Lessons from Unusual Places: the Silence Between the Notes

Claude Debussy once wrote: “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between them.” This may seem strange coming from a renowned composer of favorites like “Claire de Lune” and “Arabesques,” but it refers to that feeling between the notes, where musician and listener are waiting eagerly for where the music goes next.

Riding is similar. The real moments of harmony happen not when the rider is “doing” something, but when they are silently waiting and feeling. It’s easy, like it is in music, to fill the spaces between notes (or in the case of riding, the time between the aids) with more, making almost a constant white noise. But just like too many notes going constantly is anything but relaxing, so does the constant barrage of aids. We hear the saying “ride every stride” and take it literally. Leg every stride, hand constantly “talking,” seat constantly moving, etc. Many horses learn to ignore it as background noise (exactly what we don’t want), others get irritable.

This is where we have to learn how to come back to silence. I often tell my students “apply an aid, then come back to neutral.” You can apply as much as needed, but come back to your base seat. Squeeze with the leg, bring the leg back, turn, give a hand, take a hand, whatever, but come back to neutral. Wait for the horse to process and respond. Sure, sometimes we have to string aids together, but then it is important to stop and evaluate. If you never stop, you never know if the horse processed anything.

The hardest thing about this, I think, is the unconscious white noise. The constant squeezing of the thigh, the calf that almost makes a circle as it constantly “bumps” in rhythm, the hand that constantly moves, etc. So many of us struggle with that. It’s a proprioception issue: we have no idea our bodies are doing it! This is why eyes on the ground are so important, but it is also why we need to take a moment, breathe, and check in on every part of our bodies. Is my leg hanging and relaxed? Is my hand staying in front of the saddle? Can I get my thighs off the horse if I want? 

The good news is: there are ways we can retrain our bodies! We can practice little bits at a time, we can ride on the longe, we can do exercises on the ground that help us get in touch with where our bodies are, and more. Sometimes, one of the best ways to identify if you’re making too much white noise without realizing is to ride a different horse. Your own horse can get used to the white noise and ignore it, but a different horse may react to it and make you aware of your habit.

“But what if my horse is lazy?” you might ask. Constantly begging them to go is not going to fix that. Instead, it’s better to apply a short aid and increase the strength until you get a response, and then be silent. The horse will start to “wake up” and realize that you’re talking to them. More lazy or resistant horses become attuned to the aids by this approach than by constantly begging (or dare I say nagging). If it doesn’t work, usually there’s a physiological reason: soreness, saddle fit, or even the rider creating a physical block with the aids.

So my challenge to you in your riding is this: focus on the silence between the aids. If you really struggle with this, try riding a different horse, taking a longe lesson, or adding some proprioception training to your fitness routine. You and your horse will be amazed at what happens when you find that music in the silence between the notes.

-Emily Wright