The walk is the most under rater and under used pace in training, so how do we ride it well?
The walk is a simple four beat pace, each leg works independently and there is no moment of suspension like there is in trot and canter. Riders often ignore the walk as it is the slowest pace and "no fun" but that simply isn't true!
There is so much to be done in the walk and it is of every benefit to you and your horse, of which I will go over in another post!
To ride the walk well and make sure we're not interfering or blocking our horse, we need to make sure that we are working with them not against them. So often you will see riders (of all abilities!) trying to shove their horses along with their seat like they are on a swing set! Unfortunately for them our horses aren't a swing and this is actually very counter productive!
Not only are you then over riding and exerting more energy for no gain, you are also blocking your horse and discouraging them from walking correctly.
If you watch your horse, or any horse walking from behind you will see how their hind quarters rise and fall alternatively (this is the same for the trot).
As their hind leg on that side strikes the ground, their pelvis lifts and as it comes off the ground and underneath their pelvis drops and this repeats. So if you are shoving away with both of your seat bones together, back and forward, especially with force then as one side of the horse is trying to lift you will be shoving it back down with your seat.
Instead think about separating your seat bones, we have two halves to us after all! Allow the horse to move you and you will start to feel how one side of your seat goes down and back as the other goes upward and forward. By doing this not only do you allow your horse to move beneath you but it will also enable you to feel what your horses legs are doing.
This is essential for lateral work and for feeling (not looking!) diagonals in trot! If you struggle to feel the seat bones separate to start with you can try placing one hand on your thigh. You will be able to feel your thigh lift and fall with the horse and you can start thinking about how that feels through your seat to make the connection. You can also think about which way the horses belly is swinging. Say you are on the left rein for example, when you feel your horses belly swing towards the fence (right/outside), you will feel your inside seat bone drop down and back which also means that your horses inside hind leg has come off the ground! Once you get a feel for it, you'll never go back to seat shovelling! A great way to really get a feeling for it is out hacking if you take your horse down a steep hill. Their pelvis rising and falling is exaggerated down the hill so makes it very easy to feel!
Make sure you don't end up wobbling left and right. You are pivoting on your seat bone forward and backwards instead of wiggling to the left and to the right! In short don't over ride and let your horse do the work !
When the weather finally clears up I will put together a video showing this and importantly the difference it makes to the horses way of going!