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.

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

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. : ).

"every awkward colt becomes a beautiful horse."
irish saying

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.


If ponies were human.. most would be in prison.

Mrs. Smith COTH

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Society does not need more children; but it does need more loved children. Quite literally, we cannot afford unloved children - but we pay heavily for them every day. There should not be the slightest communal concern when a woman elects to destroy the life of her thousandth-of-an-ounce embryo. But all society should rise up in alarm when it hears that a baby that is not wanted is about to be born. ~Garrett Hardin

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.


If ponies were human.. most would be in prison.

Mrs. Smith COTH