body language and facial expression. Is the horse sound? Does the pattern of the inside leg match the pattern of the outside leg?. Is there any subtle difference from the way the horse normally moves?

A fresh horse won't be able to concentrate on the day's lessons until he's had an opportunity to "get the bugs out". Lunging also gives the horseman a chance to detect any stiffness or lameness in his horse before mounting. Much can be communicated to a horse through body language - this is, in fact, the primary way horses relate to each other. Advancing towards him to move him out of the circle and retreating, (lowering your whip and eyes) as a reward for his correct response, moving behind him to accelerate and toward his head to teach him to stop - these are some ways you speak to your horses without words.

Experimenting with the intensity of your cues (your whip, voice and body language) will minimize your horse overreacting and will produce fluid transitions in pace. A word of caution - keep your circle large, and your horse's body straight. Small circles, permitting your horse to fishtail around you will put unnecessary strain on his joints.

Becoming a proficient lunger enlarges your horsemanship skills beyond riding. It's worth taking the time to lunge!
Who Is
Lindsay Grice? lgrice.com
Lindsay Grice is a member of the American Quarter Horse Association's Professional Horseman Association and an Equine Canada Certified Level 2 Coach. She teaches horsemanship clinics in the United States and Canada and writes articles for several equine publications. She has made appearances on television and radio, speaking about horse related issues.

Lindsay has often been Ontario's top ranked Jr. Hunter Under Saddle rider, and in recent years has ridden several horses to AQHA's national high point year end status. Lindsay has a reputation for successfully training clients horses for new events - including Western Riding, Horsemanship, Equitation and classes over fences. She strives to create thinking horseman of her students by clearly communicating the how's and why's of riding.