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Ah, straightness…it’s so important, yet, you may wonder, will you ever be truly straight? If you have ever felt this way, don’t worry, you’re not alone! Even with my Grand Prix horse Harvey, I’m constantly working on getting him straighter and more symmetrical in his body. But the good news is, your horse CAN get straighter!
So where is a good place to start working on straightness? In this week’s video, proudly sponsored by Total Saddle Fit, I will be sharing my top three tips for achieving straightness when you ride. Before we jump into this week's video, I want to let you know about this great giveaway I'm doing with Total Saddle Fit. Just for entering the draw, you could win BOTH my online Straightness Workshop and a Total Saddle Fit Girth.
And on to the video! Dressage is all about gymnastizing your horse and helping them use their body in the healthiest way possible, which includes working on getting them straighter and more symmetrical. Here are my top tips to help you:
· Focus on Your Straightness First - Did you know that our bodies account for a lot of our horse’s crookedness? It’s true! Just like our horses, we humans are asymmetrical too, and our crookedness directly affects our effectiveness in the saddle. So, a great place to start working on straightness is actually out of the saddle. Pilates, yoga, going to the gym, etc. are all great ways to work on your straightness. When we get straighter and more flexible in our bodies, everything is easier for our horses. Try assessing your straightness by balancing on one foot and then moving your opposite arm in and out from the side of your body. Try this on both sides and take note: is one side harder for you?
· Saddle Straightness - It’s super important that we check that our saddle is sitting straight on our horse before and during our ride. If our saddle is crooked, it’s impossible for our horses to be straight. At the mounting block, I always check to see if my saddle is straight and my girth is tight. After walking around for 2-3 minutes, I’ll check my girth’s tightness again, and tighten on the opposite side that my saddle tends to slip off. This is super important, because if your girth is loose, then your saddle will be more likely to slip off to one side!
· Frequent Changes of Direction - Some great exercises to work on to help you with your straightness are serpentines and figure eights. Getting your horse supple is the first step to getting them straighter, so any exercise where you have frequent changes of direction and bend will help you work on getting your horse supple and bending equally on both sides.
Watch the video where I talk more about straightness as I ride my horse, Harvey. Thank you to Total Saddle Fit for sponsoring this video! If you are struggling with your saddle slipping off to one side, I also recommend that you check out Total Saddle Fit’s girths! They are anatomically designed so that you don’t have to tighten your horse’s girth so much and have a special elastic piece to allow the horse's ribcage to expand so they can breathe easier when riding. I have seen a huge difference in my horses and the straightness of their saddles since switching over to Total Saddle Fit girths. Check out the giveaway that I’m doing in partnership with Total Saddle Fit. You have the chance to win both a workshop on Straightness from my online education platform and a Total Saddle Fit Girth!
Happy Riding!
Amelia