CONFIDENCE l EQUIPILATES
If an equine exhibits behaviours that are difficult or dangerous to deal with while on board then any rider is justified in feeling worried. Mel Beale finds out how taking a horse back to basics can help to reignite a rider’s bravado
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EQUIPILATES IS MULTIFACETED and can help horse riders in so many different ways — from alleviating tension and the subconscious physical response to fear, while also offering exercises to improve rider position and strength so that there is a feeling of greater security in the saddle (see previous issues of Your Horse for all of these).
However, riding isn’t a one-sided relationship — and now is the time to think about the role the horse plays in rider confidence.
If nerves stem from something the horse is doing — such as bucking or rearing, putting in a stop at a fence, constantly spooking, or being difficult to steer — and the rider has made every effort to improve their mindset and physical fitness but they are still struggling, then they need to shine the spotlight on their equine partner.
“Horses aren’t naughty — they don’t do things to try and purposefully annoy or scare their rider,” says Equipilates instructor Emma Stamenkovic. “What they are trying to do is communicate with us. So, for example, a buck is a way of saying that they’re not balanced, that they don’t understand the question, or that they are experiencing pain or discomfort.”
Even if the rider is jumping or competing at a high level and seems to have a wonderful partnership with their horse in many ways, sometimes the key is to look at equine and human separately.
“In Equipilates we break it down and we cover a checklist for the horse,” says Emma. “We ask: is he balanced, is he straight, is he supple, is he physically able to do the transition?”
Begin at the beginning
The first thing to do when encountering a behaviour such as bucking, rearing or excessive spooking is to have the horse checked over by a vet, saddler, farrier and physio. You can’t address pain through training, so it is key to rule it out before starting work.
Once he has been given the all clear Emma recommends commencing with groundwork. This means that the rider will be able to see what t
