Self-carriage is a pretty big topic when it comes to riding and riders in general. And it should be. It is an important aspect when it comes to training moving in the right direction. However - you knew there was a ‘however’ coming, right?!

Often we put the cart before the horse when it comes to self-carriage in riding. We focus on the horse's self-carriage - or lack thereof. When, in reality, we should first focus on the rider's ability to correctly carry themselves first.

Creating Space

The reason this is true is pretty obvious when you actually spend time looking at horses and their riders. In order for the horse to truly begin to embrace the concept of self-carriage in their training, there must be space available for them to move into.

Self-carriage, in its simplest form, means that the upper (or front end if we are talking about your horse) of the body is being carried or supported by the lower (or back in, again in the case of your horse) part of the body.

In order for this to occur there needs to the necessary strength and engagement through the core of the body. And it is this ‘core engagement’ that is so often missing as riders work and train in the saddle with their horse.

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