Lisa Croft - Progressive Equitation
Many riders, particularly in dressage, are taught to focus on their hands, the contact, and the outline of the horse. But there’s a subtle pattern I see time and time again that has far-reaching consequences: the inward rotation of the hands.
When riders turn their fists inward, even slightly, it often sets off a chain reaction through the body. The forearms rotate, the shoulders follow, and suddenly the chest narrows. As the shoulders roll forward, the rider’s posture changes in a way that’s easy to miss but significant in effect. The core, instead of being engaged and supportive, begins to “drop.”
This isn’t about strength in the traditional sense. It’s about alignment and functional stability. A dropped core means the rider is no longer able to effectively stabilise their trunk, and this impacts the seat. The pelvis loses its neutral balance, and the rider becomes less able to follow the horse’s movement.
From the horse’s perspective, this shift is anything but subtle. The change in the rider’s balance and tone alters the signals they receive through the saddle and reins. Often, we see horses respond with tension, loss of rhythm, or difficulty maintaining a consistent connection. What might feel like a problem in the horse is frequently rooted in the rider’s posture and coordination.
By simply bringing awareness to hand position and allowing the hands to return to a more neutral orientation, riders can help realign their shoulders, lift through the chest, and re-engage their core in a functional way. This creates a more stable, elastic seat, which in turn allows the horse to move more freely and correctly.
In equitation science, we look at these patterns not as faults, but as learned motor habits that can be reshaped with awareness and practice. Small changes in the rider’s organisation can have profound effects on the horse’s way of going.
There’s a beautifully simple thread running through equitation science that often gets overlooked in the search for “better riding”: Calmness is not a starting point, it is an outcome.
Work in learning theory reminds us that what we often label as relaxation is actually constructed through predictability.
When we strip it right back, the pathway becomes almost mathematical in its clarity:
Rhythm = consistency of speed and response
Consistency = predictability
Predictability = reduced anxiety
Reduced anxiety = calmness
In practice, rhythm is not just about tempo. It is about the horse being able to anticipate what comes next because the aids, responses, and outcomes are coherent and stable. That predictability removes the need for defensive arousal. The nervous system can settle because the environment makes sense.
So when we “establish rhythm,” we are not simply organising movement. We are quietly building emotional stability through behavioural clarity.
For practitioners, this shifts the goal. Not “create calmness,” but “create conditions where calmness becomes the logical consequence of predictability.”
It’s elegant science, and even more elegant horsemanship.
When we apply this to lunging, the picture becomes even more transparent. On the circle, the horse has fewer spatial choices, so the quality of predictability is almost entirely determined by the handler. If speed fluctuates, if transitions are unclear, or if the aid system is inconsistent, rhythm dissolves and uncertainty rises.
But when the handler maintains a clear, repeatable communication loop, voice, body position, and timing of reinforcement, the circle becomes a moving framework of safety. The horse learns: the same cue produces the same outcome, every time. Within that consistency, the gait steadies, the tempo stabilises, and anxiety drops away.
Good lunging is therefore not about “holding” the horse in a frame. It is about constructing a predictable behavioural loop on the circle, where rhythm is protected moment to moment. Calmness is not asked for. It emerges.
Below featuring Michelle & Jade during their lesson yesterday
07/03/2026
FIRST, DO NO HARM - The Rider’s Responsibility
The idea of “Do No Harm” is a powerful ethical principle that reminds people to think before they act and avoid causing unnecessary damage to others. It is closely linked to the Hippocratic Oath, a long-standing medical pledge that pushes doctors to put patient safety first. Over time, the phrase has grown beyond hospitals and into everyday decision-making, challenging individuals and organizations to consider the ripple effects of their choices.
At its core, “Do No Harm” is about responsibility. It pushes people to pause and ask whether their actions will fix a problem or quietly make it worse. The principle encourages people to avoid actions that cause unnecessary damage and reminds them that just because something can be done does not always mean it should be. It also stresses the importance of thinking about consequences before acting, since every decision can affect others in ways that are not immediately obvious. Above all, it emphasizes placing safety and the wellbeing of others ahead of convenience or speed.
In simple terms, “Do No Harm” is a reminder that good intentions alone are not enough. What truly matters is the outcome, and the best decisions are the ones that solve problems without creating new ones.
When riding horses, the idea of “Do No Harm” means putting the horse’s welfare first in every decision you make. It also means paying attention to the horse’s physical and emotional condition. A responsible rider avoids pushing a horse beyond its limits, recognizes signs of discomfort, and adjusts their riding to keep the horse safe and healthy. In this way, “Do No Harm” reminds riders that good horsemanship is not just about control or performance, but about respect, care, and protecting the wellbeing of the horse.
Seen through the lens of “Do No Harm,” this approach raises an important question about how riders communicate with their horses. If a horse is being pushed forward by the legs while the hands pull back on the reins, the animal is trapped between mixed signals. Instead of moving in balance and understanding, the horse is simply trying to escape the pressure and caught between conflicting signals, trying desperately to make sense of what is being asked. The result is not self-carriage. It’s containment. True horsemanship asks riders to reconsider these methods and focus on clarity, softness, and patience, so the horse can move willingly rather than being forced into a shape. In that sense, “Do No Harm” becomes a reminder that the goal is not control through pressure, but partnership through understanding.
When a horse shortens its neck and closes its throat lash under pressure, the back stiffens, the ribcage sinks, and the shoulders lose freedom. The withers should lift, the ribs should open, and the horse should engage its body to carry the rider. Instead, tension and compensation take over. The horse looks “correct” to the human eye, but internally, it’s fighting for comfort.
Ride like this long enough, and the consequences pile up. Muscles meant to develop strength remain dormant while others brace in protest. Chronic tension runs through the neck and back, stride length shrinks, shoulder movement tightens, and forelimbs carry loads they weren’t built to bear. Fatigue, soreness, and even long-term soundness issues become a reality. Forcing a frame doesn’t create a strong horse. It builds a horse that survives the ride.
Think of it this way: if you went to the gym, you wouldn’t force your arms to curl a barbell without first building the muscles to do it. You wouldn’t expect strength to appear because you “looked strong” in the mirror while gripping the weight. You train progressively for core, shoulder, arm and leg strength until the lift feels effortless. Strength comes from repetition, correct form, and developing the right muscles over time, not from shortcuts or holding a pose. The same applies to a horse. Correct shape will develop only when the horse has the strength to carry itself. The outline is the consequence, not the goal.
Equitation Science makes this simple if you really think about it: a horse must have the strength to carry a rider comfortably while moving freely.
The rider’s job is not to hold the horse together, to sculpt a “frame,” or to chase visual perfection. It’s to create conditions for the horse to organise itself. When you focus on balance, relaxation, forward intent, and lightness of contact, the horse discovers posture on its own. Every coach and rider should operate with this principle in mind, placing the horse’s wellbeing at the centre of every training decision.
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