Often when people do tricky exercises they stop breathing.

Ever wonder why so many horses get tense between the white boards that were fine in the warm up? 

How many riders say they don’t breathe during their dressage test? 

Perhaps there’s a link there!

If you’re not breathing your tense within your body. 

Tensing muscles really tight isn’t what you’re after. Tension isn’t stability. Stability is relaxed muscular integrity. That is muscles that are still soft, able to move and absorb movement whist still remaining in control.

In order to ride stable without tension you need to be able to breathe whilst activating the muscles required to create that stability.

So if you’re struggling with it on horse try mastering it off horse. 

Whenever you’re exercising focus on form with breathing-can you execute your Pilates or Yoga moves well whilst breathing softly? 

Can you time a core activation with an out breath during a heavy lift?

Perhaps you have to really concentrate at first but the more you practice the more second nature it becomes. 

Then you can transfer that to on horse exercises. 

Make an out breath every time you make a transition……..then do a schooling session involving lots of transitions.

It will soon become second nature to breathe whilst you ride!