If anyone knows how to calm a nervous horse or rider, it's Susan Harris. She teaches Centered Riding, a series of techniques that use body awareness, centering, and imagery to improve a rider's balance and communication with the horse. Susan tells us how she handles nervous horses and riders when they come into a clinic situation. She starts by teaching a technique she calls "breathing halts"-a critical element in keeping the peace.
Breathing-
What's the Big Deal?
Normally, when a rider is nervous, her breathing becomes rapid and shallow. She takes in only enough air to fill the top of her ribcage. That causes her body to become somewhat stiff, just as yours would if you were holding your breath. The alternative is to breathe more deeply using the diaphragm, which releases body tension and also tells the horse that he can relax.
Breathing from the diaphragm isn't hard. In fact, it's what we do when we sleep. If you watch someone sleeping, you'll see her stomach rise as she inhales and fall as she exhales. Her diaphragm is doing that work.
Try it as you sit in your chair. Breathe in through your nose, allowing your stomach to expand forward. Then relax your mouth and breathe out through it, allowing your stomach to drop down or back. It's not the size of the breath that matters, but the quality of it. It should be big enough that you feel it and feel how it can dispel tension. You'll feel yourself begin to relax.
Relaxing Rhythm
- When you ride, consciously breathe the way you do while sleeping; use your tummy.
- Inhale through your nose; exhale through your mouth.
- Release tension as you breathe out.
- For a breathing halt: exhale, pause for a heartbeat, say "whoa," and then pick up a rein.
- Repeat simple words or songs to keep from holding your breath when you're nervous.
Susan tells her riders, "As you breathe out, imagine your breath filling your lower torso and maybe even dropping down through your seat and legs. The result is that you'll sit with a deeper seat."
Tense riders often hold their breath. Consciously breathing in and out can calm a confused or flustered rider and help a horse to settle down. "One of the ways that we help riders to remember to breathe is to have them sing or talk out loud." Susan laughs as she says, "If you're talking, you're breathing." She likes to have riders use a "breathing rhythm," which involves repeating a song or series of words, such as "Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday…."
Susan says that breathing from the diaphragm is like a safety valve. "Using a breathing halt is like hitting the reset button on a computer. It allows the rider's body to relax from stiffness, and it gives the horse a moment to calm down, come back to earth, and stop and think."
Once you've become aware of your breathing, the next thing is to coordinate it with a cue to your horse to stop. You'll be amazed at how quickly he will catch on. It's a win for both you and him.
