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Fingers, Ribs, Forefeet
Three things

This week we're doing 'Self-carriage' in my Progressions Program.

The concept I'm playing with is the correlations between fingers, ribs, and forefeet.  When you activate a finger, it provides support - aka lift, to specific ribs.

Here's an example exercise:

  1. do this sequence 4x:
    1. 4 steps activated little finger and noticing lift in ribs 1 & 2 
    2. 4 steps w/ 'normal' walk 
  2. do this sequence 4x:
    1. 4 steps activated little finger and noticing lift in ribs 1 & 2
    2. followed by 4 steps activated ring finger and noticing lift in ribs 3 & 4 
    3. 4 steps w/ 'normal' walk
  3. do this sequence 4x:
    1. 4 steps activated little finger and noticing lift in ribs 1 & 2
    2. followed by 4 steps activated ring finger and noticing lift in ribs 3 & 4 
    3. followed by 4 steps activated middle finger and noticing lift in ribs 5 & 6
    4. 4 steps w/ 'normal' walk 
  4. do this sequence 4x:
    1. 4 steps activated little finger and noticing lift in ribs 1 & 2
    2. followed by 4 steps activated ring finger and noticing lift in ribs 3 & 4 
    3. followed by 4 steps activated middle finger and noticing lift in ribs 5 & 6
    4. followed by 4 steps activated index finger and noticing lift in ribs 7, 8, 9, & 10
    5. 4 steps w/ 'normal' walk 
  5. do this sequence 4x:
    1. 4 steps activated little finger and noticing lift in ribs 1 & 2
    2. followed by 4 steps activated ring finger and noticing lift in ribs 3 & 4 
    3. followed by 4 steps activated middle finger and noticing lift in ribs 5 & 6
    4. followed by 4 steps activated index finger and noticing lift in ribs 7, 8, 9, & 10
    5. followed by 4 steps activated thumb and noticing lift in ribs 11 & 12
    6. 4 steps w/ 'normal' walk

Then I add in awareness of the fore hoof connected w/ the ground at the same time and how that connects back up into the horse's spiny process.  After a while I check in on how this can be also done in conjunction w/ a 'coffee press' of colored coffee grounds to correlate to lowering my center of gravity and signal the gait.   I can also 'ripple through the fingers.'  There are many ways to play with it.   

Here's the same exercise in pictures:

1 for 4 strides, do this, then walk 4 normal strides:
2 for 4 strides, do this, then walk 4 normal strides:
3 for 4 strides, do this, then walk 4 normal strides:
4 for 4 strides, do this, then walk 4 normal strides:
5 for 4 strides, do this, then walk 4 normal strides:



Another thing to play with is 'how much of this can be accomplished without using the reins?'

have fun!  And if you find this interesting, there is more where this came from! 

L

ps: The '4 steps' is an idea of how long to ask for something and observe whether or not it creates a response in the horse.  

 
Copyright © 09/12/2016 Lynn S. Larson 

Are you looking for something more in your riding?  Something that really connects the inside and the outside?
I've studied horse and human anatomy for twenty five years.  I started with Centered Riding and that is solidly based upon how bodies work and how brains process information.  I know Alexander, Feldenkrais, Trigger Point, myofascial, Ortho-bionomy, and more recently how to develop resistance training programs.  I've done yoga for more than forty years, studied (and used) the chakra and meridian systems for over twenty.  Sometimes I don't go into theory because in the middle of a lesson it would detract from the practical learning of how to ride, but I do clinics where I share this information along with how to incorporate it into your training program.  And if you really don't mind listening to me yak forever, I can easily do that during a lesson, too.  It's just most folks want to ride!  

 

 
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