Mind Body Saddle

Riding horses allows me to experience a connection to another being mentally, physically, and emotionally. When you are riding, the goal is to have your body and the horse’s body working harmoniously with the same rhythm, direction, and pace.

Of course, that is much easier said than done. As a riding instructor for beginning riders, I focus on the rider establishing control of their own body first, so that then they may properly direct the horse’s body. For me, as a trainer of young, inexperienced horses, my body instinctively reacts without a conscious thought from me. A squeeze of my right ring finger, a little more weight into my left foot, these tiny gestures communicate to the horse the direction, rhythm, and pace that I desire. Once a horse and rider have established a close relationship, the signals from the rider become invisible to the onlooker, almost as if the two can read one another’s minds. What an incredible feeling that is! To direct an 1100 lb animal with a thought!

To me, there is nothing like the connection I establish with the horses I train. It is overwhelmingly satisfying when you can feel a young horse suddenly “get it” and then the two of you can do anything!

Of course, it always puts a SMILE on my face when I see the students that I teach create that same mental (MIND) and physical (BODY) relationship with the horses that they ride!

Claire Affleck
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