The Question of talent - one for the horse riders

A basic requirement to staying on the back of a moving horse requires the right amount of muscular tonus, flexibility and cardiovascular capacity. These are just the basic requirements. To keep on improving as a rider so that we can seek better balance as a human/horse entity, one must also nurture other components, such as body coordination, adaptability and a sense of spatial and kinesthetic awareness - both of self and the horse.

Although we can target our muscular and cardiovascular fitness by visiting the gym, how do we nurture the remaining qualities without leaving them to chance? If such qualities are inherent in so-called talented riders, can their talent be passed onto others?

Past masters have recorded their riding methods verbally and in written forms. We even have videos of masters from the modern era. But when it comes to FELT sense - ie. what they felt in their horse and how they arranged their body to ride through that specific moment for a desired outcome - it is near impossible to convey with any accuracy using conventional means of communication.

So where does that leave us?

Feldenkrais Method is based on the theory of life-long neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to keep adapting throughout our lives. Talent, therefore, is not viewed as a fixed innate quality belonging to the exclusive few. Instead, Feldenkrais regards talent as a potential for learning and improvement that is accessible for anyone.

Feldenkrais can help riders build heightened awareness of one’s body so that they are no longer sending mixed signals to their horses. Through efficiency and efficacy, combined with less effort, there is less wear and tear on the rider and greater harmony with the horse. As the rider continues to develop their self-awareness, they become perceptive to how their body impacts the position, footfalls, the balance and the mental state of their horses.

And then it becomes second nature to keep on developing your self-awareness, as you seek that next level of harmony. And so the talent builds…..

……I take personal refuge that no one said it was easy :)