Sitting trot...without stirrups

[arabluvver]

I got Enlightened Equitation: Riding in True Harmony With Your Horse recently and read in chapter 4 about Heather's experience riding on Nimrod in a trot without stirrups. She had been taught to push her heels down even without stirrups, and subsequently Nimrod took off around the stable from her gripping. My instructor also advocates this, so that in the past few weeks (when she introduced it into my lessons) I would bounce all over the saddle. I know she'll probably have us do it again in my next lesson: what should I tell her? I don't want to start a major argument with her (which is not difficult :rolleyes: ), but I don't want to be stuck bouncing out of the saddle. Any advice?

[my chunky chap]

hi, i'm not sure what you should say to your instructor, but personnally i don't really see the piont in having to keep your heels down when riding without stirrups. I can't think of how it could help in any way, it sounds as though she is just making life hard for you. Whenever i rode without stirrups in my lessons we were always told to stretch right down through our legs to our toes, and to relax them and hang them like a rag doll. Good luck with talking to your instructor, im sure you'll think of something.

[arabluvver]

Yeah, she's really hard to talk to. I think I'm going to change stables...Thanks for advice!

[Wally]

You don't need to start a major row, What "my chunky chap" says is fairly right, relax, those legs, they don't belong to you, you can use them to counter balance your upper body, but you have found yourself that raising your toes without stirrups makes you bounce. Well done, you are on your way to riding with your head not orders from someone else.

Okay, now you have found that out, now keep your leg long and strech out down and grow tall, don't lean back, make an effort to grow UP. Now you'll feel your pelvis really start to rock, keep with it, rock on your seat bones, keep your leg long and under you and rock on your seatbones. Your back will be working, your stomach muscles will be toning up for all they are worth.

Keeping your toes up will make you bounce, it causes a chain reaction from your foot right through to your backside and back and then to your shoulders and neck.

RELAX that foot, point it down for several seconds at a time then let it go again.

[mikka]

I've had this "argument" with just about every instructor I've known, and not one of them has been able to explain to me the WHY part of the order.

Wally is right. Forcing your heels down will stiffen you and make you bounce. Follow her excellent instruction and you'll see a big difference in how well you can move WITH the horse's movement.

I wish someone could tell me whence this idea arose.

Arrgh! Pet peeve time!

[arabluvver]

Thanks for the advice. Mikka...I feel an "argument" coming on...*mischievous grin* :D

[kyanya]

The ideal solution would be to do whatever works for you, and make it really work. Then if the instructor says anything you can point out how you can sit much better doing what you do, rather than as she tells you. Hopefully the instructor wouldn't say anything, because she should notice the improvement, unless her ideal sitting trot is bouncing all over the place.

However, saying that will probably be much easier than doing. Even if you try to do what should make it easier, it may not take effect straight away. I'd say it's worth a try though, until anything is said. And if anything is said, my advice ends abruptly! I'm all to common with instructor/student clashes, and I have no good advice to offer!

[Ryoko]

my instructor was great with me...she told me to imagine as i was going around that i had a sack of potatoes hanging off each leg encouraging me to relax....odd but it worked :D...but u could also use the easy method...and buy a horse who has the smoothest possible stride like i did :D hehehe...try the potatoes...it completely works...and sit back slightly not alot but a bit. it help :D...i hope :rolleyes: lol