Lean Back???????

[qwerty]

My instructor tells me to lean back slightly (get behind the horse) when doing things like leg yields, shoulder inns etc but I was recenty told by someone else not to do this.
What should I be doing?????

[cvb]

If there are mirrors in your school you could check if she is telling you to "lean back" because you are actually slightly ahead, so "leaning back" makes you correct.

Or sometimes people teach a position which drives with the seat. Personally I think this goes against all the basic principles and mechanics etc of what is going on, but you will see it in quite a few "dressage" riders.

Basically if you are slightly behind the vertical, you can drive the horse forward with seat and back. Trouble is you can also end up blocking the horse's movement as well as doing all sorts of weird things to your own back.

If in doubt, you could always ask why they are telling you to do this. Then if you agree with their logic, you can stick with it, if you don't, then you have to find a subtle way to get around it in lessons, and if you are not sure you can ask us :D

[qwerty]

I think it might be for propulsion (sp)

[Wally]

Sometimes I will tell folk who lean too far forward to feel as if they are leaning back. When they feel they are leaning back, they are actually sitting upright!

[qwerty]

I think my posture is mine (Nina would certainly tell me) and it is only during dressage movements. It is more get behind the horse than lean back I suppose!

[Lgd]

Leaning back for the higher level movements is incorrect as it makes your seat heavy and pushes it forwards. Your back and seat then cannot move with the horse and creates tension and will tend to cause the horse to hollow. It will also tend to push your legs forward.

[cvb]

Hi Qwerty

Just followed a link to Heather's web site, and was being nosey. Lo and behold if you look under "articles" there is something about the 'driving seat'

http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/Main_Menu/main_menu.html

[Lgd]

Thanks cvb - that explains beautifully what I was trying to get at about the results of making the seat drive. I think a lot of the driving idea has come from a basic misunderstanding of how to use the bodyweight and position to influence the horse. I was taught to drive with the seat as a young child and have spent a long time learning to undo the habit, fortunately Peri has a tendency to go tense in her back so I have really had to learn to keep my seat quiet and balanced.

[qwerty]

I was also told today to lean back when Shiron WOULD NOT stop!! Nina says she doesn't like to have to do that but we had to as I had gone rounds several times doing half halts etc and nothing :mad:

[Wally]

"Actual" leaning back is so ugly. As mentioned before once you lean back you are no longer in balance with the horse.

Stretch taller, don't lean back. If the horse wouldn't stop he may have been running on, away from something he didn't like.

[qwerty]

I don't think so though!!!! Shirron just gets carried away and loved to go fast!!!!

[Wally]

Lots of ours too are speed freaks, but leaning back won't stop them!

[Lancashire Lass]

Yup agree with you there Wally, most horses who give the impression to most unassuming mounts that they 'enjoy' going fast, actually turns out to be the opposite!!! IMO they are usually 'running away' from something that hurts or something they don't like or understand.... pretty much along those lines, that's what I would tend to believe. Leaning back is in my opinion, no way to stop any horse that running on, it's your seat and lower back aids with a good supportive lower leg keeping you balanced, with timely half halts in there (perhaps quite a few at first!), that usually bring your horse back to a controllable gait, not leaning back and hauling on the reins, usually losing their own foot through the stirrups as I've seen some folk do in my time!! Paints a funny 'cartoon like' picture to an innocent bystander but it's no funny joke for the poor horse that's probably either frightend, confused or in pain!

I'd want to question my instructor is she EVER told me to 'lean back' in order to slow a horse down and ask for her reasoning behind it and perhaps mention that this would effect the overall 'balance of horse and rider' would it not????!

Jayne

[qwerty]

He does love going fast! There is a difference between him running away and having a good time! I've felt it!! I suppose it could be because he is one of the samller ponies so rarely gets any experienced riders on him to allow him to canter!
Nina would never do anything to hurt or worry a horse - most are her own.