OMG What an awful position ....... soooo embarrassed !! with picture evidence!

[horseygirl123]

Had my hubby video my lesson the other day, we were working on my mare and not on me but omg i wish we were working on me!
I didnt feel 'right' the whole time in the lesson, i felt like i was behind the movement, my rising trot felt awful, but my instructor just said, lets forget you for today as tara is going well :rolleyes:
I've ALWAYS struggled with keeping my leg back, and not using my stirrups to rise.
I never used to do it, its just when i got my first saddle the stirrup bars were so far forward i used to have to hawl myself up and the habit is hard to break :mad:

I was appauled to see this picture, i knew i had a problem but never realised i look this bad ........
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s267/horseygirl123_photos/horriblerise.jpg

So, please, whats the answer :D
I'm fed up now of hearing 'bring your lower leg back' or 'rise from the hip, hip to hand' cos none of that seems to work, I've tried bareback riding and can do rising trot, i do ride without stirrups too on times, but as soon as i take my stirrups back it all goes to pot :confused:

I'm uploading a video too of my lesson to see if that will shed some light on whats going wrong :p

So, please please please, HHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPP :p :D :p :D

[horseygirl123]

heres a short video, please critique, but if you do, please be constructive :D
And before anyone comments, I KNOW I need to wear a more supportive bra !!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://s154.photobucket.com/albums/s267/horseygirl123_photos/?action=view&current=cimg6732.flv

[Sammii]

Okay, I think I know what i'm trying to say here but it may be abit baffled!

I personally, don't believe you have as much to worry about as you think. That picture is simply one frame of a movement, and you just managed to catch the wrong frame! In the video, it does not look like you are rising from your stirrups like the photo would make you think.

You are rising from your hips and letting Tara's movements 'bounce' your hips up & out (although i would concentrate more on the out as opposed to the up), the reason for the legs coming forward in the picture, is because when you rise, and sit, you are moving your leg outwards and back (sometimes called "swinging") to keep pushing Tara on with your heels. I am terrible for this with Red, because my legs are quite long on him, I have to bring my leg out and my heel up as it's a reaction after years of riding school teaching that I need to encourage impulsion with my heel.

Should you wrap your lower leg around Tara's barrel as if it was a damp cloth clinging to the skin, you should find a frame of a video would look much more in line, and correct.

I'm trying to find a picture to illustrate what i'm saying abit more clearer, but it's proving difficult because I struggle quite alot with the same problem.
Here's the only half decent picture I can find. Yes, my pony isn't moving correctly, yes my stirrups are ridiculously short, and yes because of the silly wintec, my looks are so far forwards i've had to thrust them back to get everything aligned.. But it shows (maybe a bit too forced in the heel) but a constant pressure on the horse's barrel with my calf muscle.

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n130/myredcloud/100_1619.jpg

You are much much better than you make yourself out to be, don't be so hard on yourself! :D

[Rarah]

Tara looks lovely.

Have you tried lunge lessons? I find that a couple of lunge lessons and then schooling between lessons without stirrups helps my position no end.

[MelanieD]

Its really not awful, not perfect but nowhere near awful either!

Looks like the might possibly be some trying to hard going on and actually making a bit too much effort with the rising instead of just letting the horse's movement push you up and controlling it. And I think the problem in that saddle might not be so much lower leg back as needing to move backside further forwards slightly, looks like you might be sitting a bit too close to the cantle block thingy.

Had another look at video and it does look like you are using leg each stride which makes it more difficult to get a nice rising trot going.

[Jumperjunky135]

Well I think first of all to take away those stirrups but with a saddle still. then you should let the horse throw you in to a rise. It also looks like you need to work on that sitting trot. How tall is your mare, and how tall are you? How long have you been riding? I also think you are sitting too far forwards. The secret to sit trot is by sitting bolt upright on the pockets of your pants. Don't be rigid tho. stay behind the motion.


•○•○•~M~•○•○•

[vonandiz]

I wouldn't have noticed the bosom effect if you hadn't mentioned it. Its completely ot but the first time I felt like I'd got a half decent sitting trot I noticed how much my chest was bobbing up and down and it was all I could think about. Never had a lesson without a firm sports bra on after then.

No critique (my riding isn't anywhere near good enough to comment on anyone elses!) but a question and a suggestion. How is your rising trot on the lunge with stirrups? Have you tried altering your stirrup length and seeing if it makes a difference? This worked for me - my RI made them shorter which encouraged my lower leg to stay put (but felt bloody awful) she then dropped them when my lower leg was more sticky and then my rising trot was much better. Maybe worth playing about with them to see if longer or shorter makes any difference.

[coss]

the main thing i notice is that your toes point outwards instead of forwards and i think that is what makes your lower leg insecure. you say you've tried no stirrups and bareback with success, what about riding with no reins? it means there is no way you can balance on the horses mouth (although i don't think thats you're problem after viewing the vid but you may think that from the 1 frame - photo) that is also why you have trouble keeping your leg back (imo).
you need to turn your whole leg (from the hip) round so that your toe points forwards. i would do a lot of sitting trot once your horse is warmed up and think about rising. when you do go rising make it smaller rises.
i noticed your arms are quite straight too, carry your hands a bit more and you will be able to give and take the reins better. also, occasionally it looks like you are slightly twisted right but i'm not sure if thats the angle of the vid or you trying to correct your horse or whether it just creeps in?

[eml]

Oh dear you could be me!!

Your horse is working so softly that although you don't look pretty you are obviously not causing any problem to the horse. I try to avoid doing rising trot as much as possible because I know it is my biggest weakness. I used to put it down to being old enough to be taught to ride with a gripping knee but daughter ( she is an RI as well!) put her finger on it recently, the proportion of my body to leg makes it difficult to stay balanced in a conventional position, her solution which worked for me was to incline slightly more forward the normal in rising trot to allow for my long body/short leg

Try playing around with upper body position..I am amazed at the difference!

[horseygirl123]

thanks everyone for your replies :D

Just to answer a few questions ...

Sammi ... I know i do 'swing' my leg, and i do try to not keep tapping with my heel, when i first got tara she wasnt schooled much at all so needed a LOT of encouragement to keep her going, so i have got into habit of tapping, but like you say, if i kept my legs draped over her and on her barrel that might stop the swinging leg :)

Rarah... Yes i have tried lunge lessons, and it did help altho tara doesnt 'do circles' too well and is unbalanced still on a circle so she's not the best horse to be lunged on !! But we're working on that !

Melanie D ... 'move backside further forwards slightly', will try that thanks ;)

JJ135 .. My mare is 15.1 and I am 5ft 7. I started having lesson sept 06

vonandiz ... I have tried altering my stirrup lengths, if i shorten them, i rise too high, if i lenghten them i lose them :rolleyes: !!

Coss .... 'the main thing i notice is that your toes point outwards instead of forwards' yes that is another of my faults, i have tried sooo hard to work on that one, I've always walked like a duck so have been trying to correct it, its coming sloooowly! I am slightly twisted right and that is because she tends to push me into the fence so my instructor says to twist to the right to try to stop that, and it is working :)


Well, while i have been typing this i have just phoned becky chapman and booked a days course on the equisimulator, i told her about my problems and she said she will help me :D
Oh, i am so excited, gotta do a post about it now !!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks again everyone for your kind words of encouragement x

[Snow_Pony]

I have the same problem, and its only since riding in a treeless, a barefoot - as I beleive yours is.
Its gotten better since I bought a cherokee, which has knee rolls, but I dont think you're doing bad at all. I think put you in a treed saddle and you'd be perfect. I think us treeless riders have to work a lot harder, but its all worth it in the end :)

[LMS]

In your defense, after watching the video, you are working very hard on communicating with your horse. So yes, if there is a small issue with your leg, it will itensify when youare concentrating solely on your horse.

I too have that problem, didn't always though. It was aquired through doing the same as what your RI was making you do. At the time, my RI made me exagerate the movement to show I was working on my horse.

The lower leg is unstable & pushes out when you are up. I couldn't see how your saddle looked & how you sat in it (the video stopped to soon). It could also be a combination of either the saddle not being right or the stirrup bars being too far forward. You are then fighting with it. And it litterally becomes an uphill battle.

I would check how the saddle sits on the horse to see where the deepest part is (you may need to bump up the cantle a bit), then look at how the stirrups hang & where the bars are. Then have someone look at how you fit in this saddle. Just like not all saddles fit every horse, same applies to not all saddles fit every rider.

Once you've assessed all that, when you practice posting (try at the halt or walk first to get the hang of it), imagine that every body part is separate from each other (which they are), then think that your lower leg is part of the barrel of the horse (someone above mentioned something very similar). Now your knee is a hinge, so when you go up, think of kneeling into the lower leg when you push with your seat (yeah the hip to hand idea). And keep that motion very minimal, remember it's the horse that's thrusting you out of the saddle. Remember how you are better when you are practicing without a saddle? It's the exact same idea. Unfortunatly, the stirrups & your weak lower leg seem to go all over the place.

It takes a lot of concentration at first, but in time it'll get easier.

Hope this helped.

[Bay Mare]

You've got the potential of a very good position but you're just trying far too hard.

I'd want to bring your bottom further forwards in the saddle as you're tending to sit at the back of the saddle which could cause some issues with soreness in the back in the long term.

If you sit in the saddle, bring your knees up in front, shuffle your bum forwards to the deepest part and then drop your legs again (without shuffling back) you should find yourself in a better position in the saddle. You may feel that once you've done that you'll need to drop your stirrups a hole or two. This will bring you into a much better ear/hip/heel line which will be better for the horse and much better for you to rise to the trot.

Because you're sat in a chair seat you're having to hoik yourself up into the rise and then when you are coming down your legs shoot forwards. It's all just too much work and it doesn't need to be like that :)

If you can sit in a ear/hip/heel line and feel when the horse is pushing you up you'll have a lot less work to do. The feeling isn't actually a RISE (dreadful terminology) but should be more a swing of the hips in an arc backwards and forwards but only as far as the horse sends you. You'll have a bigger 'rise' movement on a big moving warmblood than you will on something with a less extravagent gait, for example. There's no need to actively stand up and sit down.

Another thing to think of is to try and incline your body slightly forwards when you come back to the saddle as this will help you to land more lightly and will give you more control. If you put your hand under the back of the saddle you'll feel the difference between the two. If you're really upright (my bad habit) the 'sit' phase puts a lot of pressure onto the back of the saddle. If you incline slightly forwards you can barely feel you come back to the saddle.

Another exercise that can help with your position is to either work on the lunge (preferable) without stirrups, make sure that you're in the deepest part of the saddle and then point your toes downwards like a ballerina. Sounds weird and is contrary to the usual cry of 'heels down' but it really does help to relax your leg and get the correct position.

When you do your equisimulator session see if you can get her to show you how to let the horse move your seatbones and also how to absorb the movement through your back.

Good luck and enjoy :)

[Bay Mare]

I think us treeless riders have to work a lot harder, but its all worth it in the end :)


I must be weird. I'm much better in my treeless than in a treed and don't have to work half as hard :D

[Wally]

What Bay mare said! :D :D

We've all got photos caught in a dreadful moment! The camera never lies, but it can be economical with the whole truth .

[cwb]

Hi Horseygirl,

I agree with Bay Mare, I think you are too far back in the saddle.

Try doing about 10 minutes of sitting trot without stirrups, concentrating on just following the movement and sitting in the deepest part of the saddle, leaving you legs just dangling.

Then get someone to adjust your stirrups so they just fit under your feet with your feet level - without moving your legs from where they were while trotting.

If you lose the stirrups now then you are gripping with your knees/thighs!

I have been having the opposite problem - legs too far back! Shorter stirrups helped correct this problem by pulling my feet forward, it is amazing what a difference a couple of holes makes!

[Fanshawe]

You are no where near as bad as you think you are! Might also be worth seeing an osteopath/chirpracter/Bowen etc and just check out that your back/hips/legs are all working as flexibly as they can. Same as if your horse wasn't able to do what you were asking- get it checked out and then you will know that it is simply practice that you need and you are not fighting your own body! Oh and I have loads of photos that people have taken when I look absolutely appaling! I go mad over them but instructors tell me I have a good position! (maybe they are lying to me :)) You know what you need to improve and that is the sign of a good rider.

[Twigletz7]

I have exactly the same problem so am in no position(:o) to offer any advice but am reading it all avidly:p

[shandy84]

She is being hard on herself, that lady was flying around the huntsfield with me a couple of weeks ago and must have had some form of security in her seat because it was me that fell off :D I think like us all you have things to improve upon but you're not as bad as you're making out. Good luck with the equisimulator I'm sure it'll be an interesting experience :)

[inhs]

could be the saddle - put it in the ground with the pommel down, cantle up, stand above it and see if both sides are exactly simmetrical (often even new saddles are not!)

secondly, where the deepest part of the seat is designed in your saddle, and also where the stirrup bars are attached makes a HUGE difference.

If the stirrup bars are quite far forward, you've really no option but to have your legs forward, thus making you sit back a bit too much which makes everything a bit too difficult.

What might be really interesteding is to borrow a saddle or too of diffferent makes from your friends, ride in each for 5 mins, yourself do nothing different, and takes pics of you with different saddles on same horse.

I always through my seat was ok, ie did the job but nothing to write home about.

I was out in Australia riding in an aussie stock saddle, and after a few days of watching me ride an ozzie girl (brilliant rider) commented that I must had done a lot of dressage back in Ireland, as I had a beautifully elegant dressage seat!! I was quite chuffed :)

I think once you bave an independnt seat and can use each hand & leg on its own if needed, and endevour to do your best to sit up tall and keep out of your horses way and let him do his job, a lot comes down to what you're actually sitting on!

[nelle]

Can't really offer any useful advice cos I have the same issues as you. But you do have a lovely honest mare and I'm sure you'll progress very quickly.

By the way I loved your RI's comment at the end of the vid!! She sounds great and very encouraging.

[horseygirl123]

Thanks for your replies :)

Today i put into practice a few of the things you had suggested
I tried my friends albion saddle on (which does fit really well!) and made sure i was sat with my bottom underneath me, hips rotated in, legs draped and in contact with taras barrel, tried to keep toes in but that wasnt happening as much!
I got a few of the girls to watch me and see if i was any better or worst in a different saddle.
I tried to 'not try so hard' and wow it felt great, ok not perfect, but tons better.
My leg stayed back, was nice and stable and i felt like a million dollars :p

AND the best part was...

I've been trying to get tara to maintain canter in an outline for well ages, she does a few strides then pokes her nose out, well, today we canterred round the school and she did it :D

SO, i think i definately need a better saddle!
I'm going to try a mondial flexion saddle tomorrow, for anyone who knows katie eaton from ashen equestrian center, she has agreed to let me trial one and see how i get on.

I've just got to sell my other 3 saddles now to pay for it !!!

Thanks everyone for your kind, and encouraging words :D

Oh, and shandy .... do you still want to hack out on saturday ;)

[coss]

:D pleased that today went well, its amazing how different saddles can affect your position and not suit you as well as a different saddle, sounds like tara was impressed with you too! well done, keep us posted :)

[shandy84]

I would love to but I can't even walk up the stairs at the mo without dying :rolleyes: i've got that blooming virus that's going around so will probably not be riding for a bit haven't seen Bags for a week bless her, I think the most horsey stuff i'll be doing for a bit is a nice sedate drive :rolleyes: really annoyed!

Glad you had better luck with the saddle though :)

[LMS]

Ahhh glad to hear there was some progress. Regarding your toes: again don't try too hard to have your foot parallel to the horse's sides, it depends on how you are put together.
You can ask your RI to manipulate, ever so slightly & gently, & rotate your whole leg inwards. It's done at the thigh.

Again: be careful when you do this, it has to be gently & minute. We don't want to break you!;) Or you can do it yourself by using both your hands to rotate your thighs slightly inwards.

[cwb]

My RI showed me what it felt like when my foot was parallel - I could not achieve that amount of twist without her holding my foot in place, so it is going to be a long time before I get anywhere near - but I am not that bothered as long as I can control the horse what does it matter what I look like? ;)

[veradonja!]

The first thing I noticed on your video was what a lovely movement your horse has and how well she is working reaching into the bridle.

I think the saddle you are using may suite her but is not helping you at all.

You are moving around in it too much - look at the video when you go round the corner you move out of the centre of the saddle and you put your weight into one leg - Can't remember but I think its your outside leg.

All in all I agree with every one that the photo suggests you have a much bigger problem than in actually the case.

But I think you have two choices if you stick with this saddle you need to do a lot of work with your own body to get yourself balanced in the middle of the saddle and you need some one on the ground helping you. Also yoga or physio might help because it does look to me as though you have got some stiffness in your hips or you could change your saddle and get something that puts you in a better position with some chunky blocks and rolls

You don't say how old you are - if you are like me and knocking on a bit you might find the investment in yourself useful but you have to live with the fact that you are not supple enough to achieve the perfect position with out help( I never have! and never will)

I really like your mare and would not be at all depressed to be riding as you are in the video

[Kate F.]

I generally agree with Bay Mare - but I wouldn't go for no stirrups yet. That has a dreadful way of making you grip - and that's the last thing you need.
It's ok for fit kids who have lots of natural balance - but I think there are less painful ways for adults! (Apart from which, just imagine what and unbalanced trot without stirrups feels like for the horse!!:eek:)

I'd say, get your shoulders forward and think about flexing the small of your back and opening it up to help absorb the movement. Start in walk and really consciously feel the movement of the horse and how much you have to release the muscles in your back to let that movement travel right up to your head. Be aware of your centre of gravity and getting it over the horse's centre of gravity, so you are both in balance. It should feel as though, if the horse were to disappear, you'd land standing on your feet. (Most people would actually land on their behinds.... almost everyone tends to ride a little behind the movement - so be prepared to make adjustments!!)

Then stand in your stirrups and stretch your arms out to both sides (a la Titanic!!) and lean forward letting your legs slide back. Then sit down by just bending your knees. If you go "thump" in the saddle, however lightly, you need to let your lower legs go further back. It's amazing how far forwards you can lean when you let the leg slide back. You legs and hips should be straight. When you can stand up into this position and sit down again lightly, go forwards to rising trot - keeping your upper body angle where it is for standing up. When that's comfortable - and take as long as it takes to get the rhythm, try sitting for 2 beats then rising again. Keep the upper body in the same angle as for sitting trot - just leg the flexion in your hips and lower back take up the extra movement.

When that's all working - try instead of sitting for two beats, rising for two beats - ie go up there and balance for 2 beats before you come down again - lightly!;) Then you can mix it up and start doing 4 beats instead of 2 - when you can alternate between all of these - you'll feel a huge improvement in your position!

It takes a fair bit of concentration to do it this way, but I think it's worth the effort because it builds more awareness of what your body is doing and how to correct it when things go wrong.

[xGreyponyx]

Heyy

I dont think this will help you much, but a friend has this problem and my instructor made her rise forr two stides in rising trot. If her leg is in the right position, she could do it. But if her leg was to far forwards, she just couldnt!

I hope this helps a tiny little bit

xxx

p.s I think you have quite a good postion so dont be hard on yourself, the pic is at a funny angel:)

[cwb]

Kate,

In practice, I find it does just the opposite - especially rising trot without stirrups.

I did about 10 minutes of sitting trot without stirrups on Hovis on Wednesday and he just kept on going at a steady trot in a nice outline without me having to do anything except steer and go with the motion.

[LMS]

My RI showed me what it felt like when my foot was parallel - I could not achieve that amount of twist without her holding my foot in place, so it is going to be a long time before I get anywhere near - but I am not that bothered as long as I can control the horse what does it matter what I look like? ;)

Well yes & no, you don't want a foot that the toe is so turned to the outside that it hinders your lower leg stability & effectiveness (I'm thinking of up to a 90 degree turn here). But it's ridiculous to expect every rider to have & maintain a foot that is parallel to the horse's barrel because we are not all put together in the same way.

I'll take myself for example, my right leg can maintain an effective leg with a foot parallel to my horse's barrel. But my left leg can't, it turns out a bit & if I try to mirror the other leg, it puts pressure in other joints which is not natural for me.

When I analyse my skeletal structure off the horse, my left leg is naturally turned slightly to the outside from the hip. That's how I'm put together.

[cwb]

(I'm thinking of up to a 90 degree turn here)

Well, at rest my foot is about 30 degrees out, and if I hold it in, that drops to about 20 degrees. I do consciously try to keep it in - unless I am concentrating on something else at the time, there is so much to check on, like leg position, arm position, hands, contact, where I am looking, what the horses legs are up to, etc., etc.! :D

[Kate F.]

It depends a lot on the individual - but I find with most adults trot without stirrups is counter productive until they are really stable in rising trot.

Rising trot without stirrups is something I learned and used to teach, but stopped when I found that most people were gripping with their knees to get themselves out of the saddle. A few can do it with just the movement of the horse - but not until they are already stable with stirrups.

If it works for you, great - but I hesistate to recommend it unless I am with the rider and can see how it is working out in practice. With today's sedentary lifestyles, adults in particular often need to spend longer just getting themselves loose and balanced on the horse - and they achieve it better if they feel more secure. Most feel insecure without stirrups.

Kate,

In practice, I find it does just the opposite - especially rising trot without stirrups.

I did about 10 minutes of sitting trot without stirrups on Hovis on Wednesday and he just kept on going at a steady trot in a nice outline without me having to do anything except steer and go with the motion.

[Fanshawe]

Well yes & no, you don't want a foot that the toe is so turned to the outside that it hinders your lower leg stability & effectiveness (I'm thinking of up to a 90 degree turn here). But it's ridiculous to expect every rider to have & maintain a foot that is parallel to the horse's barrel because we are not all put together in the same way.

I'll take myself for example, my right leg can maintain an effective leg with a foot parallel to my horse's barrel. But my left leg can't, it turns out a bit & if I try to mirror the other leg, it puts pressure in other joints which is not natural for me.

When I analyse my skeletal structure off the horse, my left leg is naturally turned slightly to the outside from the hip. That's how I'm put together.


I used to have the same problem- for most of my adult life my hips have been out of alignment compounded by a curvature of the spine and I would ride with my left leg sticking out more than the right and any attempt to correct it would result in pain and discomfort no matter how much I practised.

Thought I'd have to get used to it but then started seeing my osteo regularly (for maintenance rather than when something went wrong) as well as having Muhet treatment (combination of Bowen, massage, accupressure and healing) and now my feet are level for the first time in 21yrs of riding! Might be worth giving something like it a shot cause it helped me! :)

[No_Angel]

Looks like your saddle is too far forward to me, which will sit your legs further forward and you wont be in balance with your horses movement.
Move the saddle a couple of inches further back (behind the shoulder blade) and your should be more around the center of your horse and find it easier to keep your legs back and in balance.

[Mary Poppins]

You really are being very hard on yourself, I didn't think that you looked bad at all. To me you simply look like to are trying too hard to make your horse go forward and are tapping her at every stride. This means that it is very hard to keep your legs in the correct place. I used to loan a very lazy pony and my legs were constantly on the go. I had to learn to use the schooling whip more effectively and do lots and lots of work without stirrups to break the habit. Perhaps having a few lessons on a more forward going horse would make you get a 'feel' for keeping your legs still?

[lauraandharvey]

i dont think your position is that bad at all
i find it hard to sit to my horse rather than rise
i rise from the knees not the pelvis it works much easier
x

[HotchPotch]

Only read first page of replies as running out of time. There is one solution for every problem you have, leg forward, toes out, sat on back of saddle and leg swinging. And that is to stand up and stay stood up. Straight up not jumpin postion with flatwork length stirrups. Do it in walk at first then try halt transitions and when you are brave try trot and canter. Do lots of transitions, this will get you to balance on your stirrups instead of on the saddle. Just make sure you do not balance on your reins, hold some mane to start with if you need to. You will fall back lot but keep trying you can do it. Also if it hurts you are doing it right, its not easy, but so good for you.
Have fun and don't worry, horsey is happy so you can't be that bad. She would tell you if you were.

[epallas8]

I'd say raise your stirrups a notch or two. When you do that, you won't be reaching for your irons anymore. Your ankle will flex naturally allowing you to put your weight in your heels. Your post looks a little forced (in the pic, at least), so try to relax it a bit and not post so high. Leg position isn't bad, but you could stretch your lower leg down and back more and use more calf contact. Also, you could stand to have your hands in front of you more - they're very close to your stomach which throws you off balance more.

[helenhorse]

Had my hubby video my lesson the other day, we were working on my mare and not on me but omg i wish we were working on me!
I didnt feel 'right' the whole time in the lesson, i felt like i was behind the movement, my rising trot felt awful, but my instructor just said, lets forget you for today as tara is going well :rolleyes:
I've ALWAYS struggled with keeping my leg back, and not using my stirrups to rise.
I never used to do it, its just when i got my first saddle the stirrup bars were so far forward i used to have to hawl myself up and the habit is hard to break :mad:

I was appauled to see this picture, i knew i had a problem but never realised i look this bad ........
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s267/horseygirl123_photos/horriblerise.jpg

So, please, whats the answer :D
I'm fed up now of hearing 'bring your lower leg back' or 'rise from the hip, hip to hand' cos none of that seems to work, I've tried bareback riding and can do rising trot, i do ride without stirrups too on times, but as soon as i take my stirrups back it all goes to pot :confused:

I'm uploading a video too of my lesson to see if that will shed some light on whats going wrong :p

So, please please please, HHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPP :p :D :p :D
lol....you need to keep the vertical libe more through ** body! bring your heels back more so your position is balanced and you raids are more specific! when you rise..rise forewards with your hips instead of up and down!
good luck hehe

[jumpjaky]

i have got A BILLION! worse postion photos here are only like 1/2% of bad the bad piks i've got!