Ruby's Blog - Paying attention to YOUR body (true bend and counter bend)

 

Welcome to Blinkbonnie to Ruby!

Ruby is joining the Blinkbonnie team in 2025 as a live-in team member while studying for her undergraduate degree at Monash university. She brings her young filly Marelda with her from Northern NSW. 

Ruby has previously interned with an Ecole de Legerete teacher in Canada during her 2024 Gap Year (Ruby in this picture is riding her friend Zohra's horse Onyx while there). 

Ruby will be contributing Blog posts documenting her experiences with "Legerete at Blinkbonnie" as well as Theory Snippets.

Paying attention to YOUR body (true bend and counter bend)

Today Mango and I were working on true bend and counter bend and really honing in on the aids for these exercises. 

What I came to realise throughout the lesson was that I was actually blocking Mango from doing the exercise properly by not looking in the direction of his bend. 

Although this seems like an insignificant piece; the truth is that your body follows your eyes, with your body mirroring the horse it is easier for the horse to maintain their position and balance. Indeed if you are meticulous in following with your seat it can start to feel like the horse's body starts to follow yours when you make a change to your weight or position. 

This is particularly important in counter bend as I tend to want to look to my next point of direction rather than following the subtle crossing motions of the horse's shoulders and looking through their ears as they bend to the outside. By adjusting this, the changes of bend and balance in the exercises we were using; Serpentines in true bend and counter bend and the Bow Tie, became much easier! 

Ultimately, your eyes generally dictate your body and thus the correct (or incorrect) aid can be produced as simply as adjusting your gaze.

Ruby Kesztler - Team Member, Blinkbonnie Equestrian Centre