Is balance in big or small steps?

If there’s one thing I want every rider to take away, it’s this: your horse can’t give you his best until he finds his balance. Balance is what keeps him comfortable, keeps him sound, and keeps him able to progress without stress. When you ride for balance, every stride turns into conditioning, therapy, and confidence-building all at once.

But here’s the thing: not every horse finds balance the same way. Some need to start with little, contained steps. Those small steps give them the chance to organise themselves – almost like learning to walk on a tightrope before you try to run across it. Once they feel secure, then we can grow those steps into something bigger and more expressive.

Kyra Kyrklund often talked about this idea – that smaller steps gives greater balance, and greater balance makes everything possible. Other horses are different. They actually feel more stable when the stride is a little bigger and swinging. For them, the small steps come later after they’ve built strength and confidence in their natural way of going.

Our job as riders is to work out what kind of horse we have underneath us and to guide them on their own path to balance — not force them into one version of it.

You’ll notice the difference immediately. A half-pass without balance is just drifting sideways. A canter transition without balance feels like a scramble. But when balance is there, the shoulders stay light and suddenly the movement feels easy, almost effortless. Even the simplest horse starts to feel like a partner who can carry you with power and freedom.

The reward isn’t just in the movements. It’s in how long the horse stays sound, how much he enjoys his work, and how much easier it feels for you as the rider. Horses that are trained to balance last longer, stay healthier, and give you their best year after year.

That’s why whenever you ride, make balance the first question you ask. Are we balanced in all four feet? If yes, then add more.

If not, quietly reorganise until you feel the horse is carrying himself again.

Use your tools: clear lines, organised shoulders, forward intent (LOF) and that little sparkle aid — the Elevation Edge — that invites the back to stay light and lifted.

No matter where you are in your riding, balance is the key.

Some horses find it in small steps, others in big ones. Your job is to help them discover it, keep it, and grow it. Because when balance is there, everything else follows — the movements, the marks, the confidence, and the joy of feeling your horse truly carry you.