Horse Stance with Stick

The horse stance is an active mobility and endurance drill for the legs. Conscious effort should be applied to make your horse stance the best it can be, rather than simply finding the most comfortable position to pass the time.

Cues:

• Heel to toe four times to acquire foot position

• Keep feet pointing forward unless there is pain

• If there is pain allow feet to turn out enough to work around it

• Keep the torso vertical by squeezing the hips forward as you descend

• Continually drive the knees out and hips forward for the entire hold

Mistakes:

• Leaning forward

• Cheating by wedging stick in place

• Lazy hold/"good enough" hold without driving knees out and hips forward

Adjustments:

• You can remove the stick if unable to squat low enough to hold it without shifting the hips back significantly. Work in a higher position with strong effort to bring the hips forward and knees out with active glutes and build depth over time.