Who Is Sally Swift?

Centered Riding is based on balance and harmony. It has some resemblance to martial arts in the importance of correct breathing, control from the center of the body, and the need for awareness and the quietness of the balanced body. In the forward to her book, Centered Riding, Sally Swift explains her methods as, "the combination of how your body works, the ability to allow it to function unhampered, and the awareness and use of energies created through you and your horse that makes this approach to riding surprisingly easy and very exciting.

In all athletic sports we are cheered to push, try harder, work harder, go for the burn. Unfortunately, when we approach our riding in this manner, the muscle tension that accompanies our efforts gives an undesired response in our horses which we then try harder to fix or control, and the downward spiral ensues.

There are four basic fundamentals to Swift's teachings. They are soft eyes, breathing, centering, and building blocks. What do eyes have to do with riding? Pick a relatively small object and look at it with hard eyes. Look at it intently, scrutinize every little detail. Now look at it with soft eyes. Try to see as wide an area around the object as possible. Do not focus on the details of the object, but how it relates in size to everything around it. Increase your panoramic vision as much as you can. If you are indoors, take in the whole room. If you are outdoors, take in the landscape and the sky. Now notice the difference in your facial muscles, your neck and shoulder muscles, your breathing. I have seen spooky, flighty horses become instantly calmer beneath me just by being conscious of my focus (soft eyes) and breathing through my diaphragm.

The use of Centering and Building Blocks can unlock a world of relaxed enjoyable riding for every level of rider in every discipline. To find your center Swift instructs you to, "simply point a finger at your belly to a spot between your navel and your pubic arch, the front of your pelvis. Deep behind that point, against the front of your spine, lies your center of balance, your center of energy, and your center of control."

Building Blocks refers to the rest of your body parts sitting directly above and below this center of gravity. Students often refer to learning to ride with their bones instead of always fighting with their muscles for control and balance. Swift has overcome physical challenges herself and made riding possible and more enjoyable for many by using this approach.

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