Breathing and Horses - part one

Breathing on and off the horse

Our breathing, both mounted and dismounted is hugely influential on both horse and rider biomechanics, and on the emotional connection between ourselves and our horses. However, despite its pivotal role, it is often overlooked, and certainly not explicitly taught in a procedural way in mainstream equestrianism.

In part one this blog I will cover some of the biomechanics of breathing, why they are important and some tips to become a more effective breather for your horse.

Your horse mirrors your breathing

Firstly, the most important fact to bear in mind is that your horse will mirror your own breathing, both good and bad. Even with a very steady, grounded sort of horse, if that horse spends enough time with a human who has shallow, inconsistent breathing, that horse will soon pick up on the human and mirror them. And vice-versa, the outlook of an anxious horse can be dramatically improved by the influence of a human handler or rider that is breathing well. The scientific word for this is entrainment, and the process is called co-regulation.

Horses respond to environment

Also, a very interesting fact; horses cannot conceptualize their breath like we can. For example, we can use our pre-frontal cortex to make decisions on how many breaths to take, how deeply to breathe, and in turn we can positively take control of our own emotional state. In comparison, a horse cannot make decisions to change his breathing rate. He responds via environmental input to his central nervous system, and breathes accordingly. So, if others are calm, he is calm. If others are triggered by a threat, he is also triggered. A good example of this is how a young horse will stay calm in traffic around an older horse who is not in fear of the traffic. So, as best as we can, we have to be the ‘reliable external modulator’ in the relationship.

This means that if we can master good breathing, then we have a very powerful tool at our disposal for regulating ourselves and our horses and improving performance.

How to breathe efficiently for both of you

The most efficient way to breathe is called diaphragmatic breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing is done by contracting the diaphragm, a muscle located horizontally between the thoracic cavity and abdominal cavity. When the diaphragm moves downward into the abdominal compartment, it also raises intraabdominal pressure and assists the abdominal muscles in stabilizing the spine the ribcage.

So not only are there emotional benefits to good breathing, but also postural benefits. The muscles that are involved in inspiration and expiration also have a dual function in core stabilisation and are very useful for promoting human and equine self-carriage.

So how do we do it?

First of all, take some slow steady breathes and notice how your ribcage and lungs expand on the in breath. Do you breathe mostly into your upper chest? Does your shoulder girdle lift with each breath, lengthening your front in the process? This would indicate your breath is fairly shallow. As your front lengthens, you are losing some of your strength and core integrity. It might help to sit in front of a mirror to gain clarity on this.

Instead, can you breathe into your belly, expanding your ribcage outwards instead of upwards. Can you keep your front the same length, with your breath going down and outwards instead of remaining in your upper chest?

To test yourself, place your hands on your waist, and squeeze your waist inward so that there is some resistance given to your breathing (a bit like a tight belt or corset). Then notice as you breath in, can you start to push your hands outwards against the resistance. Repeat this until you get the hang of expanding your ribcage and belly against a resistance.

Next, notice what happens on the outbreath. Does your ribcage and belly contract, or can you keep pushing out against the resistance, even during the outbreath? This starts to raise intraabdominal pressure and contraction in the muscles of both inspiration and expiration.

Can you increase your resistance against your hands on the in breath and the outbreath, until there becomes no difference in your tone as your breathe in and out. You are now starting to breathe diaphragmatically.

Well done!

In part two of this blog, I will help you troubleshoot any difficulties you are having!

May the horse be with you.

Learn more about breathing for you and your horse with my free download, Five Powerful Breathing Exercises to Connect You and Your Horse. Get your free download here!