Can't learn feel? Watch me teach it!

Have you been told feel can’t be taught?

I have seen it said by instructors throughout my career that feel can’t be taught.

And its always made me query that comment, because that’s one of the most important things that I teach.

I think the biggest mistake an instructor can make when it comes to this comment is perceiving what they think what they are seeing feels like. And I think this confuses a lot of students and makes them lose confidence in themselves and their feel because it doesn’t match what the instructor says they should be feeling.

There are 2 things that need to happen for the eyes on the ground and the feel in the saddle to match:

1. The eyes on the ground actually need to have ridden the horse!! There are so many times where I’ve had to jump on the horse and figure out what I’m seeing feels like. I’ve also had a handful of horses that just are so awkward and difficult to ride that it allows for a little compassion towards my students.

2. As coaches and instructors we need to listen!! What our students are experiencing and feeling shouldn’t be dismissed. I find that the most common reason for an instructor dismissing what a student is feeling is they feel insecure in what they are teaching or that they’ve missed something. When an instructor is confident in the process and what they are doing, listening to the student becomes vital to their students growth and development so they can do the work in between without them.

An example of this: I was coaching Sarah on one of the school horses we both ride. She made a comment about him being “off” - just couldn’t pick it. On the ground, I was seeing a horse that was indicating he wanted to pee but wasn’t, and she was feeling a horse that didn’t seem to connect.

Hoped off, untacked and turned loose (and also had to turn our backs), one giant pee later and we had a sound horse! This is where it pays to now what the horse should feel like AND to listen to your student.

How confident are you with what you’re feeling in the saddle?

Join our free workshop “Riding With Heart”, where I will be teaching how to develop feel and connection in the saddle and build your confidence in interpreting your horses cues while being ridden.

Is Toes In Really Improving Your Riding Position?

For many of us, when we are riding under instruction, we often hear the command “Toes In!” - especially if you are focusing on the dressage discipline.

But is it doing your riding any good?

Why I don’t teach toes in:

My instructor that taught me to teach gave me the best piece of advice I have ever received as an instructor: “if you can’t explain it, don’t teach it”. This has lead to a life long, never ending pursuit down the rabbit hole of “why?”. Seriously you’d think I was a 2 year old!

Rather than observing our dressage etiquette’s as gospel I have asked why of everything ever taught to me before and since and everything that I have ever taught.

So why toes in? What purpose does it have? Mostly because toes out looks bad!

But that’s not a good enough answer for me.

I believe the purpose of any postural correction in the saddle should first and foremost improve our horses ability to move freely, secondly improve our balance in the saddle and lastly “look good”

In fact turning your toes in uses the exact opposite muscles you need to ride with an independent seat! It makes you tighten your thigh and knee taking your calf off and rotate your pelvis down hollowing your lower back.

So while I don’t teach toes in, I do teach how to control your lower leg to enhance your horses movement and be more effective with your aids and supple through your seat. And then AFTER you can do this we can tidy up your toes and make the look overall aesthetically pleasing.

We have our last workshop in April before I’m on maternity leave 😱 we cover how to use your lower leg, seat and body most effectively to enhance your horses movement and your balance, not limit it.