RESISTANCE
How it applies or interferes.
What makes a good horse?
What makes a good rider?
In my opinion, being relaxed, loose, confident, and capable, while keeping a resistance free rhythm, is the key to doing anything physical, well.
If there is any worry, inhibition or anxiety in you, it shows up as resistance in your ability to move. This happens because these thoughts restrict natural flow in our bodies by causing tension in different areas. Most often it is in the shoulder and neck areas. But it can be in our arms, hands, hips, legs, feet, and our core. Each area represents different types or thoughts of worry, inhibition or anxiety. The place or spot that is tense is a direct representation of your own personal emotional state.
I always say, "The frame in the body, tells us the frame of mind." And this is a very true statement. Its how I help the horses that come to me for training. I ask them to do a simple tasks. As they move, I watch for where the resistance is in the body. If any is present, we work on it till it flows nicely without tension or resistance. The end goal is to have a completely confident, capable, relaxed and willing partner.
Now, the same is true for us. The horse needs us to be resistant free as well. We need to flow seamlessly together. If we cannot, it carries into them. Just as we need a capable, relaxed and willing partner, so does the horse. Its our ability to relax, give guidance with a knowledge based confidence clearly with a steady rhythm that helps remove any worry, inhibition or anxiety in their mind that is causing resistance in their body. If we worry, they worry. If we're tense, they will be tense. If we resist them, they resist us.
For a long time now, I've been applying Tai Chi principals to my horsemanship. I started learning it as a child. When I got into horses in my late teens and early 20's, I habitually and unknowingly applied it to my riding and ground work. I made this connection about 10 years ago. Now I keep it right up front in my mind in all that I do in my Horsemanship. I am working on ways to share this with anyone who is interested. The challenge is finding people who understand the benefits. Most right it off as foolish or a hoax. So its my goal to find ways to bring a clear understanding to those willing to listen.
