Tai Chi for Equestrians
By Kay Kamish

By a happy combination of circumstance and design I was recently able to combine a visit with a good friend in the Seattle area with a Tai Chi for Equestrians clinic with James Shaw. James, who has studied the 'gentle' Martial Art of Tai Chi for nearly 20 years, has been exploring the application of those principles to riding for the past several years. He has worked with many FEI level riders, most notably Betsy Steiner, who has written articles about her experiences with Tai Chi and its benefits. (Dressage Today, Practical Horseman) James makes it clear that he is not teaching a riding lesson, but is teaching riders to have a more enhanced body awareness, then correlating that awareness with how it affects the horse.

The two day clinic involved a 1 ½ hour unmounted session and 1 hour mounted session each day. During the unmounted portion the riders followed James through a series of Tai Chi based stretching and balance exercises. These movements are designed to help riders discover and change imbalances within their bodies that inhibit the connection with the horse. The movements also involved the unblocking of several "chi" (energy) meridians to allow improved flow of energy. James monitored each person, cheerfully encouraging and carefully explaining as we went through the series. This gave him a chance to evaluate each rider and to have an idea of what he would then address in the mounted session. This work was quite revealing, as we all discovered areas of stiffness, one hip less flexible than the other, a balance challenge, or tight neck and shoulders. With greater controlled range of motion in your joints, you are able to maintain structural alignment without creating tension, thus enabling you to 'follow' the motion of your horse more closely. This in turn allows the horses to relax and move with greater fluidity. Believe me - these are not just empty, fancy-sounding words!! This really did work, in horse after horse during this clinic.

Mounted sessions then incorporated what we felt and what James observed about each of us. Again, James did not instruct us on how to ride or perform a movement, but rather guided us on the path of discovering more about how to use our bodies and our breath, and then noticing the influence on the horse. Rule # 1: Smile! We are, after all, supposed to be enjoying this! Besides, the smile literally and figuratively lights things up and eases tension. James then moved us along the Path of: Mind… Breath… Body. The Mind has to stay focused and aware. Be aware of you Breath… how deep does it usually go? To your throat? Your chest? Your abdomen? We returned to the focus on the Breath many times, and almost always as attention was drawn to the Breath and we breathed deeper into the abdomen, relaxation of both rider AND horse occurred. James taught us about 8 specific areas of our bodies he calls "Gates of Energy". By focusing awareness on these Gates and allowing them to 'open' we discovered a corresponding openness and freedom occurring in our horses ~ more freedom, less effort. What a concept!! James frequently pointed out how the horses 'mirror' what the rider is doing, often demonstrating stiffness and tension in a similar area where the rider is tense. As we released these areas of tightness or tension, by opening the nearby Gate, we really could notice a difference in the flow of movement provided by the horses. James often told us to "ride with our Intent", not just our muscles. He also encouraged some visualization techniques, suggesting we visualize a perfect transition at some point in the arena, then riding with that Intent, believing that the transition already existed at that spot, and truly - it often did! Effortlessly.

To me the proof of a clinician's effectiveness is what goes on in my riding in the weeks following the clinic. Have I "gotten" something that I continue to use on a daily basis in my riding? And my answer is absolutely Yes. Now every day I am conscious and aware of my Breath, and changing it continues to produce a change in me and then in my horses, subtle though it may be. I remind myself to ride with Intent, not just muscle…. I visualize those perfect transitions ahead of me on the track, and as often as not, find them.

I know I would like more exposure to James Shaw, and this approach to riding. I talked with him, and he is quite willing to come to Oklahoma! I am very interested in bringing him in for a clinic, and need to know if there is enough interest to support a clinic with him. If this sounds like something any of you riders and readers would be interested in, please contact me, either by phone (341-5974) or by email Aspenell@aol.com. I would be happy to answer any questions, or embellish on my experience with Tai Chi for Equestrians.