I am sure you are all laughing. Of course you breath when you ride, duh! But I am talking about really controlled breathing and the very interesting inner focus you get when you do it. Does anyone have any experience with this?

I got started with this when my trainer suggested controlled breathing as part of a halt exercise. She suggested that I concentrate on exhaling as a way to relax and focus on the halt. I'd done this before and it works. After 2 or 3 tries, my halt was almost perfect; a nice balanced, stop in the general vicinity of the dime of my choice. But even thought I had tried this in the past, this time it was different. More remarkable than the actual halt (which was quite nice) was they way that I felt connected with my horse during the halt. It was an experience.

I have only been playing with the idea of controlled breathing as a component of riding for a few weeks, but I am seeing amazing results. It feels like I have stumbled across something. Think about the process of a halt. One of the most important things you need to accomplish a really fine halt is motion. Another element, if exhaling is part of a halt, is inhaling. By figuring out, at any given speed, when you need to inhale, the halt becomes an extension of breathing. Inhale, exhale, hey, I'm not moving. I used to think of a halt as a fixed action, as becoming stopped.

Now the time and distance it takes to halt is much longer and it involves much more sustained motion before the motion ends. This halt is also much more peaceful and relaxed and, more often than not, square. It feels like are real completion.

This is almost more yoga on horseback than Zen dressage, but I've just started working and investigating this. If I have a truly brilliant epiphany, I'll let you know.

TTFN - Sheri and her wonder horse, Andy the Shire.

P.S. Zen in Dressage, brilliant idea! There is so much of riding that is mental and emotional. I have been riding regularly for 9 months, after a 10 year break from riding, and my physical abilities are finally catching up with mental abilities. Thank you for your timing in creating this list!

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