Release tension from your shoulders …

and down through your spine.

The Washcloth exercise will help release tension that is causing rotation of your shoulders and your upper back.

This type of tension causes you to turn away from looking straight ahead. In turn, this will make your horse tend to bend in that direction, and perhaps have difficulty working on the opposite rein.

Tension in your shoulders and upper back can also lead to tension in your arms. Releasing this could help you develop a softer contact with your horse’s mouth.

Because of the strong rotational element in this exercise, I find that the Washcloth exercise feels very different from many of the other somatic exercises.