Does Your Sitting Trot Let You Down?
By Joni Bentley
• Do you avoid sitting?
• Does your horse loose energy and slow down when you sit to the trot?
• Does he hollow and run faster?
• Do you tense your body to try and stop wobbling and bouncing?
• Does he go stiff and tense when you compete?
• Do you want to ride and school your horse in a way that feels good to you and creates great results?
• Do you want to help your horse overcome soundness or schooling problems – and to help yourself become a better rider?
It should be simple. But somehow, it’s not. There are any numbers of things that may be getting in your way.
• Perhaps your trainer puts too much emphasis on your horse's training and not enough on YOU.
• Maybe you haven’t found the time in your crowded schedule to attend regular dismounted training sessions.
• Or it could be that you just aren’t sure what you need – but you feel as if you’ve missed out on something very basic in your training.
Whatever it is that’s missing for you, you’re certain that riding – schooling your horse and yourself to work together as a team – shouldn’t be hit-and-miss, and certainly shouldn’t be harsh or cruel.
Welcome to Joni Bentley Training - and welcome to making a real difference in your riding!
How does the Bentley Technique work? That’s a big question but here is a tiny taster.
Step 1
How to raise your forehand using your breath.
Find your pubic bone and breathe deeply through your nose directing your breath all the way up the front of your spine where your head sits - between your ears and behind your nose. As your breathing starts to activate your spine your rib cage will lift, your shoulders will slide down your back naturally and your ribs and your forehand will elevate without tension. This exercise also helps you to remember to breathe whilst riding.
Step 2
Engage your back muscles
Once you have activated the front of your spine and gained more length through the front of your body you can add step 2.
1. Look up and back to find a spot on the ceiling - without straining - then return to neutral. Look down towards the floor and find spot so you can compare your flexibility at the end of the exercise.
2. Sit on the front of your seat, fold forward and let your upper body relax down to the ground. Stay in this position for a few minutes until you start to feel some of the tension release. Notice if there is any tension in your back, neck, shoulders and head.
3. Place hands - fingers interlocked - behind your head. Look up then back to neutral 6 times. Rest, and then do another 2 rounds.
4. Now look down and back to neutral 6 times. Rest.
Then repeat steps 3 and 4 twice.
Now without your hands on your head look up and down and find the original spots you marked out at the beginning of the exercise and notice how much further you can see both above and below you. Simple!
Step 3
Lower your quarters
• Let your heels sink towards the ground, do not force them down, just let gravity do the work for you. Let them release down slowly whilst becoming aware of your ankles, the back of your calves, the back of your knees, your seat bones and your hamstring insertion points.
• Be aware of how your right and left foot are contacting the stirrups. Is your stirrup contact even? Allow your heels to gently sink down a little further. Rest.
• Repeat the exercise again. Be aware of the areas where tension is being held in the rest of your body- neck, shoulders, front of the ankles, calves, the backs of your knees and the front of your hips.
Rest.
It takes a few dismounted sessions to really get this going but eventually these 3 directions will give you a powerful well toned, supple seat in sitting trot and put a spring in the horse's step.
Very soon, you’ll have the opportunity to attend dismounted night school virtual riding classes in your area – at just £10 per session when you sign up for the 10 lesson term. (£15 a class if you take them individually.)
Each session includes a video describing the evening’s focus – you’ll see the exercise being ridden, and understand what it means for you and your horse and why you are doing the dismounted exercise.
Then Joni Bentley or a knowledgeable Bentley Training-certified teacher will lead you through dismounted exercises with bridles, bits, and other practice equipment, showing you exactly how your actions create your horse’s reactions and responses.
You’ll experience for yourself what you need to do to become a better partner and trainer for your horse - and for yourself.
The ten-week programme includes:
• Achieving perfect feeling contact with your horse’s mouth.
• Engaging your quarters and lightening your forehand – while riding perfect transitions.
• Bending equally on both reins.
• Stretching your stiff side and strengthening your weak side. (See the free video sample at www.jonibentley.co.uk for exercises you can use today!)
• Breathing deeply whilst riding – and why it’s important.
• Riding perfect 10, 15, and 20-metre circles.
• Riding a perfect shallow loop – no matter what the size.
• Riding perfect serpentines (including circles).
• Riding a perfect figure-8 – of any size.
• Riding a dressage test of your own choice.
Interested in knowing more? Email me today www. jonibentley.co. uk or call 07771811561 for a chat or to reserve a spot in the first local-to-you class!
Interested in becoming a Joni Bentley Training night school teacher?
You’re an experienced trainer, teacher, or therapist … and you’ve been looking for a better way to help your clients.
You want to be a teacher and care about the horses and riders you work with.
You want a way to help them resolve soundness and schooling problems that’s gentle, humane, enjoyable, and smart.
This night school teacher training programme prepares you to lead students through the Joni Bentley dismounted Virtual riding Night School with video and experiential exercises.
It shares with you the most enlightened training tools available today for horse and rider: a powerful combination of Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, and classical horsemanship.
If you believe in the partnership between horse and rider … this programme is your opportunity to make a difference in the often hit-and-miss, often cruel world of horse-and-rider training.
The three-month programme consists of two four-day and one two-day intensive workshops with me, Joni Bentley.
You will also be required to produce video assessment and assignments during the course.
If you are not an experienced teacher we have a training course for you too email me for more details.
I am also available to teach private lessons in your area. I will work at the pace and speed you and your horse are comfortable with. Without pressure riders are free to enjoy learning one thing at a time until they uncover their own personal winning formula.
Interested? Call now to enrol. 07771811561
To find out more about my new DVDs and watch video previews go to my website www.jonibentley.co.uk Or call for a chat Tel 01442 402756 mobile 07771 811561
Joni Bentley: Originator of The Bentley Technique. Qualified B.H.S. horse trainer, Classical dressage trainer, Alexander technique teacher, NLP practitioner, Ergonomic saddle fitter for ultimate human and equine performance and comfort. The Bentley Technique is a combination of the Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais and classical horse training. It focuses on realigning the horse and riders spine for ultimate health and well being.
