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Want to improve your balance in the saddle? Try these simple but not easy international eventer-approved exercises on the flat, with poles and over fences
Training exercises that target a rider’s balance on the horse will reap dividends. As part of a series on rider technique for H&H subscribers, international event rider Alex Postolowsky sets out three exercises to improve your stability in the saddle
It’s never a bad idea to add targeted training exercises for rider balance into your schooling, but the good news is that it’s quite straight forward to take working on your balance in the saddle that step further.
Five-star eventer Alex Postolwsky says that working on your balance little and often, both on and off the horse, is something every one can make time for.
“It can feel impossible to fit in a half-hour workout, especially for someone with a full-time job as well as horses,” she admits.
“But you can take the pressure off by making balance part your routine. I have one of those balance pods, about six inches in diameter, next to my kettle. I stand on it while I make a cup of tea just to target my ankle mobility and balance, or I’ll sit on an exercise ball while I watch telly.
“Five minutes here and there doesn’t seem as daunting as a 30-minute session.”
A balance pod – or wobble cushion – is useful around the house to improve your balance when you have an idle moment.
(Image credit: Alamy)
Homework taken care of, what can you do on the horse? According to Alex, incorporating training exercises for rider balance into your sessions isn’t just simple; it’s also important.
“I still feel I should dedicate more time to it, and I ride several horses every day!” she says.
Alex talks us through some easy training exercises for rider balance on the flat, using poles and over fences.
Flat exercise: ride like a jockey
Focus on: relaxing the knees, fine-tuning aids
“Years ago, I remember Yogi Breisner saying that the best thing you can do for balance is jacking up your stirrups as high as you dare,” says Alex.
How to do it
With your stirrups as short as you can – think jumping length at the very longest – adopt a forward seat with the weight into your legs, your seat out of the saddle and your head up with your eyes looking ahead.
“Think gallop position,” advises Alex.
Ride transitions, first between walk and halt and, then as you gain confidence, between walk, trot and canter, while maintaining your out of the saddle position.
For greater stability, you can rest your hands on the horse’s wither or bridge your reins if needed, but ultimately you’re aiming to do this without leaning on the horse’s neck, falling forward or collapsing back into the saddle.
Put your stirrups up and practise riding in a forward seat in all paces, starting with finding your balance in walk.
(Image credit: Emma Herrod Photography)
How it helps
“The first thing most riders do to balance is grip with their knees,” explains Alex. “I find that asking for transitions stops this, because you need to relax your knees to use your lower leg.”
She adds that many riders fall back in the saddle at first until they master their balance and achieve better harmony with their horse.
“A lot of riders lean back to slow down,” continues Alex. “You see it in this exercise in a trot-walk transition. Or they throw their lower leg forward and, again, they fall back.
“This exercise encourages the rider to isolate their rein aid and use it more effectively, because if you put your bodyweight into the rein, you just fall back into the saddle.”
Pole exercise: walk without stirrups
Focus on: rider mobility, following the horse’s movement
Alex says some riders can be a little hasty in taking their stirrups away.
“You need to have the relaxation, flexibility and mobility to get the best out of it; otherwise you can end up gripping with your knees too much.
“Or, it can make a rider stiffer; they brace because they’re not capable of absorbing the movement.”
The solution? Stick to walk, but use raised ground poles to add extra lift into the horse’s step.
Using raised poles increases the demands of this no-stirrups walking exercise. Start with just one pole and build up.
(Image credit: Emma Herrod Photography)
How to do it
Cross your stirrups over the pommel, pulling the buckle slightly away from the stirrup bar first if necessary. Get comfortable with riding over a single, slightly raised pole in walk.
Set out at least three poles at a suitable walk distance. If you’re aiming for the horse to step over each pole in turn, then a distance of between three and four human pigeon steps (toe-to-heel) is about right. If you want to make it easier, then increase the distance appropriately so the horse can take a couple of steps between each pole (as shown above).
Ride in an active walk down the centre of the poles, focusing on allowing your hips, thighs and lower back to mirror your horse’s back as their barrel swings from side to side, while maintaining the activation of your core muscles to remain tall and elegant in the saddle.
Raise the poles, either at alternate ends or both ends of each pole.
“The poles shouldn’t be higher than your horse’s fetlocks,” says Alex.
Repeat, maintaining the yielding feeling through your hips as your horse’s steps become more exaggerated.
How it helps
“Because there isn’t much speed or force involved, it’s a great way of helping riders understand how much relaxation and mobility they need to follow their horse’s movement,” explains Alex.
“The raised poles especially show how much you need to swing from side to side, and let go through your lower back and hip flexors.
“Many riders think they need to hold themselves still, but that’s the worst thing you can do. The best riders look so harmonious not because they’re completely still, but they’re able to absorb their horse’s movement.”
Jumping exercise: gridwork
Focus on: speeding up reactions, improving harmony over a fence
“Gridwork is one of the best schooling exercises for balance,” says Alex. “You can work with what you’ve got, but if you don’t have a huge arena there are options.
“I hire out my local equestrian centre to build a longer grid. Bounces (four yards) and one-stride distances (seven to eight yards) work best.”
It is recommended you start with your stirrups at a comfortable length. As you get more skilled, you can try adjusting them to a shorter length, or crossing them over in front of the saddle.
A grid made up of a mix of bounces and one-stride distances can be really beneficial for speeding up reactions and improving harmony.
(Image credit: Emma Herrod Photography)
How to do it
1. Set up a line of fences on bounce or one-stride distances, or a mixture of both. At least four fences is ideal. Take note of place poles and ensure you can approach on both reins, which could mean in both directions if you set the grid up to the side rather than down the middle of the arena
2. Build the grid slowly as your horse warms up, keeping the height of fences manageable.
3. As you tackle the grid, aim for straightness, with equal weight in both stirrups (if you’re using them), and look ahead.
4. You don’t need to fold dramatically over the jumps, just slide your hips and bottom back, keep your hands low and your shoulders up.
A horse owner and rider with more than 20 years experience, Bethany has been writing for equestrian publications since 2017. Over the course of her career, she has reported from major British Riding Clubs and British Dressage championships, covered Badminton Horse Trials and interviewed equestrian sport’s best athletes. Her work can also be found in Country Life, The Field and Breathe magazine.
