Welcome back, riders! I’m Danielle Pooles from Dressage Plus, and in today’s 95th Unstoppable Equestrian video blog we’re focusing on a powerful but often overlooked skill: dressage rider body awareness. This week’s rider habit is a simple seat exercise you can use to build awareness, release tension, and create calm focus in your rides.
Why Body Awareness Matters in Riding
Dressage rider body awareness is essential for every dressage rider. Our horses feel everything—our tension, nerves, focus, and relaxation. If we carry fear, overthinking, or anxiety in our bodies, our horses will reflect that back to us. Equally, when we’re calm and relaxed, our horses soften and mirror that energy. Developing awareness of what’s happening in your body gives you the power to adjust and ride with clarity and confidence.
The Seat Exercise: Tense and Release
Here’s a simple but incredibly effective exercise to bring awareness into your riding:
- When you get in the saddle, consciously tense your seat muscles (your bottom).
- Then, fully relax them.
- Repeat a few times and notice the difference.
Even now, while sitting or standing, try tensing and relaxing your seat muscles. Many riders are surprised to discover that their seat was already tense without realising it. This exercise shines a spotlight on tension and allows you to let it go.
Why It Works
Your seat is one of the most powerful communication tools you have with your horse. When your seat is tense without release, your horse feels constant pressure—like you’re holding a half-halt forever. That leads to confusion, tension, or resistance. But when you bring awareness to your seat and give it moments of release, your horse responds with softness, relaxation, and trust.
This exercise isn’t just for nervous rides. Even on good days, it’s a fantastic way to get in the zone. By checking in with your body, you bring yourself back to the present moment, out of your head, and into your ride.
Adding Pelvic Floor Awareness
You can take the exercise further by including your pelvic floor. Activate it gently, then release. This builds awareness of how much control you have in your seat, and it reminds you of the importance of relaxation as well as activation. Without release, your horse never receives the “soften” signal they need to move freely.
Using the Exercise in Real Rides
Try this exercise:
- At the start of your ride, while walking around.
- In the warm-up before a competition test.
- Any time nerves or “what if” thoughts creep in.
It’s also a great tool mid-test—when the bell rings or at the start of a show jumping round. A quick seat release grounds you, centres your focus, and calms your horse. Many riders also find it useful on trail rides to relax both themselves and their horses.
How Dressage Rider Body Awareness Builds Confidence
The goal of exercises like this isn’t just physical—it’s mental. By regularly practising, you teach yourself to shift from an anxious, overthinking state into a calm, focused, and present state. That’s when your riding feels easy, your aids are clear, and your horse can perform at their best. It’s the key to finding “the zone” more often in your rides.
Further Reading
If you’d like to explore more about dressage rider body awareness and its impact on performance, I recommend this article from Horse Sport – Better Dressage Through Body Awareness.
Want More Tips Like This?
If you enjoyed this habit, you’ll find more simple, powerful rider habits in my other Dressage Mindset Blogs. And if you’d like structured support, check out my free Dressage Rider’s Competition Preparation Toolkit—packed with tools to calm nerves and ride with confidence.
Coming Next
In the next video, we explored The ‘What If’ Game Habit—a powerful tool for shifting negative thoughts into positive self talk.
