Riding Technique: Look the other way!

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Created on Wednesday, 15 February 2012 12:00

by Wendy Murdoch

Do you tend to freeze when riding your horse? Do you find it hard to make accurate circles or have problems guiding your horse? Here's a quick tip to unlock your steering mechanism and get you looking on track.

Next time you ride notice where you are look. Do you look down at your horse's ears? Do you only look between his ears as your ride a circle? Do you tend to get frozen or stare without seeing?

If your horse starts to get quick do you fix your head and neck in a locked forward position? Have you been told to only look with your eyes but keep your head straight? Stiffening in the eyes and neck can often lead to steering issues. It is hard for your horse to know where you want to go if you can't use your head!

Your head sits on top of your spine. There are 7 spinal vertebrae in your neck called the cervical vertebrae. Your horse also has 7 cervical vertebrae but they are much bigger than yours. It is common to see riders pulling on one rein or the other to create flexion to get the horse to loosen in the neck. But what's interesting is we rarely consider making sure our own neck is flexible. Of course you wouldn't want someone pulling alternately on your ears to get you to flex in the neck but you may want to spend a little time warming up this part of your body.

Go easy with the following exercise and only do this on a reliable mount. If you find that you get dizzy, nauseous or uncomfortable, do much less or stop. You don't often realize how habituated you are to holding your head in a certain position. When you start to change that it may feel a bit awkward or uncomfortable at first.

Start at the walk on a circle. Gently and slowly turn your head so that you are looking out on the circle. Do not turn your head as far around as you can, only what is comfortable. Then slowly begin to turn your head towards the middle of the circle. Think of your nose pointing where you want to look, inward towards the middle of the circle or to the outside of the circle. Notice if your eyes pan across the scenery like a movie camera or jump from one landmark to another. Can get your eyes to pan across the scene?

Change direction and find out if it is harder this direction. Notice if you change your weight in your seat as you turn your head or if you can keep your weight even on both seat bones. Does your horse want to turn with you as your turn your head? Can you keep him tracking on the same circle without changing his path as your head turns?

When you are ready pick up a trot. Again turn your head outward and inward on the circle. As a variation let you eyes stay on the line you are traveling while your turn your head. Then keep your nose on the line as you turn your eyes. If this makes you feel uncomfortable stop, return to the walk or do much less. Make sure that the speed of your head or your eyes turning are much slower than your posting. Have the horse take 4 or 5 trot strides as you go from outward to middle or inward to middle.

After you have mastered this exercise at the trot repeat at the canter. Again making sure that your head or your eyes turn much slower than your horse is cantering. Finally allow yourself to look where you want to go. Is it much easier to steer now? Does your horse follow your direction more clearly?

Use this "Murdoch Minute" to improve your ability to look where you want to go. Remember that it is important to use your eyes and your head when looking to the next jump or circle. And always remember to - Enjoy the ride!

Wendy Murdoch resides in Washington, VA and is an international riding instructor/clinician. She travels worldwide teaching riders of all levels and disciplines how to improve the horse's performance by improving their body position. Visit her website at http://www.murdochmethod.com/

Copyright Wendy Murdoch. All rights reserved.