Practice this exercise to help rebalance the whole of your spine.

You will be releasing tension from the muscles that pull you into an overly arched position; or that rotate your shoulders so you end up twisted slightly to one side instead of facing straight ahead.

This is the postural problem that can throw your weight backward, perhaps putting you into a ‘driving seat’ in the saddle, and probably placing extra load onto the back of the saddle and towards the horse’s sensitive lower back area.

Any rotation of your shoulders can cause your horse to bend in that same direction. After all, we are told to “look in the direction you want to go”. The horse may struggle to achieve an inside bend on the opposite rein, and may struggle with the corresponding canter transition.

Releasing this pattern of posture will help the horse move more symmetrically. Your back will become softer and more supple, and you will experience the benefits of being able to fluently follow your horse’s natural movement – we have already discussed these.

Because the Back Lift works in the opposite sense to the Arch & Curl, they work well in combination, balancing the forces that hold the spine upright, neither arched to far back (Back Lift) nor curled too far forward (Arch & Curl).