NOVEMBER 2013 THE RIDER /39


A Question of Imbalance: Can You Tell?


ing in balance or the lack there- of. We deliberate on the tech- niques we can use to resume balance – or better yet, stay in balance. But before we can problem-solve and correct, we need to know that the horse did, in fact, lose balance in the first place.


By Kathy Farrokhzad. We often obsess over rid-


notice a balanced horse while watching instead of riding, But at some point, it becomes essen- tial to be able to feel what is happening so that you can address it sooner than later.


tions as there are reasons why a horse has lost balance. For the purposes of this article, we are going to focus on how you can identify an imbalance. We hope the list will assist especially those who are new to riding, or to those who do not have pro- fessional help while they ride. It is sometimes easier to


ficult to tell the difference. As time goes on and you develop new “nerve endings” (not liter- ally – it’s just that you become more sensitive to certain feel- ings or situations), you begin to differentiate between what being in and out of balance feels like. It takes time and practice because each horse has his own way of going. Add spe- cific conformation and it’s no wonder that it might take sever- al years to identify the nuances that point to imbalance in the horse you are riding. There are as many solu-


In the beginning, it is dif- ance feel and look like? What does a loss of bal-


they tend to fall forward-down- ward in response to the pull of gravity. Thanks to their four legs, they rarely actually fall to the ground (under normal riding conditions). If you have a horse that trips or stumbles often, and you have already eliminated other possible physical and medical reasons, you might consider that he is being ridden off balance.


A trip or stumble. When horses lose balance,


reminds you of a plywood board? Horses that fall out of balance often have to tighten their backs to compensate for the being on the forehand. In general, these horses also feel particularly stiff or unrespon- sive. They might have irregular movement in each gait and may give you they impression that they are “hard mouthed”.


plywood back, the trot becomes stiffer and stiffer until it becomes very difficult to sit to. Guess what? This is another sign that your horse is off bal- ance.


think that a small moving horse is a good moving horse. We


Lack of movement. Sometimes it is easy to


A jarring sitting trot. Youch! Along with the


A tightening of the back. Ever felt a back that


often think that not moving feels good (because we don’t have to work as hard to stay with the horse). However, the horse must rely on his hind legs to support the weight of the forehand, and lack of stride length is a major con- tributor to imbalance. If the hind legs do not stride deeply underneath the body, the horse’s balance becomes com- promised.


one before. The horse that trots faster faster faster is without a doubt out of bal- ance. Leg movement is not the same thing as strong movement. Long, slower strides are always better bal- anced than shorter, choppier steps.


The sewing-machine trot. We’ve talked about this


canter. Horses that have diffi- culty making downward transi- tions, or half-halts within a gait, are often out of balance.


like a reluctant poll or hard mouth for disobedience when it is in fact the horse trying to manage his lack of balance as he moves along. Always work on improving balance when you feel a strong, unmoving jaw and poll.


Inconsistent contact. Have you ever felt your


“Hard mouth.” We can mistake what feels


A runaway canter. The same goes for the


ance.


with the diagonally-moving horse. Any type of lack of straightness (i.e. shoulder jut- ting out, horse leaning heavi- ly on your leg, etc.) con- tributes to lack of balance.


Lack of straightness. This goes hand in hand


reins go on-and-off even though you tried hard to maintain a steady contact? The cause may be the horse coming out of bal- ance rather than just your rein length or pressure.


more difficulty responding to aids. He tends to scramble and save himself but he might not be able to do what you want him to be doing. Slow down your requests and wait for his response. Increase impulsion but slow down the leg speed.


position that many horses carry. The neck protrudes out of the body in an awkward angle, low at the base of the neck and high at the poll. The giraffe neck is


“Giraffe neck.” This is a term for a neck


Unresponsiveness. An imbalanced horse has


usually stiff and it may be diffi- cult to get the horse to bend or look in the direction of travel.


against your outside aids and heads to the rails sideways is already out of balance.


Tight, falling to the inside turn or circle. The opposite is also true!


Many horses turn sharp into one direction, making tiny circles or tight, uncontrolled turns.


go up the rail. Does your horse “lean in” diagonally with the haunches pointing to the middle of the ring? Then he is off bal-


Horse travelling up the rail with the head and neck point- ing to the wall. Take a look next time you


Drifting to the outside. The horse that moves


straight (even on a turn) is criti- cal as is a loosening of the body, so that the tension may dissi- pate.


source of the imbalance, you can begin to work with your instructor on one or more meth- ods to improve you and your horse’s way of going. In the end, we want preserve our horse’s health and well-being over the long term.


Bio: Kathy Farrokhzad is an EC coach and writer of the blog, Horse Listening. If you liked what you read here, check out her blog at www.HorseListen- ing.com for many more articles about horses, riding and life in general.


Once you can identify the


The question now may be, what to do about the loss of balance? Although the solu- tions depend to a certain degree on how the imbalance came to be, the bottom line is that you want to get your horse using his hind end, lengthening his stride length. He cannot be too slow or too fast. The art of travelling


Explore Equine Practices on an International Level


Cross has an M.Sc in Neuroscience and a Ph.D in Neuroscience and Animal Behaviour, and has worked in the field of animal wel- fare for the past ten years. “This course is designed to encourage those involved with horses to develop their own views on the use of the horse in equine relat- ed areas and industries globally, and to develop their own ideas on how welfare may be improved in each sector,” says Cross.


the world, whether for pleasure riding or competition, kept as pets, or used for research, as working animals and in some countries, as food animals,” says course instructor Dr. Nicki Cross of the Min- istry of Agriculture and Forestry in New Zealand. “The versatility of the horse in all these sectors means that an in depth look into their welfare under these different conditions proves complex and stimulating.” As a result of being interested in animals from an early age,


Guelph’s Equine Welfare Certificate, this 12-week course will provide students with the opportunity to explore different practices of equine welfare used worldwide while focusing on the horse’s perspective. “Equines are used for a variety of different purposes around


By Barbara Sheridan Guelph, Ontario – September 27, 2013 – For many of us, the issue of global equine welfare can stir conflicting emotions. What may appear to be lack of common sense to us, can be regarded as a commonly accepted practice to others. What better way to learn about the issues of welfare for horses than by travelling the globe with Equine Guelph’s new online course, Global Perspectives in Equine Welfare. Offered in January, 2014 for the first time as part of Equine


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In in-depth look into the current issues of wild horse management is just one of the many topics that will be explored in the Equine Guelph’s Global Perspectives in Equine Welfare.


horse management, working horses in developing countries, racing and sport horse practices, and slaughter legislation and will learn to compare standards of equine management practice in Canada, the U.S. and worldwide. Upon completion of this course, students will have a good knowledge of the issues affecting equines global- ly, which will enhance their skills in the contribution to the fast


Students will also examine current issues regarding wild


at the University of Guelph. It is a unique partnership dedicated to the health and well-being of horses, supported and overseen by equine industry groups. Equine Guelph is the epicenter for academia, industry and government – for the good of the equine industry as a whole. For further information, visit www.equineguelph.ca.


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