Shoulder Tips and Elbows, Deep Belly Breathing and Other Tips for Equestrians

Shoulder Tips and Elbows, Deep Belly Breathing and Other Tips for Equestrians

Dedicated Riders’ Clinic at Matthew Roy Stables

The June 12 Clinic at Matthew Roy Stables brought together dedicated adult riders and their beloved horses for a day of skills training and camaraderie. Part of the day included an around-the-picnic-table Awareness Through Movement® session based on the morning’s private lessons.

Many adult riders jumped on horses in their youth and continued to ride for pleasure. Their instructors gave them tips on how to look good in the ring, how to direct their horse, and lots of cues on how to improve on the horse. But nothing on how to use their body’s mechanics in the saddle.

“Elbows In” and “Getting Down in the Saddle” were the themes Matt identified (as in Matthew Roy, stable owner and horse trainer extraordinaire) for this clinic’s students.

How to help riders get into the saddle for stability and keep their elbows at the waistline to better control of the reins and vertical alignment? My answer was an ad hoc combination of quadrant and pelvic floor breathing and the ‘sweater lesson.’

We spent some time rocking on the sit bones to get settled. Then, with hands on the ribs to feel the movement of the breath we began breathing into the full volume of the upper chest - helpful in getting the shoulder blades settled down the back.

From there, we shifted focus to the lower belly - how the in-breath presses our ‘COVID baby bellies’ into pelvis, settling the weight comfortably into the saddle. Finally, we focused on the exhale: how everything comes to center, the pelvic floor contracts, the abs kick in slightly, and the inner thighs naturally roll inwards. Just what you want in the saddle.

With our seats a bit heavier and more settled, on to the elbows! The ‘Sweater Lesson’ is a favorite lifting the chest and getting a nice upper back stretch.

With arms crossed, hands softly draped over the shoulders, and elbows stacked, the connection between the elbows and the shoulder blades is clear - sometimes loud and clear! Lifting those crossed elbows spreads the shoulder blades apart … and bringing them down drives the shoulder blade tips towards the spine and down. So for both perfectly placed elbows and the extra benefit of chest lift - focusing on the tips of the shoulder blades is a super hack.

The extra benefit of driving down the shoulder blades is the connection the shoulder blades have with the pelvis. Elbows down, chest lifted, spine long- and voila! - the pelvis sits deep in the saddle.

I’m looking forward to refining this ATM mashup for future clinics. Thanks, Matt, for inviting me and having the vision to expose your riders to The Feldenkrais Method.