Dressage

The Alexander Technique teaches better awareness, balance, and coordination in the human body. These are all attributes we look for in the well-schooled horse. But how often do we find them in ourselves as riders?

We have all seen riders who are beautifully poised, not interfering with the horse’s balance and movement, but rather contributing to the whole picture of fluidity and grace. Yet these riders are the exception—most of us struggle to sit securely and quietly, and to keep our aids clear and precise.

Constance rides Medium Trot

From our earliest lessons, we form riding habits that we are unaware of. Often excessive strain feels normal. Or we may “collapse” even when we intend to sit tall. We don’t even know we’re hindering our attempts at an independent seat by these habitual tensions and collapsing patterns. Even when we try to correct these problems, we are stymied by how deeply ingrained our habits are.

How often have we heard the phrase: “Our horses are our best teachers?”

By this, we usually mean that each horse “teaches” us how he is best ridden. Through listening and feel, we learn how to improve performance by giving correct aids. The Alexander Technique takes this a step further. When we say our horses are our best teachers, we mean that our horses can teach us about ourselves and our own body movement. Through the Alexander Technique, we practice the same freedom of movement through our whole musculo-skeletal system that we look for in our horses.

The principles of the Alexander Technique are fundamentally the same as those of classical equitation. Both focus on achieving integrated and supple movement, without the use of force, through the delicate exploration of balance. An Alexander teacher shows students how to recognize habits that hinder performance, how to find appropriate muscle tension, and how to find their natural poise and strength.

Dressage Riders Workshops

“Every Little Thing” An Article by Constance

“Posture for Riders” An Article about Constance