I’ve just started back to my riding since baby was born, and I’ve noticed something. Pregnancy has made my riding better! In this post I’ve decided to talk about a topic that is frequented by many in the horse industry: Roundness. Having your horse round and pushing from behind is often a difficult thing to achieve. In the midst of riding while pregnant, I discovered a few things about roundness and connection that I never realized until I had to slow down and take a step back.
When one talks about “roundness” and “connection” confusion often arises as to the definition of those terms. Many think that roundness is simply a visual of a horse in a “pretty” frame, with the neck rounded. The word “connection” also causes confusion in reference to correct equine movement. Connection is not merely a hand to mouth pressure or shortness of the reins. It is the connection of the whole body from front to back, with the hindquarters pushing the body, neck, and mouth into the riders hands which embodies true, correct connection.
When I learned I was pregnant, I began riding more carefully, taking great pains to sit lightly in the saddle to avoid jostling as my pregnancy became more advanced. After 20 weeks, I no longer had a viable half-halt to work with so I gave up the canter for slower walk lateral work. During this period of about 15 weeks, as I continued to slow down and work more on basics and the beginnings of my lateral movements, I rediscovered the meaning of connection.
As I learned shoulder-in and haunches-in, I began noticing a difference in how I used my hands and in turn the difference in the horse’s body and carriage. When I was softer and more giving, his body was softer and he gave more effort to the movement. When my legs were used with unforgiving and jerky ways, the horse responded by either pushing back or performing a jerky, not very pretty or correct movement. When I would make my leg aids tactful and in the correct timing, his work was beautiful and correct and soft!
My first ride after having my little boy, I noticed I was unable to get Reggie round like before, and like a typical intermediate rider, my first reaction was to play with his mouth thinking that would bring his head down. Wrong! After about 10 minutes of unsuccessful riding, I took a walk break to think about what I was doing different now, compared to when I was pregnant. I found the answer almost immediately! When I was pregnant, though I was 20-30 lbs heavier, I was sitting lighter in the saddle and being careful not to thud and jostle my big belly. Now that I’m no longer pregnant, I wasn’t being so careful to sit lightly and smoothly. As soon as I made that realization and fixed my seat, his head came down and his back came up immediately.
So my point to all this? If you want your horse to float across the ground, you must float first. If your entire mindset is about yourself being soft and light, your horse with follow suit.
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