10/07/2026
One of the questions I always like to ask people at the start of a workshop is "What do you think makes a great rider?"
Some of the answers I hear again and again: sensitivity, finesse, someone who makes riding look effortless, like there's an invisible connection between them and their horse. Those are beautiful ideas to aspire to.
To have that kind of "conversation" with an animal as sensitive as a horse, we have to become just as sensitive ourselves. That means noticing what our hands are doing, how we're breathing,( or not breathing), what's happening in our pelvis, and even places we may never have thought about. Are we clenching our jaw, curling our toes, tightening our ankles?
I've seen many instances where holding just a little unnecessary tension through the foot and ankle changes how the rider uses their whole leg, and that in turn changes how the horse can use their back.
If we can't sense those little things, we can't change them. So instead many go looking for answers in more techniques, more exercises, more effort. We just need to try harder.
The trouble is that more effort makes it harder to feel. The Weber-Fechner law describes this: the more force we use, the less we're able to sense small changes. The less force we use, the more we can feel.
Think of it this way. If you're carrying a heavy box and a grasshopper lands on it, you wouldn't be able to sense the change in weight. But if you're holding a feather very lightly between two fingers and a grasshopper lands on the end of it, you'll feel the difference right away. Less effort = greater sensitivity.
Riding is the same. When we're gripping, bracing or working hard, the small things get drowned out. When we learn to do less, we feel more. Many times, because we haven't practiced the art of slowing down and becoming aware of our habitual movement patterns, we don't even realize where we're bracing or gripping.
That's the beautiful thing about Feldenkrais™️,Awareness Through Movement lessons. They focus on moving slowly, with small and gentle movements, so you can start to sense and feel where you're using more effort than you need. But like anything, it has to become a practice, something you develop over time.
Along the way come other benefits, like improved whole body coordination and the practice of keeping your breathing easy as you move. All of these play a huge part in effortless riding.
I love hearing from clients how developing their sensitivity through a regular practice of ATM ( awareness through movement) has changed their riding. ❤️🐴
