If you aren’t in tune with your own body, it’s going to hard to be in tune with your horses too.

In riding, interoception is a definitely a core skill and some people are more naturally blessed than others but that doesn’t mean you can’t improve yours. Riding well requires harmony between horse and rider, the ability to sense and control your own internal body states is crucial.

Interoceptive awareness helps you notice and refine subtle shifts in your weight, muscle tone and posture so your aids can be precise and nearly invisible. It helps detect subtle imbalances or tension so you can maintain symmetry and connection with the horse. Really try and notice these things during your off the horse exercises.

Interoceptors are constantly monitoring pelvic alignment, core stability and leg pressure. They allow you to recognise when breathing becomes tense, quick or shallow and quickly reset to keep relaxation, harmony and focus. It helps you recognise emotional changes early, manage nerves and maintain calm confidence.

So basically, the more finely tuned yours is, the more skilled you can be in the saddle! Having finely tuned interoceptive skills allows you to ride from the inside out – creating ‘oneness’ with the horse through refined self awareness.