Have you ever seen riders who are working so hard in the saddle that they're actually contorting their bodies?
They might be off to one side or maybe their legs are shrinking up. Maybe their feet are either in or out, just doing a little bit strange things.
We all do it. It's really easy to do, it's something that just happens.
However, if that's repeated often it will lead to sciatica, tendonitis or other long term problems.
That's why it's really important for us to pay attention to how we use our bodies with our horses.
When I was a dancer, I danced with the Toronto dance theater. I had a mentor of mine, her name was Patricia Beatty. She wrote a book called "Form to Function." The idea behind the book was that our form leads to our function.
So if we have good form, when we're dancing, then we'll have good function, more often than not.
There are cases when somebody may not have good form and they can be functioning totally well. But you don't know in the long term, if they don't have good form, how that's going to affect their bodies and what is going to break down.
If you have good form in your riding, then you will have good function. You will be effective and you will be functioning to your ultimate.
Here are 3 tips on how this relates to your horses and your "Form to Function."
#1. Find your PLACE OF POTENTIAL
Your most effective alignment, when you have good form, then you're going to be the most effective that you can be, which relates to, and directly influences, how much power you have and how much work you have to do.
You will end up doing a lot less work so you can easily move your horse and place your horse where you want it because you are in a very powerful place with your body and it's less work for you.
When you're not in good form, it's more work. Wear and tear on the body happens because you have not good form and other places are compensating because you have not as much power as you need.
#2. Check in with your body
It's going to happen for sure that you're going to lose your form and therefore your effectiveness.
Everybody does no matter what activity you're doing. Whether it's washing the dishes or riding your horse, you're going to get ineffective form.
But the question is, what do you do about that? How do you check in with your body?
How do you know when you've lost your PLACE OF POTENTIAL?
To find out this self check to help you to get crystal clear on your communication and listening skills and design your movement techniques with your horse so you can grow beautiful, thriving, impactful equine relationships that bring you fullfillment, togetherness, a dance partner and results that you deserve - CLICK HERE to apply to work with Chris.
This is really, really good for riders, especially when beginning in creating their awareness. But also for riders who've been doing this for a long time and perhaps you get tired and you just need a reminder.
#3. Every day reinforcement
It's one thing to do it for an hour a day... and then you go back to your everyday life where it's perhaps sitting at the computer.
It's another thing to reinforce this every day... but the great part is it's simple. It's easy to do. It just takes concentration and awareness and commitment to do it really.
I've developed a program that can show riders, athletes, dancers, elderly people, whoever... how to move and stay in a really effective, efficient place with their bodies.
Leave frustration and discourgement behind...find your equine dance partner and the results that you deserve HERE
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