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RE: help w? body positioning

dr3amrid3r — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:00:10 GMT

Thankls everyone im really starting to improve thanks for all the advice

RE: help w? body positioning

Black Gold — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:07:56 GMT

Haha, Ive tried that. It does come in handy though in some games! She can trot as fast as this 17hh Thoroughbred at my riding school can canter! Its kinda funny, usually I just ride it in a 2-point though, when I want ther to do it, anyways....

RE: help w? body positioning

horseless722 — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:52:07 GMT

Black Gold (7/21/2009)

I have the same problem! I think part of it may be that your horse is really wide because I used to ride skinny horses and had no problem with my position and then I got a Percheron/Quarter Horse. Chonky is her name and she really lives up to it! But I really started having problems with my position. Plus shes really bounvy and she is huge but she can make her trot as fast as a small ponies and then canters like a racehorse, so it may be the horse. Did you ever ride another horse that was skinnier?

While the width of hte horse can effect the rider depending on the skill level of the rider. It is not that 'difficult' to do as skill evolves/ enchances etc. Relax allow your body to 'meld' with the horse.

To slow the horse to a non runing trot etc slow your motion down slow your pace in hte saddle down you control the pace etc.

RE: help w? body positioning

Black Gold — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:40:09 GMT

RE: help w? body positioning

Misfit Style — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:09:38 GMT

Please make the effort to type properly. A lot of members on here won't bother trying to discern illegible posts due to poor grammar and spelling (me included).

It's 'anyone' not 'any1'. It's 'you' and not 'u' etc...

RE: help w? body positioning

FlyinHy — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:31:53 GMT

Try this (and I mean it)

stop trying.

it sounds like you are focusing on jamming those heals down and doing your best to please your trainer and ride well.

just relax, let the heels drop on their own as they were were a melting ice cream cone. the drop has to come from your heel! melt down and around the horse and find the rhythm in your hips, doing it mechanically until you start doing it naturally. its up forward down back with your seat and following this pattern SOFTLY and QUIETLY and STILL with your hands. keep sitting back back back until you feel like its to far back. canter seat is the SAME as walk seat, master this first. won't take long just focus on sitting straight with a line running down through your pelvis, touching the knee and heal.

RE: help w? body positioning

horseless722 — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:39:07 GMT

dr3amrid3r (7/2/2009)

Feet- she has said the obvious heels down. & we have made my stirrups shorter but no matter how hard i push my heels downmy feet still slide.(this is only on the faster trot & the canter)

Canter- ive been told lean back & get relaxed in my seat. also to breathe for some odd reason i like hold my breathe. well i start of real bounce & all of balanced then if he hold his canter (which he usually does) i do very well in the middle then get all bouncy again. & even tho im telling myself to lean back somehow my body always finds a way to lean up over my horse's neck. My positioning on him today was so bad that i fell off of him & into my corral fence.

1) dont 'push' your heels down instead allow your heels to sink down. The harder you push your heels down the stiffer you will become. Think of this think/feel as though the weight on each side of your body is flowing through your heels.

2) Dont lean back but rather sit up straight. Ears, shoulders, hips, heels in a straight line with each other. YOu bounce because you are out of balance with the horse and ost likely either behind or ahead of the motion. Riding w/o irons will fix non of these problems.

The get stright imagine if you will that you are a puppet with a string running through your body comming out of your head. The puppet master has made the string taught there for you are sitting straight. But your still 'flexable' you need to be able to move your hips/ waist/pelvis indepnedently from the rest of your body.

RE: help w? body positioning

huntriderlaura — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:45:18 GMT

Rotate your pelvis till you're on your seat bones and imagine a straight line running from your shoulder, through your hip, to your feet. Your heels are your anchors and try to be centered over them - as my trainer says, toes to the sky. Try to think about this as you're trotting, it helps me a lot.

I feel you about leaning forward - it's probably one of my biggest vices that has gotten much better over time. Do you feel nervous when you ride? If you do, it's natural to lean forward because it presents false security. What I do is I usually roll my shoulders gently back and try to fix the line I've broken. Try some lessons on the lunge line until you really find your horse's rhythm.

I hope this helps. There are many more experienced people than me on HorseChannel that can help you even more. : ).

RE: help w? body positioning

pigeon123 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:45:59 GMT

Well, even if you are leaning back you could still be hunching, which would cause you to get all unbalanced and everything. So think about not only leaning back, but keeping your shoulders open and not rolling them forward or hunching. Also, maybe doing some two point would help, it would help you with sinking into your heels and finding your point of balance over your horse. I would ask your trainer about that.

help w? body positioning

dr3amrid3r — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:29:26 GMT

ohkay, so my horse was having some issues & i fixed them out by getting a new trainer. well she says that im doing very well riding him except with my feet and my body positioning wen cantering. ill tell u wat shes told me & id really apreciate it if any1 out here had additional advice.

Feet- she has said the obvious heels down. & we have made my stirrups shorter but no matter how hard i push my heels downmy feet still slide.(this is only on the faster trot & the canter)

if it mattters he is a quarter horse/morgan, aprox. 15.2, 8yrs old, & fairly wide. he was over weight & is slimming down but is still fairly big boned. i am aprox. 5.11

any advice would be greatly apreciated thank you very much