Help!

[Verne]

Hi everyone

I've just had my 6th lesson & although I love riding so much & would love to have a lesson every day, I'm having some problems!:( I am having lessons loose now but my feet keep slipping out of the stirrips on the trot. Also they keep giving me 'lazy horses' who are incredibly difficult to start walking never mind trotting! Is this normal? I nearly went flying head first the other day as she couldn't be bothered to put up with me amy longer & stopped abruptly mid trot!:o
Anyway, my instructor tells me I am having problems keeping my legs back, feet down etc , enough to kick the poor horse to go. I just can't manage to trot & nudge the horses side at the same time! Help, any advice?
Thanks :)

[taffy]

i know what you mean about the lazy horses ive been through them too, but it does make you a better rider in the end.

[Showjumper]

Quite possibly, in your attempts to make the horses go, you're tensing up with your legs, which is causing your feet to fall out of the stirrups.

Lengthen and relax your legs, and pinch with your legs, instead of trying to nudge. The easiest thing at this point would to be on the lunge, so that you can concentrate on your position and balance, while the instructor controls the horse.

Once all those until-recently-unused muscles shape up, you will find it difficult to co-ordinate rising with squeezing and not moving your hands etc. Just keep practicing, and keep the trot sessions short and sweet for the time being or you could easily pull or strain a muscle. And enjoy yourself - if you're smiling or humming, you're far more relaxed, and less likely to encounter problems.

[jUmPingIsLifE]

its a great idea to ask for a loung lesson, they help a lot!

its better to have them lazy then to have them running away. many many school horses/ponys turn lazy because they have kids pulling on their mouths and not making them really work, and lazy horses take care of kids that kick and flop around so they are good for beginer riders....in the way that they wont take off on you or get fast and scare you! if you want you could ask for a more foward going horse, just tell you instructer you are having a hard time doing 100differant things and making the horse go. my instructer likes the lazy packer type who will take care of the rider,

[nakedescapee]

my feet keep slipping out of the stirrips on the trot.
Hi. Here's a link to Galadriel's site. She explain's the "ins & outs" of leg position really well. http://trainersnotes.lorienstable.com/toes/

Good luck and don't worry, like everything else, practice will make all the difference.