Getting confused and a bit discouraged!

[melissabee]

Hi all, I recently started lessons after having four babies, so my hip flexiblity is pretty nil. I think that's part of the reason I have a pretty hard time balancing and feeling "deep" or "glued in the saddle". I keep falling off trying to sit trot or canter! Anyway, as I can't afford to have lessons as often as I'd like to to see more improvement, I've been trying to read what I can, and exercise/stretch to help along the way. But I'm getting so confused - I read a few books, and they seem to contradict! For example, Riding Logic by Museler says to "brace the back", moving it back and forth sort of as a child would use their back when swinging. Yet as I read enlightened equitation, this seems to be exactly what Heather says NOT to do! Am I reading these wrong? I'd love any advice on what I'm actually supposed to be "moving" with the horse to stay on -my hips or back?

Also, any tips on how to stretch whatever muscles would help me get my legs back? When I sit on the horse, my legs seem well forward (like a "chair" seat), but I just can't (don't seem to have the hip flexibility) get them back without rocking way forward on my pelvis!

I'm so glad to be finally doing this (learning to ride was always my dream), but it's discouraging not to be able to do it "naturally" right away! Thanks in advance for any help!
Melissa

[Bay Mare]

Answered on your other thread :D

What I didn't write though ... I think that 'bracing the back' makes the action too hard and contrived. Heather does use the back but it's more a flexing of the back rather than an strict 'brace, relax, brace, relax'. I suspect that they both mean the same thing but that Museler uses terminology which doesn't convey the message as well.

Good luck x

[Kate F.]

I think there's also a bit of a problem with translation. The German word "anspannen" is used quite frequently in riding terminology, and is used to mean more "stop moving", or maybe "hold", eg when you're using it for a halt transition for example, it would mean "stop your back going with the movement". The usual translation of "anspannen" is "brace" or "tense" - which have the wrong implications in this context in English. Another translation is "exert" - which is perhaps closer to what is meant in the riding context - but sounds a bit wierd in English! You can anspannen without being braced or tense in the usual English sense!

If you think of it like this, I think you'll find there is less conflict of ideas - it's more a semantic problem! :D

Another famous problem arises with "Losgelassenheit", which also doesn't have a good English translation! :)