The Basics !!

[tim k]

Hi,

I have a few questions as I have an assessment coming up very early next week and was wondering whether any of you could shed some light on these points :

1. Rising Trot
My understanding is that you rise to the trot when the horses´outside leg is back (and the inside is therefore forward). Many people seem to look down (at what exactly?), but how or even can you feel when you are on the correct diagonal ?

2. Sitting Trot
My main problem with this is absorbing the movement when the stirrups are too far up. I have relatively long legs and find this much much easier when the stirrups are very low down or even off ! I was wondering whether this is a common problem.

3. Canter Strike Off
Do you time the aids before the corner or on the corner. This seems easier on a circle, but this is obviously not practical when you are going large.
I have also found that some horses seem to be able to get into canter a lot more quickly than others !

4. Canter
As the leg aids are inside leg on the girth, outside leg behind the girth are these aids kept in the same position throughout the canter or are both legs straightened ?

5. Downward Transitions
I am having problems with my downward transitions from canter to trot, and making it clear to the horse what means what (ie. now move from canter to trot rather than canter to walk & differences in buttock/upper thigh pressure, or is this just practice ?) Any advice ?!

6. Tighten Reins
Whenever I am told this, I seem to get into trouble, ie. the horse resists. I am always being told to tighten the reins, but the horses don´t seem to like this too much. And if I don´t tighten the reins, I am going against the instructor´s wishes (so what do I do ?)

7. Sensitive Horses
I have had a chance to ride some Spanish horses. They are completely different to the riding school ones I have been used to. Does anyone have experience with these ?

Sorry for the long list of questions, but I have been out of practice and should have sorted out these issues a long time ago !






Is 1. Rising Trot 2. Sitting Trot 3. Canter Strike Off 4. Canter 5. Downward Transitions 6. Tighten Reins 7. Sensitive Horses

[Wally]

I shall try, but if Heather is about she'll put it better than me! and put me right!;)

1) Rising trot, rise and fall with the leg on the wall, to feel this you need to be completely aware of the rise and fall of your pelvis as the horse trots. Your bum and the horses back are divided beautifully in two, as the horse steps under with a hind leg that side of his back and cosequently your pelvis will drop too and the other hip will rise. Right, go into trot and feel which hip drops, if you want to be rising as the out side, front leg swings forward then you need to feel your outside hip drop and rise on the next stride!

The horses legs go in diagonal pairs so when your inside hip drops then the front outside leg has to be swinging forward. When your outside hip drops then the front inside leg must be swinging forward.

2) You don't say what the exact problem is with sitting trot, is it an upper or lower body problem....most stem from the seat, again if you are not following the horse and driving both seatbones into the saddle this will cause your thighs to rise, your lower leg to wobble about and your upper body and hands will swing about. It all comes down to the rise and fall of the pelvis and absorbing the movement through a rocking pelvis, not a driving one.

3) If you are on riding school horses you will find some are positivley impossible to get into a good willing canter.
You can ask for canter anywhere you like, but with novice horses it does help with the lead on a corner. I ask just before the corner, depending who I am riding. My horse I can ask just about anywhere and he'll oblige, schooling I ask on a corner.

4) Now this is somethiong that I have been taught to do, but Heather does not like, keeping your leg too far back confuses the horse especially if you want him to go large. Heather rocks a little more weight onto the front edge of the inside seatbone and then uses only the inside leg for the strike off. Heather if you are about I'd be greatful of a full explaination of your canter methods.

5) It all depends upon how much seat you use, a strongly squeezed backside will bring the horse from canter to walk, a gentle squeeze followed by the seat and legs to continue in trot will, or should get trot.


6) Tighten the reins.....what does this mean? I find folk climb higher and higher up the reins in an effort to take up a contact, they end up with straight arms, stiff shoulders and off balance. The horse goes tense as there is no lightness in the hand and everything turns to manure!

I think what is meant is to take up a more elastic contact, if anything bend your elbows and let the reins slip through your fingers and let them go longer if anything carrying your hands in amore sympathetic way. If you have your elbows bent and carry them belwo your shoulder you have a beautifully elastic set of joints which can follow the horse's movements. Add to this the wrists being gently curving around your body with the thumbs on top you can then add even more subtle elastic joints. You an instantly give 2 inches of rein by opening your fingers, 5-6 inches of rein by giving with your wrists and 2 feet of rein by dropping your hands and vice versa.

7) I have ridden some Spanish, some of Heather's school masters and mistresses, and I have some mega sensetive competition horses. Heather's school masters are forgiving and generous to a fault, make a mistake on them and you'll end up with a levade, but a kind one!:D Make a mistake on a horse of high mettle and spirit and you can end up, both of you on yer bum!

You have to be aware of every little move you make, Make sure you have full control over all your muscle groups and make sure when you tense your seat your calf does not go in sympathy with it, similar for lots of muscle groups which naturally want to move together. Make sure that you know what you are asking the horse to do, asking him to slow while desperatly gripping up won't work.

Riding school horses are nowhere near a real competition horse. You learn to make mistakes on forgiving school horses, then you get on something which is not so eager to ignor your loss of balance and away you go sideways across the school!

Sorry lot of waffle, but if any of it makes sense....

[elizadoolittle]

Just a note about question 1 really - when your going in a circle you should be sitting when the outside shoulder comes back towards you, you can do this by glancing down but in time should be able to feel it happening as explained in the previous reply - hope this helps.

[Tumbleweed]

Wally has given you good information but I would like to add, in the canter strike off, what I tell people who haven't been riding long or are having problems is that a corner is a quarter of a 10 metre circle and is riden the same. You should be in sitting trot for this. Inside hip forward and this puts you in the right position to use your legs. I also tell them to take their knees off the saddle a little, this stops them from stiffening up and bringing thier butts out of the saddle. The inside leg should be in the right place, and with the outside leg to give a strong aid, and the horse should go into canter.

For cantering round, your hip should come back into position on the straight sides and go forward for the corners. Both legs should be used to keep the canter going.

For the downward transition from canter to trot, again I ask the rider to take the knees off the saddle so that the bottom stays in the saddle, this is only very slightly, not right out to the sides, then ask for the downward transition of stopping the movement, and closing your thighs etc.

Like Wally I don't understand what you mean by tighten the reins.