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DO's and DONT's

By | Feb 2, 2013 | 9 Comments
DO's and DONT's

So, the other day, I was riding a horse, Phantom, and my instructor noticed that my knee was tight, which was affecting my posting, and my sitting trot.

If your knee is tight, it tenses up our entire body, which causes you to rise out of the saddle, then causing you to have bad position. Once I loosened up my knee, and put more weight in my heel, my position was much better, and I could sit the trot much more comfortably. 

Here are a few of my DO's and DONT's when it comes to riding position starting from the top:

DO: look forward, not down. If you look down, it's easier to lean forward and to get distracted.

DON'T: Hunch your shoulders over like a turtle, this gives your horse more control, and allows them to bolt/spook easier.

DO: Support with your stomach muscles, not back- a lot of riders experience unintentional back pain from over-arching their lower back, causing excess pressure on your lower spine.

DON'T: Turn your hands down (Motorcycle/piano hands) This again gives your horse the upper hand.

DO: Keep your elbows bent, at a near right angle. This way, if they put their head down, it won't wank you forward.

DON'T: Tense your knee- sink that weight into your heel, and keep your knee loose- grip with the inside of your lower leg.

DO: Keep your toes forward, with your heels down. If your toes are facing out, it tenses your butt, which your horse can feel, and can sometimes cause your horse to tense up too.

DON'T: Be nervous... Your horse will be able to feel it, and they will get nervous, too. 

 

 

Thank you for reading!!! BYYEEEE! 

Hi, I'm Vivian, I ride at 2 stables, and I absolutely LOVE horses. I want to compete, but there are no teams in my area :( Anyway, yeah, I love horses and ponies :D I'd love to get any advice you have for any of my blogs, down in the comments below the blog. Thanks :P

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  1. February 2, 2013, 1:11 pm
    Rene Wright says:
    Voted. :) These are great! After not riding for so long, these tips will come in handy when I start riding again. Thank you for sharing! Please check out my blog: Controversial Diatomaceous Earth. Vote &/or comment if you liked it. Thank you.
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  2. February 2, 2013, 2:28 pm
    naturegirl says:
    One question - how are the hands supposed to be? If they're not like motorcycle hands, do you put the palms forward? I don't see how that could work... Voted! check out my new post, Naturopathic Care, Part II, and vote if you like it!
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    1. February 2, 2013, 4:17 pm
      Rene Wright says:
      If I may inject here... your hands should be thumb side up, palms facing each other. This gives the best control & you can easily adjust reins & hand position (forwards or backwards). You can also tilt your hands at the wrist with your thumbs pivoting forward or backwards.
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      1. February 3, 2013, 10:58 am
        naturegirl says:
        Thanks Rene! I was trying to picture palms foward in my head and it was just not right! Of course - palms INWARD. Duh. So obvious once you know! Can you tell I've only been on a horse once in my life, and it was over ten years ago?
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        1. February 3, 2013, 10:37 pm
          Rene Wright says:
          It's ok! Don't be too hard on yourself :) I think sometimes we all need a refresher course! lol
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  3. February 2, 2013, 3:09 pm
    Izzy Wilder says:
    Voted. These tips definitely come in handy...especially when riding Phantom in the winter when he's kinda a lunatic. Maybe check out my post, RIding by Youself? :)
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    1. February 3, 2013, 12:40 pm
      VivianSimonee says:
      for sure :) thanks
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  4. February 3, 2013, 12:33 pm
    jst4horses says:
    I was taught to ride austrian calvary style and of course Native Naturalhorsemanship is my choice now. Both have NO contact with the horse below the knee. The strength of the ride is in the thigh, the TOE rests on the stirrup, for balance, the calf works as a piston to move your weight to ease the tension on the thigh. If taught properly and ridden properly, this style of riding LOOKS like posting, but that up/down up/down decided on by Queen Victoria, that abuser of animals and riders, to LOOK best for her troops in review, is NOT is less tiring for you, and Austrian calvary is less annoying for the horse.
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  5. February 3, 2013, 12:44 pm
    jst4horses says:
    The tense butt: Pat Parelli calls it clenching your cheeks. It tells horses to get moving faster, the predator is afraid. The bent back also tells a horse to get moving, for some reason the farther you lean forward, the faster they go, if you just relax and "stop riding" as Pat says, the horse learns to stop. I have seen Pat ride completely green horses that in the first ride (usually within 20 minutes or so of the start of training) ride and stop riding by those two little cues. Lean forward, sit back and relax. NO spurs, no kicking, no sawing away at reins. In fact in Naturalhorsemanship, there are no reins to start with, just one line on a halter.
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