Why Balance is Important in the Saddle

Balance can be tricky!  Just when you think you have it, all of a sudden you don't!  It can be that way in the saddle, on the yoga mat and in your every day life. Sometimes the harder that we try to balance, the more difficult it becomes.  

There are many definitions of balance.  The one that usually comes to mind when we hear the word "balance" might be "an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady."  This type of balance is what helps us in the saddle and on the yoga mat.   Other words for this type of balance are:  stability, symmetry, evenness, etc.

I came upon a Survey on topendsport.com.  They are ranking the top sports by what their readers feel require the most "Balance & Coordination".   The #1 sport is Surfing and (wait for it!!!) #2 is Equestrian!!!  #3 is Gymnastics--think balance beam!  So, readers to that site understand the balance an equestrian needs to stay centered on a 1100+ pound animal that is constantly in motion!  (The survey is ongoing, so they do say that the results may change some with time.)

How do we find, maintain and improve our balance?

Maintaining our balance, in whatever we are doing, is controlled by multiple sensory systems with our bodies.  Our vestibular sensory system helps to regulate our equilibrium and monitors the position of the head.  If you have ever had an inner ear infection or even a sinus infection, you may have experienced a lack of equilibrium (dizziness).  The somatosensory system is our senses--vision, touch, hearing, taste and smell and proprioception.  This system is constantly providing the brain with information about the environment we are in and helping us react to that environment.  Our visual system monitors the vertical position of the body and the body's location in relation to other objects.  This is why it's more difficult to balance when you close your eyes.  

There is also symmetrical and asymmetrical balance.  An example of symmetrical balance is a human being or animal that is "symmetrical" side to side.  If you divide in half, both sides are the same.  An example of asymmetrical balance is a tree.  The branches are not the same on each side, but they grow in such a way to maintain balance, even asymmetrically.  

We are in charge of helping our horse find their symmetrical balance when we ride.  We need to be able to feel when our horse is in balance, both side to side and front to back.  We are helping them to be straight.   We need to be able to react with our horses's movement, not after, because each stride changes our balance.  If we aren't moving in balance with the horse, then we are constantly trying to correct our balance with each stride and movement.  Exhausting for both us and our equine partners!

To be able to do that we have to continually work on our symmetrical balance in the saddle.  And we all know that our bodies aren't truly symmetrical.   We can have tighter muscles on one side of the body.  We have a dominate hand.  Sometimes our tighter muscles can be in the front or the back of the body.  

So, finding our balance in the saddle is an ongoing process.  Finding the appropriate strength and flexibility will help us find and maintain that balance. 

The more we work on and improve our balance out of the saddle, the better our balance will be in the saddle.  That balance will "help us stay centered and confident when a horse spooks or has a quick reaction to something."   And as we talked about earlier, our "balance is connected to proprioception--the ability to tell where your body parts are in space."  (dressageridertraining.com)

Good balance is a combination of good proprioception, a neuromuscular system that can react efficiently and good muscular strength and flexibility.  Good reaction times and muscular coordination are important in riding.

And that's where our yoga practice comes in.  Doing a regular practice that focuses on developing strength and flexibility will help us to create better balance in our bodies.  We can begin to understand our asymmetries and to work on them to help develop a more symmetrical way of moving and being.  Our proprioception will improve--being able to tell that we are sitting heavier on one seat bone; leaning to the side, forwards or backwards ; or carrying tension somewhere in our bodies. 

Balance is our ability to use our strength and flexibility to maintain our alignment without tension and stress.

But yoga can help us with other types of balance.  Think about these other definitions of balance: 

  "when a person divides his or her time evenly between work, family and personal pleasure."

  "a person who doesn't get upset very often and doesn't let the little things bother them."

That is the other benefit of a yoga practice.  To help us to create a better balance in our daily lives.  Not taking on to many things at once or even being able to let some things go, so we can have a better balance in our lives--out of the saddle and off the mat.  

And when we have a better balance in our daily lives that can equate to less stress and more time to do what we enjoy!  Your riding and your horse will benefit from that too.  They are very sensitive creatures--they know when we are stressed!

So, hopefully this information helps you to think of balance in a different way and to realize how it can help you in and out of the saddle!

Subscribe to my weekly email newsletter for more information about how yoga can help you both in and out of the saddle