{"id":18940,"date":"2026-01-19T23:04:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T23:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dtmembership.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=18940"},"modified":"2026-02-05T15:31:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T15:31:22","slug":"reduce-hidden-tension-to-relax-and-ride-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dressagetoday.com\/team-prac-answers\/reduce-hidden-tension-to-relax-and-ride-better\/","title":{"rendered":"Reduce Hidden Tension to Relax and Ride Better"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dressage Today is thrilled to announce that Dave Thind<\/a> is a member of\u00a0Team Prac! Team Prac<\/a>\u2014our group of top trainers representing dressage, hunters, jumpers and eventing\u2014is here to provide useful and impactful advice to help you improve your skills in the saddle and develop a harmonious partnership with your dressage horse. Have a training question? Sign up here to become a member of Dressage Today+<\/a> (for only $3.99 a month) to submit a question to our Team Prac dressage pros.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Hidden Tension Hinders Balance and Connection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Modern stressors can create hidden tension that disrupts our muscle balance and connection with our horses. Sometimes even when we think we\u2019re relaxed, chronic patterns can linger. The good news, however, is that by learning how to release stiffness and hit the reset button, you can restore harmony for a calmer, more balanced ride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Riders spend years chasing improvements\u2014hours of drilling exercises, training, making tweaks and corrections. But they never discover the often elusive, but fundamental principle that affects every ride: Your ability to engage your horse from behind to front, maintain collection and create a partnership that is joyful rather than tense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To ride smoothly, engage your horse from behind to front and promote self-carriage, we must follow with our seat, never blocking the flow of energy from back to front, creating the circle of aids in a flowing, wave-like movement. \u00a9Sandy Rabinowitz<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When your flexors and extensors work in harmony, your spine swings freely and your gaze guides your movement, you can unlock a capacity in yourself and your horse that transforms every ride, behavior and connection. Pain patterns\u2014backaches, neck tension, hip stiffness and even shoulder or jaw discomfort\u2014are often linked to imbalances in flexors and extensors. When these muscles aren\u2019t working in harmony, the body compensates with tension, rigidity and chronic discomfort that can make even your best riding days feel out of reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recalibrating flexors and extensors is not just about posture. It changes how your whole body moves, restoring freedom, reducing pain and allowing your nervous system to operate calmly and efficiently. The results can be profound: pain disappears, mobility returns and riding becomes effortless and joyful again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are You Overusing the Wrong Muscles?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many riders work harder than they need to\u2014not smarter. Other than flexors and extensors that are for smooth mobility, the body uses many other muscles and understanding them helps riders avoid common traps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stationary stabilizers<\/strong>: These are deep muscles designed to hold the joint in place, not move it. Many riders unknowingly over-recruit these when they try to sit \u201cstill,\u201d brace for balance or attempt to be correct. When stabilizers grip too hard, the pelvis stops moving, the back becomes rigid and the rider loses the ability to follow the horse\u2019s gait. Studies show that increased stabilizer tension directly reduces pelvic mobility and following ability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signs you\u2019re overusing your stabilizers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n