2nd lesson

[suseh97]

I had my 2nd lesson yesterday and I enjoyed it but I have bad habits already :o
I am very unbalanced which I guess is only to be expected after 26 year break. I move about far too much. Everytime I use my legs I am up out of the saddle and tipping forward. I can even feel myself doing it. Not a problem when walking but as soon as horse starts trotting there I am swinging about. I keep trying to remember not to do it but I also have to remember to use my legs and steer the horse so I end up forgetting until I am mid tip forward. Aaaagh. Anyone used to do this and have any tips on how I can stop?
Oh and I grip with my knees. RI had me doing excercises to try and combat this.
Feel so sorry for my poor RS horse having me like a big sack of tatties thumping around on her back. She is so patient too. If I was a horse I would have bucked me right off on the 1st lesson :p

[SpringySpring]

You sound like me! I'm a 'messy' rider - my arms and legs stick out all over the place and I move about far too much - and its taken me 11 years :eek: but things are finally coming together since changing RS. What I found helpful was having some lessons on the lunge, and taking away my reins (and stirrups at times) so I could really concentrate on my position. My arm positon has improved so much. Try not to override the horse, let her do all the hard work ;) this is where I found being on the lunge useful, because the instructor keeps the horse going. :)

[storm35]

I am on my 5th lesson and i feel like i am jumping to reach the sky when i trot lol.

[Grinyer224]

horses will be used to this happening - it happens a lot more than u think,

i had my 6th lesson 2day and started trot last week. my posture was really bad (i cud hardly raise out of the saddle either) this was on the lead.
this week RI got me on the lunge and i have nearly mastered it (thers a post in general with a vid 'wat a shock....'

wat im saying is ask if u can go on the lunge for a few lessons

soz bout it being this long but im bored so i babble

[storm35]

horses will be used to this happening - it happens a lot more than u think,

i had my 6th lesson 2day and started trot last week. my posture was really bad (i cud hardly raise out of the saddle either) this was on the lead.
this week RI got me on the lunge and i have nearly mastered it (thers a post in general with a vid 'wat a shock....'

wat im saying is ask if u can go on the lunge for a few lessons

soz bout it being this long but im bored so i babble

Lol so when you are bored you babble?? Lol well its not boring me, can i ask what a lunge is??

[Grinyer224]

lunge line - it's a lead rope about 3 or 4 metres long so you go round in circles
look at this http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=155556

it's me on a lunge. really good

of course i babble - ive got nothin else to do

[storm35]

lunge line - it's a lead rope about 3 or 4 metres long so you go round in circles
look at this http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=155556

it's me on a lunge. really good

of course i babble - ive got nothin else to do

LOl, i see lots of people on this, what is the difference between riding and using the lunge?

[storm35]

Lovely, you look like you have the knack there, i bounce much higher than that. Wish we had an indoor school, our RS is outdoors and the playground is much smaller than yours.

[Grinyer224]

ours is a 40X20 i think we've got an outdoor 2 but it's not advertised. Theres a field next to the indoor which has a small course in. looking at it though i think we have the equipment to put a jump up at about 3ft

[suseh97]

I'll ask about lungeing at next lesson. Thanks

[BlueWicked]

i sympathise - i had a 10 year break from owning a horse during which i only rode a handful of times.....

When I started back with lessons about a year ago I had lots of similar problems to you...

Here's a bit of advice for you though form someone whose coming out the other end so to speak................. dont try too hard ;) Seriously. I got so hung up on where my lower leg should be, keeping it still and stopping it swinging, keeping my hands still etc etc that the fun was going out of it and it felt very negative and frustrating. The RI i was going to was always on about my position and I just felt like I couldnt get it right. However I started by chance really with a differnt RI since April. He doesnt focus too much on my position and said to me to stop thinking about it and concentrate on riding propely and trying to get the hose going well... I had a lesson today and he says we are like a different horse and rider:D What has happened is exactly what he said would happen - by riding my horse more positvely and gaining confidence that has come with TIME, by getting back riding fit and re-developing my balance and core stability, my position has comr right by itself. Ok still lots to work on, but those things I was worrying over have gone away by themselves....

really, what im saying is, to combat this the best way is to get out there and ride , ride ride, re-develop that seat and balance, get riding fit ... then you'll find it a lot easier. Lots of hacking ;)

hope this helps :)

[clipclop24]

suseh97 where abouts in Renfrewshire are you? Are you riding in renfrewshire? just wondering as I have just returned after a 6 year break. Got my second lesson on thursday at Boydstone Stables in Lochwinnoch. So excited!!!!

On my first lesson I had much the same problems as yourself, hunching shoulders, hands all wrong, looking down etc. After I was a little dishartened. But what both you and I have to remember is it took a long time learning when we first rode and with all those years off your balance, confidence, musle structure etc will all have changed. These will all come again in time so dont get to hung up or worry. (easy for me to say, I know)

I agree with the others tho some time on the lunge with RI in control of horse will give you some time to focus purely on your position and movment. Its worth a try if your RI feels you would benefit from it.

[Grinyer224]

i still have trouble with looking down. But im getting better since i've started trot on lunge coz otherwise ill get dizzy and loose the beat of the horse in rising trot

[christinarina]

This might be a stupid question but if not with your knees, how are you supposed to hang on?! I wonder if I might be guilty of doing this because one of my knees hurt a lot after my first lesson. I had a cruciate ligament recon. on it almost 2 years ago now so maybe it's just not used to the riding action. I'm pretty sure I probably hang on by my knees too tho!

Christina

[Grinyer224]

This might be a stupid question but if not with your knees, how are you supposed to hang on?! I wonder if I might be guilty of doing this because one of my knees hurt a lot after my first lesson. I had a cruciate ligament recon. on it almost 2 years ago now so maybe it's just not used to the riding action. I'm pretty sure I probably hang on by my knees too tho!

Christina
i don't i've been taught to put my weight in the stirrups - its like standing up on a bicycle. u don't really have support, if u do it to the right beat then you should be fine - other people will have different views and RI's r different so it may be worth asking yours