Energi-ridning v. Lika Ottosen

26/10/2025

"A quote about a movement"
By someone who does not want to be quoted

This sketch shows me and my horse, Bateleur, developing our balance and skills in Work-in-Hand.

I want to tell you a little about Bateleur - or Bute for short. He is my heart horse, the sweetest, kindest horse that chose to share a connection with me that I haven't had with any other horse.

But he is not in any way shape or form an 'easy' horse. Quite the opposite. I've had him since birth, and when the time came to start training him, I was wayyy out of my depth. He was explosive and reactive like nothing I had ever come across before.
I decided early on that I would never ride him - I have no interest in riding a bronco!
But he surprised me. The more groundwork we did, the more we worked, the less reactive he became (although it never went away). One day, he walked up to the mounting block and stood waiting, inviting me. Every instinct in me told me to get on him that day, and I did. I sat there with him for a few minutes, invited him to move his feet, and then got off. Completely unprepared 🫣
That was incredible to me… I don't have words that can describe it.

But the explosiveness wasn't gone, and I stuck to my decision not to ride him. For years, we worked with the tools we had, and he never really got 'better'. I started picking up neurological symptoms such as quivering in the front legs, a wide based stance, a lack of proprioception in all limbs, esp behind, and more. And the scary explosiveness stayed.

He was about 6 or 7y/o when I learnt about Straightness Training, and I signed us up. We learnt how to do groundwork, how to find balance, how to adjust posture and shift weight, with simple exercises or movements such as stelling and bending, and SHOULDER IN. We progressed to trot work, to haunches in. And the more we progressed, the more my horse changed.
The explosiveness left. Replaced by a confident, calm horse.
The imbalance, quivers, odd neurological symptoms all but disappeared completely.

About a year after starting ST, I was challenged to ride him. And I did. We cantered that day, we jumped little crosses. And I got off him at the end with the greatest feeling I've ever experienced.

So, was Shoulder In the magic wand, the magic exercise that made it possible?
Lol, no.
But it was (and is) a movement or exercise that we can use to find balance in our bodies, and from which starting point we can develop strength and resilience.

From me to you, thank you for reading my story 💚

26/10/2025

Det er lidt som at køre på cykel ☺️ har man først lært det glemmer man det ikke.
For at få føling med dit sæde tænk - “jeg sidder på en cykel” - jeg skifter tryk fra den ene pedal til den anden - hvad sker der så i dit sæde? Hvis du gør det i takt med at hestens bagben arbejder ind under din vægt - vil du automatisk skifte fra det ene sædeben til det andet. Derved vil du give ryggen fri så hesten får bedre mulighed for at sætte bagbenet ind under sit tyngdepunkt- prøv at mærke takten blive mere et samarbejde end noget du sparker frem for at opnå takt.
Øv og bliv bedre til at tage hesten med ud og cykle.

26/10/2025

Min “circel og life” jeg høre tit ryttere sige heste skal rides bagfra og frem til hånden. Så langt er jeg enig men hvordan vil hesten gerne møde os i hånden ?
Hvis vi ønsker frem skal vi modtage “høfligt” med et ja tak ☺️ hvis vi ønsker at hesten skal gå frem og møde os - tag godt imod og bliv den rytter som hesten ønsker sig.

26/10/2025

Vil vi ikke gerne være den rytter vores hest ønsker sig ❤️

26/10/2025

En spændende del af vores krop og hestens - bindevævet.
Da jeg første gang støtte på en behandler af bindevæv - og forsker i bindevævs manipulation- Vibeke Elbrønd, blev jeg fuldstændig overbevist om at dette er en revolution i måden at behandle heste og mennesker.
Vores bindevæv skal bearbejdes og smidiggøres hele livet og kan være med til at gøre en kæmpe forskel. Spændende at høre mere ☺️

25 of the Most Interesting & Important Properties of Fascia

Fascia is a truly fascinating tissue that plays a central role in how the horse moves, feels, and functions.

Here are 25 of the most interesting and important properties of fascia

1. Fascia is a full-body communication network.
It connects every muscle, bone, organ, and nerve—literally a three-dimensional web that transmits mechanical, chemical, and electrical signals faster than nerves in some cases.

2. It’s a hydraulic system.
Fascia is made up largely of water, and its gel-like matrix allows for gliding, shock absorption, and pressure distribution. Movement and massage help keep this system hydrated and functional.

3. It has more sensory nerve endings than muscle.
Fascia is densely packed with mechanoreceptors (for pressure, tension, stretch) and nociceptors (pain sensors). It’s key in body awareness (proprioception), coordination, and even pain perception.

4. It transmits force across the body.
Muscles don’t work in isolation—fascia distributes force across chains of movement (like the deep front line or superficial back line) spreading forces both across joints and parallel to them through other tissues.

5. Fascia can contract independently of muscle.
Thanks to tiny contractile cells (myofibroblasts), fascia can hold tension on its own—even without conscious movement. This contributes to stiffness, guarding, or holding patterns.

6. It responds to emotion and stress.
Fascia tightens during physical or emotional stress as part of the body’s protective reflexes. Trauma, fear, and chronic stress can create lasting changes in fascia tone and texture.

7. It’s plastic, not elastic.
Fascia can be slowly reshaped through use or movement. Unlike muscle, which contracts and relaxes quickly, fascia responds best to slow, sustained work (like myofascial release).

8. Healthy fascia glides.
When fascia is well-hydrated and mobile, it allows tissues to slide smoothly over each other. When it’s restricted (due to injury, inflammation, or lack of movement), tissues get “sticky,” causing discomfort and dysfunction.

9. It adapts based on how your horse’s uses his body.
Fascia thickens and remodels based on your movement patterns—or lack of them. Repetitive motion, poor posture, or inactivity can lead to densification, adhesions, or restrictions.

10. Fascia has memory.
It “remembers” tension patterns from past injuries or compensations. That’s why old trauma can show up as tightness years later—and why bodywork often brings up emotional or physical releases.
Please click here to read the rest of this fascinating list - 25 of the Most Interesting & Important Properties of Fascia

26/10/2025

En ikke uvæsentlig muskel for en rytter at kunne arbejde med - den er med til at give core stabilitet og den arbejder med at holde vores positur i bækken og dermed i overkroppen - styrke her giver styrke hele vejen op mod “loftet” tænk frem og op

25/10/2025

Når vi starter med at ride er det ofte at det giver mening at hvis man trækker i en tøjle så er det tanken hos de fleste at drejer heste i den retning vi hiver - men det er ikke den rigtige måde at ride på - det får hestens skulder på over arbejde og halsen bliver anstrængt eller bøjer for meget i forhold til hestens krop så der opstår ubalance

When we’re taught to ride, we’re usually told to turn the horse left by pulling on the left rein, and turn the horse right by pulling on the right rein. Although this makes things simple for a small child to understand, it’s incorrect.

Buy using the inside rein in isolation, you will:
❌ Have too much neck bend.
❌ Lose control of your horse’s outside shoulder.
❌ Fail to make a correct canter strike off (your horse will be more likely to strike off with his outside leading leg).
❌ Cause a lack of alignment in your horse’s body, preventing him from engaging his hind legs.

Instead, when riding circles, turns, and corners, you need to use ALL of your bending aids. (Ironically, you inside rein is the one you should be using the least.)

For more help with bending and aids, check out our newest book on Amazon (which is currently on sale until 4th November). Link in the comments.

Illustrations created and copyrighted by How To Dressage

23/10/2025

Hun har så meget ret! Der skulle mange heste til i mit liv før jeg fik en der blev stille og virkede uimodtagelig på signaler. “Jeg forstår ikke så jeg bliver lige stående her til du giver mig en besked jeg forstår. Jeg tænkte - den er doven?! Eller hvorfor går den ikke selv frem. Ind til jeg fik en træner det sagde - han stoler ikke på dig fordi du giver mixede signaler - han skal ha et signal a gangen - og wupti det virkede - giv aldrig mere en en besked af gangen og giv frihed til at søge dig og finde ud af at frem er frem ind til en ny besked er givet.

23/10/2025

Ham her altså - lige i min energi flow

23/10/2025