The Articulate Rider

First of all I want to share how awesome, fun and good for ours and our horses bodies and minds the Yoga for Humans and Equines class was. It was the first of it’s kind at Ohana farm and it wont be the last judging from all the feedback we got. Kate Perna brought excellent body awareness exercises for riders and mindfulness exercises that put us in a good mind body connection for working with our horses in the second part of the day.

We explored mindful movements with our horses bodies to find where they might be blocked and need to release. Then we rode using our new found seat and body awareness. I added a new section called “Seat Yoga” which explored even further the articulations that we can do with our bodies, pelvis and back. One participant who worked with her Prix St. George horse in the class, stated she had one of the best rides she had ever had on her horse that day after experiencing the feeling of being “plugged in” and connected while riding.

What I am working towards in these body awareness exercises is what I call an Articulate Rider. A lot of riding and communication I see with horses is Loud and Crude. Even when a horse is being “difficult” it is usually due to us communicating vaguely, loudly and opposite to what we are really asking. When a horse doesn’t comply with a request, he gets “Shouted at” Literally, Physically and figuratively. An Articulate Rider not only possesses fine control of their Energetic Inflection, they also have fine control over their bodies individual parts and as a whole.

Horses have what I call Innate responses to very specific impulses on their body and and are very tuned into our thought patterns and intention. If you combine these tools, you will have a very sophisticated level of communication with your horse. It will very rarely have to get “Loud” if you are Mindful, Clear, Calm and Connected.

When you combine the Articulate Rider™ exercises with Natural Response Training™ You have a recipe for harmonious, fun, conversations and rides with your horse.

Kate and will be setting up regular Yoga for the riders classes at Ohana farm. We’ll keep you posted on when the next one is.