Did you know that one of the most powerful aids is actually your back? How can this be? Well there is a lot more to your back then just keeping it strait with your shoulders back. After many years of working with top instructors, I happened upon an equitation trainer, Bunny Graham who explained exactly that: how to use your back! You use your back to accomplish many things while riding, particularly to maintain impulsion while keeping the horse off of the forehand, to halt smoothly, to encourage a young horse to maintain balance, keep a light hand and seat, etc.
Visualize yourself riding in a two point position at the trot or canter. Your horse is beginning to speed up and flatten out. How can you use your back to correct this so you maintain a light hand? First, feel the energy coming up from your horse. Now, picture yourself sucking the energy in through your belly button and holding it in place with your lower back. You can lift your hands slightly while you do this, and you will feel your horse start to lift his back and rock back on his haunches again.
To test the results, relax your back and stomach muscles and feel the change in your horse.
To try this from the walk you can sit the walk. Then when you would like to halt, lift your hands slightly toward your belly button, feel the energy from your horse and suck it in through your belly button. This will cause you to hold your horse using your back, and at the same time sink your butt bones into your saddle and close your leg. Keep the hold on your reins so the horse knows to halt. He will halt on the haunches, raise his back, and then with you holding the contact, come down on the bit nicely.
I will post pictures soon which will help you see the process.
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