Breath for two

Breath for two

Why is breathing so important?

Your breath, of course, is not the basis of riding, but it is its beginning. The power of the breath is seriously underestimated and often overlooked, not only in riding but also in everyday life. Breathing is something that is important and needs to be known, but also something that we usually know the least about …

Long years of observation of riders and horses allow us to speak with confidence – the horse reflects everything that happens to the rider at any level: physically, emotionally and mentally. Whatever you do with your body is reflected in the horse, and when your breathing becomes short, shallow and heavy, so is the horse’s breathing.

When you tighten your breath, holding it without letting air into your lungs, your balance, like that of your horse, shifts to a forward balance.

When your breath relaxes, you breathe “belly”, relaxing and lowering your physical center, your center of gravity and balance goes down. At the same time, the center of gravity and balance of the horse also moves down and back, allowing it to engage the hind limbs in the work.

When your breathing is not rhythmic, neither is your horse’s breathing. The key to synchronization is rhythm, and it will give you control over your breathing.

Watch the riders from the ground! The horse of a rider who breathes shallowly and shallowly will move with his head held high, in the forehand, and with short, staggering strides. The horse of the rider who breathes from the “belly”, whose breathing is rhythmic, will mirror it, relaxing and lowering his head, taking long rhythmic steps. Try breathing in different ways and you will see the difference in your horse’s behavior. Play with your breath, observe and feel what is happening. Ask a friend to do the same and see what it looks like from the ground.

How to breathe while riding?

Tips for Beginners. Remember that while riding you must consciously breathe correctly in order to maintain a subtle and deep connection with your horse. Let your breath first connect with your mind and body, control it, breathe as deeply as possible, “belly”. Then “direct” your breath through your seat and into your horse. Visualize this process, imagine how your breath fills the stomach and back of the horse. And this will have a miraculous effect on the horse, as he will relax, stretch forward and lift his back.

When you ride a horse, try to follow the breath, let it match the rhythm of the horse’s steps. How many steps your horse takes, how many breaths and exhalations you have to take.

Tips for more experienced riders. After hard work, your deep “belly” breathing will become unconscious, which means that you will breathe correctly in the right rhythm without thinking about it. Once this happens, you will be able to use additional “magic” breathing functions.

1. The downward transition can be done using the breath combined with lifting and spreading the toes. It really does work like magic, but only if you have already achieved a deep connection with your horse as described in the beginner tips above, so if the “miracle” doesn’t happen when you do this technique, check the underlying connection with your breath.

2. Upward transitions can become invisible to the eye if you change the rhythm of your breathing before asking the horse to transition. For example, if you are exhaling 5-6 times in a certain amount of time, try exhaling 3-4 times before signaling the transition. Your horse will be aware of these breath changes and will be ready for you to ask him for an upward transition in the most subtle way.

3. When your horse starts to look away from you, don’t remind yourself for a reason – try taking a few quick, short, full “back” breaths to get his attention back. Using the reins certainly works, but it’s very crude compared to the subtle use of the breath. Also, engaging the reins in such a situation can become an unconscious habitual movement and create latent tension and blockage in the rider’s arm and torso, which in turn creates tension in the horse’s body.

Whether you are an advanced rider or a beginner, if you run into trouble and everything seems to be going wrong, remember to come back to your breath and ask yourself – AM I BREATHER?!

Breathing should be fun. This is another tool that can help you with your horse. And how you will use it is up to you. Nothing is impossible!

James Shaw, Gillian Ruddy (source); translation by Valeria Smirnova.