Franklin Method
Franklin Method
Franklin balls help riders improve body awareness. Using a combination of the Franklin balls and (DNI) Dynamic Neuro - Cognitive Imagery helps the rider engage their brain to improve their movement. The sensory awareness the balls bring help integrate these improvements into the nervous system.
Here are five specific ways Franklin balls can help riders:
1. Enhancing Proprioception
Increased sensory input: The gentle instability and texture of the balls stimulate sensory receptors in the skin, fascia, and muscles, especially when placed under the seat bones, thighs, or feet. This sensory feedback wakes up proprioceptors, heightening awareness of how and where the rider’s body is moving in space.
Refining body map accuracy: Riders often have outdated or inaccurate internal maps of their pelvis, spine, or shoulders. Franklin Balls help clarify these maps, leading to more refined control and coordination.
2. Improving Pelvic Awareness and Mobility
Seat bone differentiation: Placing balls under each seat bone helps riders sense how each side of the pelvis moves independently with the horse’s motion. This builds awareness of asymmetries and habitual holding patterns.
Spinal mobility: Using balls along the spine can awaken movement in the thoracic or lumbar areas, which are often stiff in riders. This helps the spine respond more dynamically to the horse’s movement.
3. Reducing Unnecessary Tension
Feedback for release: The presence of the balls encourages the rider to soften and organize their weight around the ball rather than brace. This can help reduce clenching in the thighs, gripping with the knees, or holding in the shoulders.
Parasympathetic engagement: The gentle massage-like pressure can also stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting a calm, focused state that enhances learning and body awareness.
4. Enhancing Balance and Core Engagement
Instability as a teacher: When used in movement prep or on a saddle stand, the slight instability of the balls encourages the rider to engage stabilizing muscles and develop dynamic balance. This translates to better adaptability on a moving horse.
Refining timing and coordination: As riders become more aware of how movement flows through their body, they can better time their aids and stay in harmony with the horse’s rhythm.
5. Transferring Awareness to the Saddle
After using Franklin Balls on the ground or on a saddle stand, riders often feel a lasting sensory imprint that they carry into the saddle. This increased awareness helps with sitting deeper, moving more fluidly, and sensing the horse more clearly.
