How to stay on when horse takes off?

[Quarterbell]

I am an inexperienced rider. Because of the type of trail I ride on my horse and I are constantly having a bicycle zoom by us from various angles.

The bike trail is about 15 feet above our head but the bike riders have to cross the horse trail to get to it. Unfortunately most of the bike riders are not considerate of the horses and think nothing of darting out in front, zoom past from behind, etc.

I have learned how to ride out sideways spooks fairly well.

When a bike come from behind us and zooms past us my horse spooks and takes off. It is not really bad, only four or five big trots but because I am not prepared I lose my seat and almost fall over backwards.(Don't Laugh:D ). I am able to trot if I know its going to happen. It's just when I am suprised I totally lose my seat.
Should I be trotting more in the arena? Any suggestions on how not to do a somersault backwards?

Thanks.

[Wally]

Sounds to me as if you may have a bit of a "chair seat".

If you are sitting on the horse in true balance you should be able to stay with a failry un expected trot off. A totally un expected full gallop off you may find a bit un seating even if you are in true balance. but a trot should not make you roll back.

Are you sitting with a reasonable length of leg for your experience? Too long and you'll tip forwards, too short and it will be tippin you forwards.

Are you sitting with your tail bone tucked under you? If you are roll onto the front edge of your two seat bones, (one each side of your backside) and grow as tall as you can lifting up your ribcage, breath in then relax keeping your body where it is.

Keep your leg long and under you, a line fron your ear, shoulder, hip and heel.

It is a simple balance and experience thing, the more you practice the better you'll become.

[Quarterbell]

Thanks for replying. I don't think I have a chair seat. I will ask someone to take a look at me and see if that is what I am doing.

I can not see my toes when I look down.

I am always being told that I lean forward too much. I try to correct it as much as I can but when I relax I think I go back to leaning forward. Of course she always is spooked when I am relaxed.

Thank goodness she doesn't take off at a full gallop. I'd really be in trouble then.

[Stella2]

The mental imagery that helped me to improve my seat included 'imagine your hips and pelvis slightly in advance of your shoulders' and 'imagine your sitting on the horses tail (as opposed to the middle) and having lots of horse out in front of you'. Of course different imagery works for different people and this may not do it for you, but I must say it transformed my position!

[Quarterbell]

Thanks Stella2.

I tried thinking "there's a lot of horse in front of me" actually is helping me more so than my usual thought "stop leaning forward".

[Stella2]

It really does something to your position doesn't it? try imaging your're sitting on his tail - then it just seems there is a lot of horse in front of you and I find the image of having my pelvis and hips slightly in advance of my shoulders helped me to move better with the horse. A couple of weeks of this and any tilt forward (as in moments of instability) immediately felt wrong so was easily corrected!