Deb and I are a little spicy in this episode, but we have both been there, done that, so what we share is not a judgement. Our intention is to point out what we see as fashions of riding that gravitate away from healthy movement in horses. It has become fashionable to look at tracking up as a sign of balance, that longer strides are always better than shorter strides for horses. The term impulsion has come to mean that faster is better, that energetically forward with quick tempos is the only way a horse can move correctly. But balance inherently shows us that imbalances can be caused by too much of anything. The fashion of faster or slower means better is what shifts competitive riding into movement that is no longer good for horses, no longer healthy, balanced movement. While the western pleasure world leans towards too slow and the dressage world leans towards too fast, both were originally intended to show, and build, balance in horses. Things just get unbalanced over time and turn into fashions instead of healthy movement.

Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.org

Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.kirstennelsen.com

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