Welcome to Trainer Tuesday! Each week we ask trainers a question and gather their answers for you. These trainers have a range of experience, backgrounds, and focus points of their programs, so the answers have as much variation as you would expect and also probably much more similarity.
This week’s question posed is: How do you work with a rider who is riding too stiffly?
Here are their answers:
“With a rider that is stiff, I think first you have to discern why they are stiff. Most often that is due to nerves or lack of experience. The first job is to get the rider comfortable and confident in the task you’re asking them to perform. I think one of the best ways to help stiffness is to give the student a lunge line lesson. Take away their reins and get them to perform different movements with their arms, shoulders, hips and torso without reliance on the reins.” -Geoff Case
Listen to Geoff on The Plaidcast here.
“I think often when you see a rider that is stiff or ridged it might be because they are nervous or unsure of the horse or the task at hand. For that reason, I try to build simple exercises where they can succeed and become more thoughtful and confident of their riding. I even mention that they should not worry about a perfect position at this point as long as they have form to function.
One simple discussion is to get them to think about connecting the horses hip to their hip from their leg while letting their back soften. With that the arms should become loose and more flexible and the hands will become softer.” -Colleen McQuay
Listen to Colleen on The Plaidcast here.
“I usually find putting a rider on a lunge line and having them put one hand on the pommel and one hand on the cantle while sitting the trot and canter will help them learn to relax their hips. However, if they are stiff in their arms, they need more strength in their legs and core. You can’t have a following arm if you can’t stay balanced and strong in your legs.” -Hope Glynn
Read more from Hope here.
“Riders have to understand individual body parts and the idea that when you use an aid, you can’t use the rest of the body with it. For example, when you pull on the reins you can’t tighten your back and legs at the same time. Most stiffness starts in the arms. Arms have to be bent so the shoulder can move to slide the elbow back rather than pulling down to the wither. Exercises like lunging with first no reins and then no stirrups are really helpful in forcing a rider to relax.” -Robin Greenwood
“When I work with all levels of riders the first question is are they properly matched with a suitable horse. When that is yes, I move on to proper tack not too much bridle /bit also not too little. When suitable horse and tack is established then a moderate size riding area not too large. Rider security on the horse is then the main focus so the rider can relax through a secure position and trust of the horse. Stiffness can come from an insecure position or physiological / slight fear of falling or losing control.
One hand holding the reins and the other arm touching their head, behind their back even touching their toes can be a confidence builder and relax a rider. Lunge line walk trot lessons can be very useful in advancing a riders balance, trust in themselves, and the horse and improving a riders feel. It takes time, but a solid confident position is worked on and the result is horse IQ and independent arms and a rider that moves with the horses’ movements in balance.” -Diane Carney
Read more from Diane here.
“Horses are the ultimate barometers for rider tension. Whether the rider is tightening her shoulders, gripping with her thighs or knees, or is even just holding her breath, the horse will feel it. When it comes to developing an elastic connection with the horse through a bent, following elbow, even slight tension will creep its way out of the rider through the reins to the horse’s mouth. Tense riders create tense horses, and vice versa.
When I notice that tension is beginning to impede rider effectiveness, my favorite go-to solution is quite simple—I have the rider sing. In a group lesson, I have every rider sing, which is usually more fun and prevents the tense rider from feeling singled out (which just increases her tension). The song doesn’t matter—it could be the A,B,C’s or Row, Row, Row Your Boat, or a Top 40 barn favorite, but I want to hear it loud and proud. When the rider sings, she has to breathe. When the rider keeps her breath moving, tension will leave her body with each exhale.” -Sally Batton and Christina Keim from The Athletic Equestrian
“A stiff rider is often holding themselves in their position, rather than feeling the movement in the horses back. They are often working against the horse. I feel all levels of riders can benefit from a lunge lesson. Riders need to recognize that they are more stable in the saddle when they can move with the horse. The ability to have the control of the horse in the hands of the individual lunging allows a rider to find their own center of balance.” -Kari Briggs
Read more answers from Otterbien University’s trainer here.
“If someone is riding stiffly, it’s usually that they are too stiff in their arms. Most riders tend to lock their elbows and then the stiffness begins to show up in their seat and their back. You especially see this when riders post and their hands are going up and down with them instead of letting their elbow work as a hinge and their hands stay perfectly still.
To combat this, I put them on a lunge line and take away their reins. If they are advanced enough, I also take away their stirrups. Then, I have them ride at the trot and canter, following the motion with their seat. I have them put their arms out to the sides, up above their head and on their chest, so that they can feel their balance and let their seat follow.
Once they’ve got a good feel for letting their body follow the motion, I have them take their reins back and pretend that their upper arm is a soft noodle and that their elbow is a hinge. I want them to let their seat follow the motion and let their elbows and arms stay relaxed and hand still at the trot and then to follow the horse’s motion up and down at the canter.
While they’re learning to have a soft upper arm, it’s important that they keep their fingers closed, and their thumb held down on top of the rein. The thumb is the tension, and the hand is closed, but soft.
If they are still struggling with softening the arm, you can keep them on the lunge line and put a crop across the top of their hands and let them really work on letting their hand stay perfectly straight and follow the motion of the horse. Some horses bob their head more than others at the canter, so you need to learn to keep that even, light pressure on the bit and let your hands, arms and body follow along. It’s not a one time fix—it takes a lot of work to be soft.” -Laurie Scott
Read more from Laurie here.
“I would figure out what is causing the stiffness first. Is it nerves or just stiff joints? If it nerves, I like to do exercises like counting to eight out loud on the approach to the jump to get the rider more focused on the rhythm and less on the distance which will cause the rider to stiffen up. If it is just stiff joints, I like to tell my riders to be loosey goosey in the saddle and feel like they are flapping their arms around. I tell them it will feel very extreme and ridiculous at first, but then they tend to get more comfortable with it. Another thing that I like to say to my riders is let your hand follow the motion of the neck. Another good exercise to do is hands turned over with a driving rein. It keeps the rider from locking in their wrist and in turn they stay much softer with their feel to the mouth.” -Stevie McCarron Wigley
Listen to Stevie on The Plaidcast here.
“First and foremost, establish whether it’s an issue with the rider, the horse, or both. Is there a physical reason for the rider riding stiffly? Collapsing through one hip or another is very common, causing the shoulder to drop and the leg to draw up. Physical issues like these are often best fixed off the horse. Yoga or Pilates are great, and often, these days are tailored specifically for riders and their personal needs. Lunge lessons could also help.
It could be stiffness through the rider suffering mentally. As a trainer, mindfulness can be key, and screaming at a worried rider to relax is not helpful. Firstly, focusing on breathing can help to relax the muscles and relieve tension. Transitions within the pace (forward and back) can help the rider to use the pelvic swing, forward hand, and half halt independently of each other.
It’s possible that an issue with the horses’ way of going can create rider stiffness. A prime example would be a horse loading/falling out through the shoulder, causing the rider to tilt or lean heavily one way. Ensuring the rider’s hips are in line with the horse’s shoulders is critical to prevent problems for both further along the scales of training.” -Andrew Bradley
Grand Prix dressage rider
“Ride bareback!” -Caitlin Maloney
Read more from Caitlin on The Plaid Horse here.
“Sitting trot, bridge your reins, and do arm exercises like circles, super man, or airplane. They can be the things we learned when we started riding—go back to basics and practice balance in motion.” -Lindsay Yinger
Listen to Lindsay on The Plaidcast here.
“Some riders have all the grace of a brick. They may even have perfect position, but they are so rigid, stiff, and unyielding that it is painful to watch them ride. Though you want to be able to hold yourself in position on the horse, you need to be able to do it with fluidity and grace. Riding is about moving naturally in time and in tune with the horse. Overly stiff riding doesn’t do anyone any good.
Get more comfortable on the horse’s back. Riding without stirrups will help you loosen up. A few longing lessons may also help you soften and supple your riding.” -Geoff Teall from Geoff Teall on Riding Hunters, Jumpers and Equitation: Develop a Winning Style
“First, I always encourage all of my students to stretch before riding to get everything loose before getting to work on the horses. Then if a student is still struggling with stiffness we will discuss the function of position to follow the motion in order to create a look of being still rather than being stiff and stuck to appear still.
We might also discuss what is happening mentally for the rider as they are riding that could be affecting their body movement, such as anxiety or fear. If that happens to be the case then we look at different tools to help with their mental performance in the saddle. Being sure to find the root cause of any issue, including being stiff, is the most effective way to solve the problem long term.” -Jessica Denniston
Learn more about Emory & Henry College on The Plaid Horse here.
“I like to have Riders use Driving Reins to soften their arms and elbows. Also varying their seats (light, full, light) for a set number of strides so they have to keep thinking about the exercise and counting their strides.” -June Gillis-Ahern
“I have them ride bare back or without stirrups. They will find their balance in the middle of the horse naturally.” -Georgy Maskrey-Segesman
Read more from Georgy here.
“When working with a rider who is riding too stiffly, I like to have them use a driving rein which helps encourage softness because it is more difficult to lock your elbow and wrist in this position.” -Holly Sowa
“I stay close to my student and walk along with them so I can speak in a lower tone of voice. I slow everything down and have them concentrate on the specific parts of their body one at a time and how those parts relate and communicate with the natural movement of the horse. I ask for short exercises with many walk breaks between and remind them over and over to take a deep breath. I will repeat the breathing command as many times as I have to until they respond by taking that big breath.
For jumping, I still stay in close proximity to them in the ring and stay “in their ear” to keep them out of their own head. I find focusing on eye control is helpful to alleviate a lot of ‘noise.’ I always encourage my riders who struggle with stiffness to make gentle yoga a weekly part of their training. It helps so much with being centered, two-sided, relaxed, and significantly improves range of motion.” -Regan Comeaux
Read more from Regan here.
“Often I see people trying to hard, worrying what other people think. Worrying about the what if’s and the I cant’s. When, and if, you take a quiet moment to reflect your independent aides and relax, then you and your horse have a moment to connect and feel confident.” -Kiri Baldi
Read more from Kiri here.
“When working with a rider who is too stiff, I like to use the the driving rein as a training tool. Purpose: Allows movement from the rider’s shoulders and elbows, and free’s the rider from locking their wrists, arms, and fixes flat hands. The rider begins to utilize their body parts in a more independent manner, they instantly start to follow the horse’s rhythm, tend to NOT balance on their horse’s mouth any longer. This training tool also helps the rider find their own balance in the saddle.” -Natasha Vitkovic
“One of the primary reasons rides can feel stiff while riding is due to a lack of confidence. To help riders overcome this, I recommend incorporating a few lunge line lessons. These lessons can involve simple exercises like learning to make circles with their feet or performing scissor kicks without stirrups. Engaging in activities such as airplane arms rotations can also help riders divert their focus to other tasks and gradually build their confidence. As confidence grows, riders become more relaxed, resulting in a more enjoyable riding experience.” -Amy Lambert Ochoa
“No stirrups, lunge line lessons, and sitting trot and canter transitions. Tell the rider to relax their lower back and move softly with the motion.” -Maria Takacs
“Using a bridged reign helps teach them to follow horses mouth and constantly reminding them to relax.” -Waddy Oursler
Read more Trainer Tuesday answers from Waddy here.
“Stiff riders are usually stiff for one of two reasons (or both):
1. Lack of physical balance
2. Lack of mental calmness
Both can be solved with exercises on the lunge line to improve both the vertical and light seat positions while the instructor watches for position failures as well as outward signs of a rider’s fear or anxiety. Watching for signs of riders abandoning nasal breathing is extremely helpful as a breathing pattern imbalance can lead to mental and by proxy, physical imbalance which is then exacerbated by the horse’s reaction to the rider.
Lessons on the lunge cannot be duplicated off the lunge because control of the horse needs to be dictated by a ground person so that the riders issues can be dealt with singularly.” -McKrell Baier
Read more from McKrell here.
“If a rider is sitting too stiffly I try to give cues that will encourage relaxation. I’ll say ‘wiggle your elbows’ or ‘flap your arms for a step or two’. I have also used one handed riding to get riders softer and more relaxed. If it’s stiffness from nervousness I’ll remind riders to breathe. Encouraging three deep breaths before the first jump is a favorite. I’ll also suggest specific moments on course where riders can take a breath and relax.” -Brett Shear-Heyman
Read more Trainer Tuesday answers from Brett here.
“From the coach’s perspective, when a rider comes to a lesson who is ‘stiff in the saddle’ I need to work out as quickly as possible which umbrella they come under. Are they riding stiffly due to self-imposed tension or are they physically tight due to compensation? I might do a little test to see if it is mental tension (trying too hard to keep still, worried about a new coach etc.) by asking the rider if they can give the horse a big hug around the neck as they are walking – the rider’s attitude to this task will tell you a lot and you can work with them from there.
If I think the stiffness is due to the rider’s defensive posture creating a physical stiffness then we might have a slightly different approach. Is the rider stiff out of the saddle? Then pilates, yoga, Feldenkrais, or another movement therapy would be great to initiate and would work in conjunction with what is corrected in the saddle. Saddle balance for the rider must be considered – many riders have a saddle which fits the horse but don’t understand that it isn’t the right balance for themselves. Being pain-free isn’t the only attribute of a correct saddle fit.
If it is not saddle balance then look to the horse (although you should SEE the horse from the moment the rider comes in anyway). If the horse’s back is in a defensive posture, then the rider’s back can be equally defensive. If the horse doesn’t have a back the rider can sit on without stiffness being transmitted from one to the other, then you will have a self-fulfilling prophecy. Both will need to be addressed at the same time.” -Louise Van Gaal
“I like to have riders spend time riding without their stirrups. If it is a private lesson, I will put the rider on the lunge line without stirrups and have them tie a knot in the reins so they can ride without them. We can then do calisthenic like exercises, putting their hands on top of their head, arms out to the side, making circles with their arms. The list of things to do is endless and up to the instructor to be creative. If we are in a group lesson the students will cross their irons and then bridge their reins in the outside hand and we can do the same exercises one hand at a time.” -Gregory Franklin
Read more Trainer Tuesday answers from Gregory here.
“Where does the stiffness come from? Nerves? Physical limits? Control? Fear? Strength? A poor horse/rider match? Once the cause is identified I focus on making the weakness a strength. Stepping back to go forward—sometimes is a horse change to something less sensitive, sometimes its strength training or refreshing some basics exercises like no stirrups, lunge line lessons, riding bareback all improve feel and strength which in turn improves confidence. In some situations a mental sports coach or sports psychologist has been a game changer for some of my students! Confident, empathetic, educated riders tend to be more relaxed which allows them to effectively use their toolbox and get the best out of their equine partners. As riders, we become the ‘herd’ leader—if we are stiff, the horses will be stiff too. Teaching riders to lead their horses to the best outcomes is paramount.” -Courtney Hayden-Fromm
Read more from Courtney here.
“Riders who are too stiff in the saddle will block their horse’s ability to move. As a Chartered Physiotherapist, I work with a lot of riders who tense or brace in the saddle to try to gain stability, but actually this just causes them to be stiff and block their horse’s movement. I start to improve this by simply getting them to breathe more efficiently and effectively using their diaphragm and relaxing their abdomen. This can seem a foreign concept to riders who have spent years sucking or pulling their tummy in, but by constantly tensing or bracing their abdominals they end up blocking their diaphragm’s ability to work effectively and instead end up using the muscles in their neck and shoulders to do the work of breathing, making them even more tense. Training diaphragmatic breathing allows the rider to synchronize their diaphragm, deep abdominals, and pelvic floor muscles as they breathe.
This makes for a softer, more supple, and more absorbing seat that can move with the horse rather than brace against them. Also, training off the horse to improve the strength and control of the muscles of the rider’s pelvis and hips allows the rider to be able to follow the movement of the horse and dissipate the forces that the horse creates. Strengthening exercises done through range to target all the muscles of the rider’s seat allow that rider to have a more symmetrical, balanced and supple seat and be less stiff in the saddle.” -Maeve Sheridan
“I think comes from our mental state. Riding is 80% mental and 20 percent physical. You must find a way to listen and to relax. Even if that means walking around then slowly adding your aides—independence in the aides is the key to clear communication, and feeling the horses response to your aides is the start to confident communication. Take the time to slow down what you are doing. Understand where and why you feel stiff under certain situations. Understand your body, listen to how your body reflects on the horse and their willingness to hear you.
It can’t be screamed out of you, scared out of you, punished out of you, or directed if you don’t fix your mental composure first. Once you have that, an acute feeling of what’s going on underneath you, and recognize how influential each independent aide is, then you can be in the captain role. Being captain of your ship comes from understanding the crew—and the crew understanding you.
Read last weeks Trainer Tuesday article here.
