I know how it sounds. I know. But, as a riding instructor I can speak from the experience of having genuinely seen it work in every client of mine that has tried it.

As I've written about on many occasions, having an independent seat is vital for good riding. Common problem areas are tension in the hips/pelvis, stiffening of the back, and stiffness of the arms or shoulders. If you are stiff, tight, or restricted in any of these areas, it will almost certainly impact how you ride; your balance, the refined communication with your horse, and your horse's ability to carry you well.

One of my favourite (albeit newer) techniques to improve tension areas is to "breath into" that area. Some people find it really easy, and it comes quite naturally for them, for others it takes work. As a rider myself, the thing I struggle with the most is actaully remembering to do it!

So I've decided to hunt down some really useful resources - videos, diagrams etc. that I can share with you guys! They will all be shared on my Facebook page, and a lot will make there way to here too.

This one was created by an American dressage rider, trainer and Doctor of Chiropractics, and it's all about using the core, and goes into hip flexors a little bit. It's quite long (a little over an hour) so make sure you've got some biscuits and a drink! Credit Jamie Pestana D.C. & Megan Leonard.

After a very quiet few months, due to a certain pandemic that need not be mentioned, I am finally back out teaching. Yesterday was the first day back, and it was both busy and brilliant! 12 lessons taught in all, and all went superbly.

Each clients is different, with different horses, needs, ambitions etc. so each lesson is different.

Shoulder-In/Shoulder-fore
Horse can't bend? Shoulder-in. Horse not bringing the inside hind under? Shoulder-in. Horse heavy on the outside shoulder? Shoulder-in. Pulling in transitions instead of pushing? Ride them in shoulder-in. Needs the wall for balance? Shoulder-in. Not enough expression or suspension in the paces? Shoulder-in.