Be the best rider you can be by staying centered in the saddle!
As you advance your skills as a rider, it’s important you develop good balance. Staying centered in the saddle will have a huge impact on you and your horse’s performance. Not to mention, having good balance will boost your confidence and help you relax! You won’t feel floppy or like you may fall. Balance also helps create harmony between you and your horse. You’ll feel better connected!
If balance is so essential while riding, you may be wondering how to get it. Unfortunately, there’s not an easy or quick fix. It starts with developing muscle memory. The good news is the more time you spend in the saddle, the better you’ll be! Let’s saddle up and get to work.
Exercises for Better Balance
Riding without stirrups is a great way to build strength in your legs and improve your balance. It’s hard work, but worth the effort. You can either try this alone with a trustworthy horse or ask your instructor to give you a lunge line lesson. Begin at a walk, and increase the speed as your comfort level improves.
Another exercise to try is lifting your thighs and calves off the saddle. You’ll need to find the center of the saddle to stay balanced. Be prepared for your legs to burn! It can be helpful to set a marker in the arena and ride like this until you reach it. This one can be done at the halt and walk.
The up two and down one exercise will definitely improve your balance. While posting in the trot, stay up in the air for two beats, and then sit for one. Because the diagonal is constantly changing, you’ll have to rely on your balance. You can also try posting normally at the walk. This requires engaging your core. Be careful to not hang on your horse’s mouth!
Two-point position is a favorite of English riders. Start at the walk by lifting yourself out of the saddle. You can lean slightly forward over your horse’s neck. You’ll want to sink into your heels to keep your gravity low.
You can also improve your balance and core muscles outside of the saddle. Everyone’s favorite- squats! They may be difficult, but you’ll get the results you set out for. In the beginning, you may need to use the wall as you bend your knees. Eventually, you can build up to a one-legged squat. In this exercise, one leg is extended and you bend at the knee with the other.
There are quite a few yoga poses that will help your balance. For example, in tree pose you bring one of your legs up and rest it on the other. This exercise requires you to balance on one leg! Start by holding the position for 30 seconds and increase the time as you can.
Like most sports, practice makes perfect. The more time you spend in the saddle (with the correct position) the better your balance will become! You’ll be able to your use body to the best of its ability.
