Proprioception: The Rider’s Hidden Superpower

Ever Feel Like One Leg Just… Disappears?

You’re riding a circle to the left, applying your inside leg like you always do. But for some reason, your horse isn’t responding the same way they do on the right rein. You check your position—your leg is there, you’re pressing evenly, but it still feels like your left leg just isn’t “connecting” the same way.

This isn’t just a strength or technique issue—it’s proprioception.

What Is Proprioception?

Think of proprioception as your body’s internal GPS. It’s what tells your brain where your limbs are, how much effort you’re using, and how you’re moving—all without looking.

When proprioception is off, certain areas of your body—like your left leg or one seat bone—might feel less clear, making your aids inconsistent and your balance unstable.

The best part? You can improve proprioception, just like you can build strength or flexibility. And it can completely transform your riding.

Where Does Proprioception Come From?

Your body has thousands of tiny sensors sending real-time updates to your brain about position, movement, and force. Here’s where they live:

• Muscles (Muscle Spindles): Sense stretch and movement speed.

• Tendons (Golgi Tendon Organs): Measure tension and force.

• Joints & Ligaments (Ruffini Endings & Pacinian Corpuscles): Provide joint position, pressure, and vibration feedback.

• Fascia (Free Nerve Endings & Interstitial Receptors): Continuously monitor movement and tension.

• Skin (Ruffini Endings, Merkel Discs, Meissner & Pacinian Corpuscles): Detect stretch, pressure, and vibration, refining your awareness of posture, symmetry, and balance.

• Inner Ear (Vestibular System): Handles balance, spatial awareness, and coordination.

Why Skin Proprioception Matters for Riders

Your skin is constantly picking up subtle shifts in pressure, stretch, and movement. And it’s more important for riding than you might think.

✅ Stretch receptors in your skin help detect joint angles and movement, essential for staying aligned in the saddle.

✅ Vibration and pressure receptors allow you to feel movement changes instantly, improving your reaction time and connection with your horse.

✅ If your skin is compressed or desensitized (think tight clothing or gripping too hard), your proprioception decreases.

The more your skin can feel, the better your brain can process small changes and keep you balanced.

Why Proprioception Is So Important for Riders

Great riding isn’t just about strength or flexibility. It’s about awareness, coordination, and precision—all of which depend on proprioception.

Here’s how it shows up in your riding:

1. Staying Balanced in the Saddle

Your proprioceptors detect even the smallest shifts in your weight and position, helping you adjust before you even realize it.

✔ Sharp Proprioception: You stay centered and balanced effortlessly.

❌ Poor Proprioception: You tip forward, collapse to one side, or struggle to find stability.

2. Absorbing Motion Smoothly

The better your proprioception, the more easily your body can absorb movement without tension.

✔ Sharp Proprioception: You follow your horse’s motion fluidly.

❌ Poor Proprioception: You brace, bounce, or feel disconnected.

3. Applying Aids with Precision

Proprioception helps you use just the right amount of force for your aids.

✔ Sharp Proprioception: Your cues are clear, subtle, and effective.

❌ Poor Proprioception: You might grip too hard or apply aids too weakly, creating confusion.

How to Improve Your Proprioception

The good news? Proprioception is trainable! Just like you build strength or flexibility, you can refine your proprioceptive awareness. Here’s how:

1. Tapping for Body Awareness

Wakes up sensory receptors and strengthens the brain-body connection.

✔ How to do it:

• Use your fingers or a soft ball to gently tap around your hips, ribs, and shoulders before riding.

• Notice if one side feels more sensitive or less clear than the other.

Try this before mounting—your body will feel more connected and responsive.

2. Balance Challenges

Forces your body to make small, automatic adjustments, improving stability.

✔ How to do it:

• Single-leg balance: Stand on one leg for 30 seconds per side.

• Eyes closed challenge: Try the same with your eyes closed—harder, right?

This helps train your body’s natural stability systems—just like the ones you use in the saddle.

3. Soft Eyes Exercise

Enhances your ability to feel movement instead of relying only on sight.

✔ How to do it:

• Instead of staring at one fixed point, allow your vision to soften and feel your horse’s movement through your seat and body.

Helps improve your reaction time and ability to adapt to movement changes.

Great riders aren’t just strong or flexible—they have highly trained proprioception. It’s the secret to:

✔ Staying balanced effortlessly.

✔ Giving clear, effective cues.

✔ Moving in harmony with your horse instead of against them.

And the best part? You can improve proprioception! Try these simple exercises and feel the difference in your riding.

Let’s refine movement, one ride at a time.

Alejandra González