Heavy Work – A Regulation Tool For Riding 

 

How often have you had a lesson go off the rails because a rider is struggling with regulation? Incorporating heavy work into your lesson could provide input your rider needs to get back on track.

“Heavy work” refers to activities that involve applying deep pressure to the muscles and joints, typically through activities like lifting, pushing, or pulling heavy objects. This type of sensory input is often used in occupational therapy and sensory integration techniques to help regulate and calm the body, especially for individuals with sensory processing difficulties or sensory modulation disorders. Here’s how heavy work helps achieve this calming effect:

Deep Pressure Stimulation
Helps to increase proprioceptive awareness, providing a sense of where the body is in relation to itself and the environment.

Modulation of Sensory Input
The proprioceptive input from heavy work activities can help modulate or regulate other sensory inputs, such as auditory or visual stimuli giving the ability to better tolerate and process sensory information without becoming overwhelmed.

Regulation of Arousal Levels
Deep pressure input from heavy work activities has been shown to have a calming effect on the nervous system, helping to regulate arousal levels. For individuals who experience heightened arousal or anxiety, engaging in heavy work activities can help promote a sense of calmness and relaxation.

Increased Body Awareness
More awareness of their body’s movements and exertion which can help individuals better regulate their movements and responses to sensory stimuli, leading to improved self-regulation.

Promotion of Focus and Attention
The sensory-rich experience of heavy work can help individuals shift their focus and attention to the task at hand, improving concentration and engagement.

How can you incorporate heavy work for your riders?

Ideas for in the barn:
– Moving the mounting block
– Lifting a saddles
– Stomping footprints in the footing
– Opening a “stuck” gate (you provide resistance)
– Dumping or carrying water bucks
– Dumping a water trough
– Moving hay bales
– Moving a feed bag
– Pushing a wheelbarrow
– Jumping off the mounting block
– Wall push ups or wall pushes
– Bear hugs
– Tug of war
– Animal Walks (bear crawl, crab walk, frog jump)
– Yoga/Pilates

Ideas for in the saddle:
– Mounting
– Extended Two-point
– Posting at the walk
– Sitting Trot
– Squeezing stress balls
– Resistance bands
– Holding a medicine ball

Heavy work activities offer sensory integration and self-regulation helping to calm and organize the nervous system. By incorporating these activities into pre-ride routines and mounted activities, riders may experience improved sensory integration, increased self-awareness, and enhanced regulation of arousal thus providing a better experience for your riders and your horses!