Lena wrote in last weeks posting about the horse's inherent asymmetry and it is something that also applies to us humans.
When you lie on your back with books under your head and on a relatively hard surface, you have every opportunity to familiarize yourself with your own asymmetry. What you should pay attention to is the weight-bearing points that are in contact with the surface; the back of the head on the books and the contact the shoulder- blades, sacrum and soles of your feet have with the surface.
If you have done your homework you've had 10 occasions to check yourself. Does your head tend to fall to one side or the other? Is one shoulder blade against the floor while the other is lifted off the surface? Are your weight more on the tip of the tailbone than on the upper part of the sacrum? Is your lower back arched in such a way that you easily can slide your hand inbetween the back and the floor? Are both the inside and the outside rim of the feet in contact with the floor? Does your feet stay on the floor or do they tend to slide off away from you? Do you have as much weight on the left and right diagonal (scapula - sacrum)?
Now I want to emphasize that perception is more important than perfection! I do not think you can be 100% equilateral, the importance of this work is to become more aware of yourself and your asymmetry. That knowledge allows you to know when you need to be more focused on the Means-Where-By so that you and the horse are properly prepared in riding different excersises.
For the next period of homework, I like to give you some tips and hints to bring the process further forward.
If the head tends to tilt to one side it is often due to the muscles on that side being more contracted. One way to help yourself to keep your head still in a neutral position is to make use of your eyes. Aim at a point midway between the knees up towards the ceiling, keep looking in that direction.
If one shoulder-blade is kept a little above the floor I have a personal favorite. Place your arms straight out sideways from the body (you will be like a cross). Be aware of that the muscles of the arms can be shortened so there may be a reason to have pillows to rest the forearm against in the beginning.
When you want to bring your arms back to rest your hands on your belly or the iliac crest it is important that you do not lift your arms off the floor but allow them to slide on the surface toward the body. Keep track of how the movment affects the shoulder, elbow and wrist, if you notice any muscle tension, pause - become active passive (inhibit) - and continue with the movement when the tension has subsided.
If you easily get your hand under your lower back I urge you not to press down the back towards the floor. It is far better to place the lower legs (calf) on a chair seat or sofa in order to free the torso completely from the weight of the leg and allow the muscles in the leg to disengage.
If your feet tend to slip away or you have an uneven contact between the inside and outside of the foot, focus on your knees, make sure they always have a direction straight up toward the ceiling.
Breath, notice your own breathing, were does the breathing become visible in you? Where is your chest influenced?
“When anything is pointed out, our only idea is to go from wrong to right; in spite of the fact that it has taken us years to get to wrong we try to get right in a moment.” F M Alexander
Showing posts with label means-where-by. Show all posts
Showing posts with label means-where-by. Show all posts
Thursday, 15 September 2011
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Different models for keeping horses
At a scientific kitchen table conference, I got the book Hidden Horses by Mark Hanson put in my hands. It is an interesting read about the shared history of horse and man, how we worked together over the years and how horses have improved our lives. In his book Mark urges us, now when the horses in our part of the world no longer is the difference between life and death, to really make an effort to give our horses a "horsey life" during the hours we do not use them.
Mark presents four models of horse keeping that defines our relationship to horses, there are no solid walls between them. We can in various degrees be influenced by them and I do think that we can recognize ourselves (and others!) in them.
The Utility model:
The model is based on tradition, history and the culture in which horses were made “useful”. They could play a part in warfare, in agriculture, in industry. In our Western culture the horse was a kept for a reason and few individuals were kept just for pleasure.
Horses played a significant role in the military and that affects the key ingredients for utility model, that is control (via the reins, bits, proper seat), dominance and discipline. Dressage competitions are traces of that era in which horse and rider's performance is assessed based on predetermined ideals of obedience and control through gaites and turnes in geometric patterns. Western riding also falls into the utility model: the horse was expected to do a job on the ranch.
Professions such as veterinarians, farriers, trainers, agronomists are often trained with the utility model as a basis for their education.
A brief summary of the utility model:
* Horse is defined by what it is to be used for, everything that falls out of this definition is irrelevant (unless it would increase the horse's performance)
* the model is simple, straightforward, practical and effective, based on "things that work" even though it may be a question of beliefs rather than knowledge in certain situations
* the model is created by men for men, it is rigid and difficult to change
* The horse has nothing to say in this model and many horses fall-out early
The Anthropomorphic model:
Anthropomorphism is a term coined during 1700 to describe how people look for human characteristics in animals, plants, and phenomena such as storms. The model is interpreting the horse's behavior in terms of human behavior.
According to Mark, this model is the most dangerous threat to horses and people in the world today, even though it is based on human qualities as benevolence and kindness.
In this model there are four rules.
1, Anthropomorphism is alway rewardig for the human
2, the more like the human environment we can make the horse's environment, the more we feel like we take care of it
3, because it is rewarding to the human in itself the feedback for humans is strong in the model
4, despite the best intentions the model may often have the opposite effect on the horse.
Significant features of this model are shopping (treats, compound feed, blankets and other equipment), an overly protective attitude that prevents the horse from being in the paddock with other horses, being out in rough weather, and forces it to be covered for long periods of the year. The horse is completely dependent on the owner's personal beliefs about what is best for the horse, often based more on others' perceptions and sometimes pure misunderstandings than facts.
For the horse does this model include increased risk of obesity, laminitis, stress and various behavioral disorders.
The Horsemanship model:
This model Mark sees as a step forward in keeping and training horses. The model focuses on communication rather than control of the horse, something the previous models are based on.
The disadvantage of this model is that it is a system which, like other systems (utilitylmodel), do not adapt to the individual. The downside is that the horse learns “compliance" instead of wanting to be a active part of the training. Mark points out that horses are trained by this method easily learns to look for "the easy way out/the minimum effort" to get the release from the pressure that the trainer uses.
The origin of this model comes from how horses behave towards each other, where the threat and submissiveness is an important part in the daily life of the heard. What distinguishes the horses' use of these method is that when the high ranked horse has presented her threat and the low ranked horse has yielded there is all there is to it.
When we are training the horse by this method we will continue our threat during the time we train and we do not stop when the horse "yields" the first time but instead progress to the next exercise. One obvious danger with this model is that the trainer can easily create a horse that turns off.
The Natural Horse Keeping model:
The last model is the one that Mark advocates. In that model, he wants the horse to be in paddocks that stimulates the horse to walk and eat and to be part of a heard. The feeding is based on the fact that the horse digest food through microbiotic fermentation. It should be covered as late as possible and the blanked should be removed as soon as possible. The equipment must be suited for the job the horse will do and with no auxilliary reins.
The training of the horse is done through 'positive reinforcement, clicker training, where the horse learns to actively seek to do what leads to the reward (Mark stresses that the goal is that the horse will learn to work for the click and the sweet becomes secondary).
I have taken myself to the horsemanshipmodellen and I find it interesting to read about what Mark describes as the next level in the relationship horse-human. I can agree with what he writes about how we can improve the horse's environment.There is plenty of room for improvement for many horses in Sweden today.
Clicker training as opposed to horsemanship then? My own experience comes from horsemanship, I have not myself tried clicker training. However, I have seen good and bad effects of both kinds. When it comes to training models, I believe in what he says about system in general - namely, that they can leave the individual behind and that goes for both man and horse.
I personally believe that we could become more "means where by" focused in our training of the horse (and ourselves), be aware of our desired goals and humbled by the journey. If we manage that I think we can work together as two happy individuals.
PST!
In response to post about BT-circumference, here is a link to a page that gives more information.
"There really is a hidden horse in our horses, it is sometimes a little strange anf always rather wonderful and it is waiting for you to discover it."
Mark Hanson
Mark presents four models of horse keeping that defines our relationship to horses, there are no solid walls between them. We can in various degrees be influenced by them and I do think that we can recognize ourselves (and others!) in them.
The Utility model:
The model is based on tradition, history and the culture in which horses were made “useful”. They could play a part in warfare, in agriculture, in industry. In our Western culture the horse was a kept for a reason and few individuals were kept just for pleasure.
Horses played a significant role in the military and that affects the key ingredients for utility model, that is control (via the reins, bits, proper seat), dominance and discipline. Dressage competitions are traces of that era in which horse and rider's performance is assessed based on predetermined ideals of obedience and control through gaites and turnes in geometric patterns. Western riding also falls into the utility model: the horse was expected to do a job on the ranch.
Professions such as veterinarians, farriers, trainers, agronomists are often trained with the utility model as a basis for their education.
A brief summary of the utility model:
* Horse is defined by what it is to be used for, everything that falls out of this definition is irrelevant (unless it would increase the horse's performance)
* the model is simple, straightforward, practical and effective, based on "things that work" even though it may be a question of beliefs rather than knowledge in certain situations
* the model is created by men for men, it is rigid and difficult to change
* The horse has nothing to say in this model and many horses fall-out early
The Anthropomorphic model:
Anthropomorphism is a term coined during 1700 to describe how people look for human characteristics in animals, plants, and phenomena such as storms. The model is interpreting the horse's behavior in terms of human behavior.
According to Mark, this model is the most dangerous threat to horses and people in the world today, even though it is based on human qualities as benevolence and kindness.
In this model there are four rules.
1, Anthropomorphism is alway rewardig for the human
2, the more like the human environment we can make the horse's environment, the more we feel like we take care of it
3, because it is rewarding to the human in itself the feedback for humans is strong in the model
4, despite the best intentions the model may often have the opposite effect on the horse.
Significant features of this model are shopping (treats, compound feed, blankets and other equipment), an overly protective attitude that prevents the horse from being in the paddock with other horses, being out in rough weather, and forces it to be covered for long periods of the year. The horse is completely dependent on the owner's personal beliefs about what is best for the horse, often based more on others' perceptions and sometimes pure misunderstandings than facts.
For the horse does this model include increased risk of obesity, laminitis, stress and various behavioral disorders.
The Horsemanship model:
This model Mark sees as a step forward in keeping and training horses. The model focuses on communication rather than control of the horse, something the previous models are based on.
The disadvantage of this model is that it is a system which, like other systems (utilitylmodel), do not adapt to the individual. The downside is that the horse learns “compliance" instead of wanting to be a active part of the training. Mark points out that horses are trained by this method easily learns to look for "the easy way out/the minimum effort" to get the release from the pressure that the trainer uses.
The origin of this model comes from how horses behave towards each other, where the threat and submissiveness is an important part in the daily life of the heard. What distinguishes the horses' use of these method is that when the high ranked horse has presented her threat and the low ranked horse has yielded there is all there is to it.
When we are training the horse by this method we will continue our threat during the time we train and we do not stop when the horse "yields" the first time but instead progress to the next exercise. One obvious danger with this model is that the trainer can easily create a horse that turns off.
The Natural Horse Keeping model:
The last model is the one that Mark advocates. In that model, he wants the horse to be in paddocks that stimulates the horse to walk and eat and to be part of a heard. The feeding is based on the fact that the horse digest food through microbiotic fermentation. It should be covered as late as possible and the blanked should be removed as soon as possible. The equipment must be suited for the job the horse will do and with no auxilliary reins.
The training of the horse is done through 'positive reinforcement, clicker training, where the horse learns to actively seek to do what leads to the reward (Mark stresses that the goal is that the horse will learn to work for the click and the sweet becomes secondary).
I have taken myself to the horsemanshipmodellen and I find it interesting to read about what Mark describes as the next level in the relationship horse-human. I can agree with what he writes about how we can improve the horse's environment.There is plenty of room for improvement for many horses in Sweden today.
Clicker training as opposed to horsemanship then? My own experience comes from horsemanship, I have not myself tried clicker training. However, I have seen good and bad effects of both kinds. When it comes to training models, I believe in what he says about system in general - namely, that they can leave the individual behind and that goes for both man and horse.
I personally believe that we could become more "means where by" focused in our training of the horse (and ourselves), be aware of our desired goals and humbled by the journey. If we manage that I think we can work together as two happy individuals.
PST!
In response to post about BT-circumference, here is a link to a page that gives more information.
"There really is a hidden horse in our horses, it is sometimes a little strange anf always rather wonderful and it is waiting for you to discover it."
Mark Hanson
Thursday, 17 February 2011
The Classical Rider and the Alexander Technique
In the Alexander Technique, there are three concepts that are intimately connected with one another. It is the concepts of use - function – structure. In this triad there is both a mutually dependent and effect.
Each part of the triad may be the subject of an initial impact, which in turn brings changes (or adaptations!) in the other two.
Our structure influence both the way we function and our ability to use ourselves. A congenital disability will affect both function and use, for example.
It may also be that the way we use ourself have an impact on our structure and function. If we have a job with a lot of lifting (need not be heavy!) and we fail to maintain the width of the chest it may over time lead to us having rounded shoulders. In that case both our structure and function (breathing) is affected.
A disease can cause disturbance in our function, which naturally spills over to how we can use ourselves and our structure. A minor impact may be a fracture - a more comprehensive can be a stroke.
The same conditions apply to the horse. Even if the horse is allowed to just be a horse external events can lead to adjustments between these factors. Strictly speaking a rider is only an external influence on the horse. Our influence can be said to be extensive. We provide the horse with its living-space (paddocks, stables), feeding, training, exercise, welfare and health. And it is we who decide what the horse will do for and with us.
In everything we do with our horses we affect its own use, function and structure.
The horse has no goals of his own with the training, we are the ones setting the goals. It is therefore our responsibility to educate ourselves and the horse to reach those goals with as little negative impact on the horse's own use, function and structure (I'll use u-f-s from here on).
The training aims to strenghten the horse so that it can cope with what we desire. In Alexander Technique therminology we should focus on the means-where-by - to ensure that the way we choose to reach our goal ables the horse to reach that goal "intact" or, in other words, with as little impact on its u-f-s as possible.
Either the horse can carry out what the rider demands - or it can not. If it fails to meet the demands it's the rider that has to analyse what is happening. Checking if there has been any change in the horses u-f-s and either reduce his/her own ambitions or correct the choosen way of training. The rider may never consider the use of ”material doping” and with severe bitting, draw reins or coarse riding techniques force the horse. That kind of behaviour is refered to as end gaining, we put our own personal goals up front and it leads to a big impact on the horse u-f-s.
When we as a rider set our goals we must prepare ourselves for the task. We would need to train our own balance and body control, reduce muscular tension and address the distortions in our own bodies.
We would need to train both a lightness and swiftness of communication between our brain and body. It is this ability within ourselves that creates conditions for a light communication with the horse and a training that makes both horses and riders calm and satisfied with the work.
Alexander Technique is a training that contribute to the schooling of a rider in such a way that the rider becomes the rider that the horse both deserves and needs to fulfill our dreams, while still maintaining u-f-s. The horse has no ambitions of his own in regard to training but he will enjoy the work you initiate if you train dressage without your horse occasionally.
Each part of the triad may be the subject of an initial impact, which in turn brings changes (or adaptations!) in the other two.
Our structure influence both the way we function and our ability to use ourselves. A congenital disability will affect both function and use, for example.
It may also be that the way we use ourself have an impact on our structure and function. If we have a job with a lot of lifting (need not be heavy!) and we fail to maintain the width of the chest it may over time lead to us having rounded shoulders. In that case both our structure and function (breathing) is affected.
A disease can cause disturbance in our function, which naturally spills over to how we can use ourselves and our structure. A minor impact may be a fracture - a more comprehensive can be a stroke.
The same conditions apply to the horse. Even if the horse is allowed to just be a horse external events can lead to adjustments between these factors. Strictly speaking a rider is only an external influence on the horse. Our influence can be said to be extensive. We provide the horse with its living-space (paddocks, stables), feeding, training, exercise, welfare and health. And it is we who decide what the horse will do for and with us.
In everything we do with our horses we affect its own use, function and structure.
The horse has no goals of his own with the training, we are the ones setting the goals. It is therefore our responsibility to educate ourselves and the horse to reach those goals with as little negative impact on the horse's own use, function and structure (I'll use u-f-s from here on).
The training aims to strenghten the horse so that it can cope with what we desire. In Alexander Technique therminology we should focus on the means-where-by - to ensure that the way we choose to reach our goal ables the horse to reach that goal "intact" or, in other words, with as little impact on its u-f-s as possible.
Either the horse can carry out what the rider demands - or it can not. If it fails to meet the demands it's the rider that has to analyse what is happening. Checking if there has been any change in the horses u-f-s and either reduce his/her own ambitions or correct the choosen way of training. The rider may never consider the use of ”material doping” and with severe bitting, draw reins or coarse riding techniques force the horse. That kind of behaviour is refered to as end gaining, we put our own personal goals up front and it leads to a big impact on the horse u-f-s.
When we as a rider set our goals we must prepare ourselves for the task. We would need to train our own balance and body control, reduce muscular tension and address the distortions in our own bodies.
We would need to train both a lightness and swiftness of communication between our brain and body. It is this ability within ourselves that creates conditions for a light communication with the horse and a training that makes both horses and riders calm and satisfied with the work.
Alexander Technique is a training that contribute to the schooling of a rider in such a way that the rider becomes the rider that the horse both deserves and needs to fulfill our dreams, while still maintaining u-f-s. The horse has no ambitions of his own in regard to training but he will enjoy the work you initiate if you train dressage without your horse occasionally.
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Changing reflection to proaction
Since I have been busy sitting on stands this week I've had plenty of time to think about life, learning and coincidences.
In everyday life we often talk about thought and action, in that order - that thought precedes action. And then there is the concept of reflection, that usually comes after a performed action. Quite frequently the reflection is coloured by remorse.
Many of us are caught in the chain of action-reaction and reflection. We react to something with an action, which we on reflection later on, regret. The Alexander Technique is striving to change that pattern to a thought-proaction pattern instead. That is to say that we have thought through what we want to do and how we would do it before we take action (means where by).
To assist us in the process, we have the ability to say no (inhibition) and to give directions. Reflections is still present but instead of being coloured with remorse, self-loathing, devaluation of ourselves, we change it to the observation, analysis and ideas of improvement.
It is thought that gives us a plan for our action, reflection allows us to evaluate the outcome. This in turn leads to experience, it sharpens our intuition and suddenly we are in the viewer's (and even our own!) eyes "skilled".
What is required of you if you want to switch from a reactive pattern of behavior to proactive? Well, it requires curiosity, the courage to be be- or reginner, preparedness to practice and it is also beneficial to have easy access to a good laughter.
The answer to Ed's question is that two out of hundred horse owners have a functioning leadership in relation to their horse. Are you one of those two? I'm working towards that in "my group of one hundred" we shall be three ...
In everyday life we often talk about thought and action, in that order - that thought precedes action. And then there is the concept of reflection, that usually comes after a performed action. Quite frequently the reflection is coloured by remorse.
Many of us are caught in the chain of action-reaction and reflection. We react to something with an action, which we on reflection later on, regret. The Alexander Technique is striving to change that pattern to a thought-proaction pattern instead. That is to say that we have thought through what we want to do and how we would do it before we take action (means where by).
To assist us in the process, we have the ability to say no (inhibition) and to give directions. Reflections is still present but instead of being coloured with remorse, self-loathing, devaluation of ourselves, we change it to the observation, analysis and ideas of improvement.
It is thought that gives us a plan for our action, reflection allows us to evaluate the outcome. This in turn leads to experience, it sharpens our intuition and suddenly we are in the viewer's (and even our own!) eyes "skilled".
What is required of you if you want to switch from a reactive pattern of behavior to proactive? Well, it requires curiosity, the courage to be be- or reginner, preparedness to practice and it is also beneficial to have easy access to a good laughter.
The answer to Ed's question is that two out of hundred horse owners have a functioning leadership in relation to their horse. Are you one of those two? I'm working towards that in "my group of one hundred" we shall be three ...
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Three pair of words to devote your life to
This is a description of three pair of words which play an important role in the Alexander Technique.
First out is inhibition and direction.
Inhibition, to cancel something, can also be summarized in the word no. Direction is what you consciously choose to do instead. For riders, the ability to inhibit is crucial. In practical terms this means that if you give the horse an aid you sit quietly and inhibit all impulses to do anything further and wait for the horse's response.
If you work the horse from the ground and would like to make a "join-up” inhibition is necessary. It is when you remain silent and still you give the horse space to make a choice - join up or await. And the horse's response will determine your next move - not your own impatience or desire for a specific outcome.
And that automatically leads to the next pair of words; means-where-by and end gaining. Our proverb "the end justifies the means" sums it up pretty well. What do you do to achieve your goal? Is the goal primary and how it is reached secondary? Do you make your horse sacrifice himself, his health, his life for you to reach your goals? Or do you let your horse have a say and take account of it? Are you taking account of yourself?
But, as it is said in Alice in Wonderland, if you don’t know where you are going you can go either way…So a goal give our directions something to aim for.
And finally, use and function. How you use your body affects how well it can function. Muscles that works tense up, tense muscles become tight muscles and that means that all blood vessels inside the muscle is squeezed together. If you constantly have high muscle tension in your body the circulatory systems within will have a hard time working properly and that means that oxygen, nutrients and waste products have difficulty travelling inside you.
For the rider the high muscle tension affects your ability to be flexible and pliable on the horse. Tense muscles will lead to less mobility in the joints and that is detrimental because it is through having access to freely moving joints we absorb the horse's movements.
Now you have a task to train you in all three word pairs.
Take a pen and paper. Grasp the pen, as if you were to start writing,
say NO to the impulse and
check whether or not you have leaned into the paper by rounding your back, check how hard you hold the pen.
Now straighten your back, keep a certain distance to the mission. How hard do you need to hold the pen to keep in place? How light can you hold it between your fingers and still be able to write? A light touch generates less tension which in turn leaves freedom for movement in the joints.
Take that light touch and straight back with you to your next ride and see what happens...
First out is inhibition and direction.
Inhibition, to cancel something, can also be summarized in the word no. Direction is what you consciously choose to do instead. For riders, the ability to inhibit is crucial. In practical terms this means that if you give the horse an aid you sit quietly and inhibit all impulses to do anything further and wait for the horse's response.
If you work the horse from the ground and would like to make a "join-up” inhibition is necessary. It is when you remain silent and still you give the horse space to make a choice - join up or await. And the horse's response will determine your next move - not your own impatience or desire for a specific outcome.
And that automatically leads to the next pair of words; means-where-by and end gaining. Our proverb "the end justifies the means" sums it up pretty well. What do you do to achieve your goal? Is the goal primary and how it is reached secondary? Do you make your horse sacrifice himself, his health, his life for you to reach your goals? Or do you let your horse have a say and take account of it? Are you taking account of yourself?
But, as it is said in Alice in Wonderland, if you don’t know where you are going you can go either way…So a goal give our directions something to aim for.
And finally, use and function. How you use your body affects how well it can function. Muscles that works tense up, tense muscles become tight muscles and that means that all blood vessels inside the muscle is squeezed together. If you constantly have high muscle tension in your body the circulatory systems within will have a hard time working properly and that means that oxygen, nutrients and waste products have difficulty travelling inside you.
For the rider the high muscle tension affects your ability to be flexible and pliable on the horse. Tense muscles will lead to less mobility in the joints and that is detrimental because it is through having access to freely moving joints we absorb the horse's movements.
Now you have a task to train you in all three word pairs.
Take a pen and paper. Grasp the pen, as if you were to start writing,
say NO to the impulse and
check whether or not you have leaned into the paper by rounding your back, check how hard you hold the pen.
Now straighten your back, keep a certain distance to the mission. How hard do you need to hold the pen to keep in place? How light can you hold it between your fingers and still be able to write? A light touch generates less tension which in turn leaves freedom for movement in the joints.
Take that light touch and straight back with you to your next ride and see what happens...
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