2nd lesson.. cantering!

[izo]

Well my O/h had his second riding lesson today, ..he is making me green with jealousy, he is a 'disabled' rider, (one arm amputated) and he done a great canter.. sat deep in the saddle and his bum looked like it was superglued!!! it took me AGES to learn how to sit into a canter!! his rising trot is pretty great too!! I am now convinced he goes and has sneaky riding lessons in his dinner hours at work!!:D ..he is currently moaning his 'bits' are hurting and his muscles are aching...has anyone got any advice on the sort of undies he should be wearing to help protect his bits n pieces? and any good exercises for his inside leg muscles? ..also another strange thing I noticed.. his inside leg is great (on both reins, but his outside leg seems to be wandering (whichever rein he is on) ..his instructor obviously can't see his outside leg (he is on a lunge rein at the moment!) and I don't know whether to point it out or not? .. any advice please (or any congratulations for him, for doing so well?:D ) (ego massage to help his legs n 'bits' feel better :rolleyes: )

thanks xx

[vikkig]

pat on the back for OH, that is good progress for him with it being only his 2nd lesson.

you could ask questions regarding his outside leg position? for example how do you feel your leg position is? nice open questions

has he been advised regarding different positions for circles? he might be trying to position it.

what type of reins is he using? is he using bar reins? i used to teach disabled riders and there is so many different types available.

it might be advisable to start a new thread about mens underwear and you might get some male newriders reading that might not read this one

[gypsy*syrah]

Huge CONGRATULATIONS to your OH, isn't it a pain when they are great riders :D

My OH started riding a couple of months ago and he is doing really well :cool:

Tight underwear would be my suggestion - some speedos! seriously, they give the support and keep things tucked away :rolleyes:

[izo]

hiya , thanks for such a quick reply, no he isn't trying to 'position' his leg, he knows he is having trouble with it, his inside leg has a great position, but the outside leg is just a mile away from the horses side, and his foot seems to keep slipping through the stirrrup?? he is just using regular reins, (we asked about ladder reins today, and the instructor said she would look into getting some for him).. :) ..he's doing really well, just don't want him to be put off by his sore bits and pieces and achy muscles!! lol I will start another thread about his undies!!! thanks xxx

[vikkig]

when he is starting and finishing his lesson if he stretches is legs it should help with the aches, these are done whilst sitting in the saddle. first one is to lift his saddle away from the saddle (using leg muscles only)and hold it for about the count of 3 then the other leg then both together. the other excercise is to lift his leg up on his saddle( again using leg muscles only) so he is sat like a jockey one leg at a time for the same count then both together. i do these as i have a pin in my hip and it helps with the pain i sometimes get........saying that i get everyone in my lessons to do them also.

regarding his leg position since it is his outside regardless of the rein he is working on it could be something to do with him being on the lunge. has he tried walking the horse in straight lines and seeing what his leg position is like? he needs to think about putting weight into his heal to stop the stirrup from slipping (thats if it is slipping towards his heal) and also think about putting he knees into the saddle, and pointing toes forward. (i know the basics). the exercises may help as it will loosen up his hip and his leg muscles.

ladder reins that is there name it had slipped my mind. i like both ladder and bar however only certain horses will respond to bar reins as it is like riding western.

keeps us posted with how he gets on. i like to here about all the OH that take a interest in your horses and even willing to give it ago.

i have one man in my life, he is 17.2hh chesnut roan and doesnt ask who i am going out with or when i will be back :):)

[izo]

Hi, thanks gypsy sarah, I have told him about the speedos (oh times have changed, he would of laughed at one time, he is considering going shopping in the AM!! hee hee.. yeah it makes you sick when people who don't really *care* get it right the first time!!! ;)

vikkig, lol ..its easier that way, your man sounds gorgeous!! I will swop you? ;-) I don't get your second excercise? (dur sorry if I am being thick!!) oh ok scrub that o/h has got it!!! (smartie pants!!!)
thanks very much.. I like this site.. full of lovely people with the 'horse bug!!!' xxx

[vikkig]

when i was writing it i thought it was a hard thing to explain. glad your OH got it. his riding instructor might know what i mean. i will get a pic of one of the kids doing it tomorrow to show you.

this is my other half and sorry wouldnt swap him for the world, i dont think freckles would even :)

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj11/vikkg/macnfrex2.jpg

[izo]

wow he is gorgeous... please swap? ? ? (I can throw in a sailboat too!!!! ) ;-) excuse me for being new here.. is there a 'friends' option on this site? and if there is, do you mind if I add you? ;-) xxx

[vikkig]

wow he is gorgeous... please swap? ? ? (I can throw in a sailboat too!!!! ) ;-) excuse me for being new here.. is there a 'friends' option on this site? and if there is, do you mind if I add you? ;-) xxx

i am quite new too so not sure but if there is add away and let me know how to do it and i will add you.

sailboat not going to swing it scared of water and fish :eek::eek::eek:

[Skib]

Hurting may be part of the price one pays for progressing so fast. My OH is much older (68) and has learned much slower.
He's done masses of sitting trot, and only one accidental canter, but he isnt ever sore.I suspect it is something to do with the proportion of weight you have on your two seat bones.
It could well be that your OH is instinctively using his thighs and legs to keep his balance when the horse goes fast. And yes, it is harder on the arc of a circle than it is going straight. Gripping with the outside leg might raise the knee and losen your foot in the stirrup.
But at this stage, he may need to grip.
When a person rides with an unequal body they instinctive compensate somehow. For instance I put less weight on my left hip, so I tend to hold my head to the left as I ride.
An inexperienced teacher might tell me to shift my weight to the right. But that isnt the case. My head is too far to the left because my weight is already too far to the right. My elderly body has devised its own way of riding safely. Little by little I have adjusted it. But one has to compromise.

If your OH is cantering in his second lesson with only one arm, he too must be making unconscious adaptations to keep himself centred on the horse. I know nothing about RDA, but one could suggest that it may unbalance him and cause him to lose confidence, if anyone with a standard BHS good position rule book intervenes and corrects him. However helpful they may intend to be. I too would say he needs to relax his legs - but it is definitely something that needs to be set in context.

[BlackBess]

Huge congrats to your OH on cantering on just 2nd lesson - am green with envy - took me ages to get the nerve to try a canter and I'm still bouncing about everywhere. Foot coming out of the stirrups sounds like he could be gripping with that leg - I had the exact same problem and it was because I gripped during canter. Might help to try to keep heel down and foot level to the floor.

Wish my OH would take up riding - want him to come on a riding holiday with me and he said categorically no so I told him to stuff it, I'll go on my own. He did try a trek once and started screaming at trot saying he'd done loads of damage to his bits. Can't really suggest anything regards undies but we're always told big granny pants so maybe he needs the male equivalent - big massive Y-fronts:D