Step Into Your Body

With Yoga & mobility for Horsemanship

We put so much time, effort and money into taking care of our beloved horses but we are missing one major key in the holistic outlook for care, riding and training.

Did you know that if we forget to take care of ourselves that it’s our horses who have to pick up the shortfall?

I have been unintentionally guilty of this my entire life!

It has only just clicked for me how much extra stress, responsibility and potential damage I am putting on my horses by not addressing the dysfunction in my own body!

I have always left myself and not taken proper care to check in with my own body, pain and what is going on. I always thought that by not spending money on myself it would free up any extra cash to keep spending on my horses..but lets face it, my horses don’t need or care for an extra saddle pad in another colour but they sure have appreciated me taking the time to address some of the issues going on in my own body!

Just take a moment, when was the last time you really stopped to check in with your body and really feel what was going on?

Do you have some niggling pain or discomfort somewhere? Have you got areas of tightness?

Just think if we are sitting on our horses and we are tight to one side or one leg is slightly longer than the other, this would effect our horse. Also if we are subconsciously compensating for pain or discomfort in our body somewhere it is going to transfer through to our horse.

This is absolutely going to effect our horses!

By being unbalanced ourselves we are making our horses have to compensate for us and they are having to work extra hard to stay balanced themselves!

We are literally MAKING our horses uneven and unbalanced without even realising it by ignoring the dysfunction in our own bodies!

If we are out of alignment we are naturally going to sit to one side, a longer leg will automatically shift our weight to that side. Tight shoulders are going to impact our position and how we take a feel of the reins. Tight hips and legs are going to stop us from being able to have a supple seat!

In all correct riding no matter the disciple it is so important to have a supple seat!

This is such a vague term that get used a lot but it is referring to the seat as a whole body. We need to have a strong core without negative tension, we need a relaxed buttocks and open free hips so that we are moving with our horse not bracing against them.

We know that a horse can feel the lightest touch, a fly landing on their back, it would make sense that our horses can feel negative tension from our body.

Horses mirror us..

I have noticed that my horses bodies mirror my own, where I am tight or sore so are they!

If we are riding with tight muscles that restrict us from giving and going with our horses it automatically makes them brace, they simply cannot relax!

A horse must be relaxed in their backs to be able to function with correct biomechanics, we are hindering their movement.

I have been using Yoga & Mobility exercises to firstly find and then recognise what is going on in my body in order to also start addressing it.

Since taking the time to check in with my body I have made so many changes!

I went to the chiropractor which turned out that I was a huge mess! It has taken 3 appointments each two weeks apart to get on top of the major dysfunction in my body, now I am able to go every 6 weeks to just get checked over.

This has made a massive difference!

I now do yoga and mobility exercises to free up any tightness, for me it is mainly my right shoulder and my hips.

I also have a spiky ball to really get into the knots in my shoulder and a heat bag (pictured)

I focus on warning up and stretching the areas that I can now feel because I am aware of it (I’m not ignoring anymore because I want to be better for my horses).

I use a yoga mat and blocks for support.

It is important to create a nice space that you want to come and visit so that it become a regular part of your everyday life.

Sometimes its nice to be warm and cozy inside and just rest and relax

Sometimes I like to go outside in the sun or be more energetic.

I think with any kind of new habit we need to be realistic about how much we can or want to do. Since incorporating this into my life it has made me listen to myself more.

Some days we simply don’t have the energy but rather than not doing anything how about we just listen to that and take it easy? Make a coffee and just sit on the floor.

It is better to stick to the habit than to try and go hardcore and not enjoy it or be able to commit.

Other days I feel more lively and can really move into that.

I really don’t like structured exercise! I hate the gym and I have never stuck to any at home workout programs and I believe this is why…..

Life is busy we are all exhausted! We also have hormones and other things that play a huge role in the way we feel and how motivated we are to do something.

Rather than try to make myself do a particular routine and stick to it even on the days I don’t feel like it I simply listen to my body and my energy levels. That way I don’t feel disappointed when I didn’t do whatever it was that I was meant to do.

So long as I check in with my body everyday it doesn’t matter what I do, by taking the pressure off myself I have found that I can actually commit to the practice each day.

Some morning I wake up and feel like I really want to warm my body up and move, other mornings I feel stiff and tired and so I just sit on my mat until my body tells me what it needs that day, sometimes that is just gentle stretching somewhere that is tight or sore.

Some evenings I get into deep hip poses and stay there while I work on my iPad or read a book and other times I just like to rest and be cozy.

Whatever it looks like that day doesn’t matter because I have now been able to make it a habit, something that I look forward to rather than something I HAVE to do and can’t keep up with.

It really doesn’t matter what we do so long as we can spend the time to check in with our body, by taking the step to find out whats going on we can then make steps to start to work on those things.

My horses are so grateful for this! They are not having to fight against my body to stay balanced and it’s relieved tightness in them too.

At least now when my horses get bodywork done I know I am not going to destroy it with my body on the first ride.

There are so many resources!

I have used an app either Down Dog or Alo Moves for yoga. I really liked the apps to teach and guide me but now as I am more aware of my body I do my own flows depending on what I need.

I am now studying for my 200hr Yoga Teacher Certification and absolutely loving it! My goal is to incorporate what I have learned into my South Coast Horsemanship program.

I have pinned a bunch of mobility and yoga exercises on my Pinterest board Yoga & Meditation.

My biggest advice would be take it slow, use pillows and props and just do what you can do, by not pushing yourself you will enjoy it more and be able to commit which means you will get results!

Yoga & Mobility doesn’t require you to be anything but yourself, you don’t need to be fit or flexible you just need to show up regularly and you will be amazed at the benefits!

The idea is to simply check in, that way you know if there is something you may need help with from a physio or chiro and I promise you that your horse will be very grateful!

My mission for South Coast is to introduce people to new ideas and things they may not have considered within their horsemanship, if you are interested in learning more feel free to reach out for a chat.

Have fun! Create a nice space, candles, diffusers and remember that its OK to take this time for yourself because it is going to really benefit your horse.