You have probably all seen funny memes and jokes in which the horse has the best of everything - custom saddle, top notch farrier, regular massage, osteopath, chiropractor, you name it - while the rider wears old, worn out boots and breeches, and takes some ibuprofen to keep going. There is often a stark contrast between how well we take care of our horses and how much we neglect to take care of ourselves. Sometimes this probably has to do with the limited availability of funds. So we prioritise the horse over ourselves.
But in many cases it comes from a feeling of unworthiness. We hesitate to spend money on ourselves because we feel like we don’t deserve it.
What we tend to forget is that if we don’t feel well, or if we are not healthy, we can’t take good care of our horses, either. If we are stiff and crooked, and our back is hurting, we won’t be able to ride in a way that is pleasant for our horse and that enables him to become the best athlete he can be. The sad truth is that the horse can only be as straight and as supple as the rider. Any crookedness in the rider will transfer itself to the horse. Any stiffness in the rider’s body will create a stiffness in the corresponding area of the horse’s body. Any imbalance in the rider will prevent the horse from finding his balance under saddle, and imbalance always leads to bracing and stiffness in both horse and rider. A supple, balanced, aware rider will be pleasant for the horse to carry. A stiff, unbalanced, unaware rider will cause the horse greater or lesser discomfort.
From this perspective, you can say that anything you do for your own health, fitness, and well-being will directly benefit your horse as well. Whether you’re getting a massage, going to the gym, doing yoga, getting a chiropractic treatment, improving your body awareness, balance and coordination through Feldenkrais lessons, etc. - anything that helps you feel better and ride better helps your horse as much as it helps you. Taking live riding lessons in the arena, participating in online courses, and reading books on training improve your theoretical knowledge and your trouble shooting and decision making skills. This helps you to avoid unnecessary detours and dead-ends.
Riding is really a team sport, with the horse and rider forming the nucleus of the team. Teachers, farriers, vets, physiotherapists, saddle fitters, etc. are additional team members whose job it is to support the horse and rider on their path, keeping them healthy and fit. That’s why it is not enough to invest only in the horse’s care and well-being, while neglecting our own. In order to be the best riders and caretakers we can be for our horses, we need to be healthy, fit, and feeling good, and we need to educate ourselves as much as possible in all the different areas that influence the horse’s well-being as well as our riding success. Investing in ourselves is therefore not a luxury, it’s not selfish, but it helps us to achieve our goals while keeping our horses healthy and happy.
- Dr. Thomas Ritter
p.s. Take the first step. Invest in YOUR riding education. The doors are open for only a few more days for the Aware Rider Program which begins on February 10, 2020. We are diving DEEP into restricting our neural pathways so that we can better, more efficiently use our bodies. This is a revolutionary approach to the rider’s seat that transcends all of the “push and pull” and gets right down to the core essential components that you need to establish good balance, coordination, body awareness, and control. Join us. Your horse will thank you for it.
Click below to check it out, and let us know if you have any questions! ⬇️
https://courses.artisticdressage.com/the-aware-rider-program
