Whoa-Ga!

Few sports parallel each other the way horse riding and yoga do. The ‘stillness in motion’ of yoga equals the ‘effortless effort’ of riding. What we learn in the yoga studio can easily be transferred to the saddle. Balance is the biggest key to riding. Our horses feel and react to every move we make when we ride them, however subtle. Yoga teaches us how to recognize the unbalanced errors and correct them before we get on the horse.

Whoa-Ga! (TM) (rhymes with yoga) is a new riding and fitness program combining yoga and horseback riding. Unlike other yoga programs for equestrians, Whoa-ga riders use asanas while riding to control the horse’s gait and direction. From the waist down, riders use the asana, or posture along with the weight distribution that it demonstrates to manipulate the horse’s balance.

Floor exercises are beneficial for horseback riders to achieve balance and stretch. Yoga asanas are based on BKS Iyengar‘s yoga teaching technique, which is structurally based and helps the student slowly and correctly moved into each asana or pose. The program uses props to help achieve maximum benefit from the workout. For instance, a block is used to help students reach the floor to help the student experience the benefit of having that contact point. Another fun prop used in these exercises is the yoga ball. A 65cm yoga ball is about the same size as the barrel of a 15 hand horse. With it we can simulate movements we use while riding and understand how our weight distribution affects his and our balance. The yoga ball can be used indoors and gives us a great way to keep our muscles stretched for riding between rides and during the cold winter months.

This bareback riding technique is more comfortable for horse and rider and creates a softer contact point for the horse’s dorsal muscles. Softening the seat allows the horse’s back muscles to stretch and lower his head. Strengthening the rider’s balance helps her initiate the horse’s movements. Founder Cathy Reynolds explains:

Balance is the biggest key to riding. Our horse’s feel every move we make when we are  astride, and react to every unbalanced move however subtle. Yoga teaches us how to recognize the unbalanced errors and correct them before we get on the horse. With body awareness and balance we can clearly see where our weight is shifting and understand what our horse is feeling. These subtleties are affecting our horse’s confidence and behavior. How can we expect him to trust a person to guide him if he (the rider) can’t even manage his own weight? A balanced confident rider creates a balanced confident horse.

Cathy Reynolds is a career horseperson. She served two apprenticeships. The first was training thoroughbred racehorses. She also worked with riding instructor Gincy Bucklin, then studied therapeutic riding and has been double-certified by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) for regular and advanced disabilities. She is also certified as a yoga instructor by the AFIA. She lives in Vermont, USA.

Interested in scholarships? Contact me

While you surf this site listen to relaxing yoga music