Hevz2001
22nd Jun 2004, 08:24 PM
Hi everyone....
I haven't really written about my riding for a while so I thought I'd start by saying how great everything has been lately. For those of you who didn't know I had major problems with my confidence (even walking around on a horse was frightening for me!) and in the past 3 months or so, things have really picked up, I'm more or less back to how I was before my accident two years ago and I've really been enjoying riding again. (And boring any non-horsey person whos polite enough to listen!). I had a really good lesson last week, where I really seemed to be in tune with the horse, and he seemed so light, never coming off the bit and I felt like I was some sort of champion rider! I felt so proud of myself and had the biggest smile on my face! My instructor said that that time was one of the best shes seen both me and Sky go and I felt that it was THE best.
I was itching to get back on this week and continue on with my progress, so you can imagine how disappointed I felt when I just couldn't seem to get the horse to go as well. I'm pretty sure it's something I'm doing (or not doing) because he was going so well in other respects, such as coming on to the bit, listening when I wanted to go into a downward transition and turning ok in walk, even on a long rein, but I was having trouble in trot.
I had trouble asking him to trot at first, but this improved when I adjusted my position. But I kept finding that I couldn't keep my balance very well...I felt very tense....as though I was trying too hard. (I felt like I was trying too hard anyway).
The main problem was steering him really. I had the same problem last week but I managed to sort it out. This week though, no matter how hard I tried to steer sky with my seat and legs, trying to keep him on a circle, he kept trotting practically into the fence! I ended up using my reins (but got told off!) and found that he would just sort of "bulge out" (as if he was about to topple over, into the circle ...if that makes any sense!) so I trotted on a loose rein but ended up nearly going to the fence again. (He would trot towards the fence, then stop, then turn in walk).
I don't really know where I'm going wrong. Last week I managed to sort it out by using my seat and legs to keep him on the circle and my reins were just "there" to stop him "bulging out". This week no matter how hard I tried it just didn't seem to work! I know it's me and not just Sky because he listened to everything else, and I could tell he was genuinely confused by what I was asking him!
I also found that sometime he'd drop back into walk, even though I kept squeezing with my legs to try and maintain the trot!
Has anyone had the same problem and could they give me any tips/advice on how to use my seat and legs more effectively?
Thanx!!! xxx :)
I haven't really written about my riding for a while so I thought I'd start by saying how great everything has been lately. For those of you who didn't know I had major problems with my confidence (even walking around on a horse was frightening for me!) and in the past 3 months or so, things have really picked up, I'm more or less back to how I was before my accident two years ago and I've really been enjoying riding again. (And boring any non-horsey person whos polite enough to listen!). I had a really good lesson last week, where I really seemed to be in tune with the horse, and he seemed so light, never coming off the bit and I felt like I was some sort of champion rider! I felt so proud of myself and had the biggest smile on my face! My instructor said that that time was one of the best shes seen both me and Sky go and I felt that it was THE best.
I was itching to get back on this week and continue on with my progress, so you can imagine how disappointed I felt when I just couldn't seem to get the horse to go as well. I'm pretty sure it's something I'm doing (or not doing) because he was going so well in other respects, such as coming on to the bit, listening when I wanted to go into a downward transition and turning ok in walk, even on a long rein, but I was having trouble in trot.
I had trouble asking him to trot at first, but this improved when I adjusted my position. But I kept finding that I couldn't keep my balance very well...I felt very tense....as though I was trying too hard. (I felt like I was trying too hard anyway).
The main problem was steering him really. I had the same problem last week but I managed to sort it out. This week though, no matter how hard I tried to steer sky with my seat and legs, trying to keep him on a circle, he kept trotting practically into the fence! I ended up using my reins (but got told off!) and found that he would just sort of "bulge out" (as if he was about to topple over, into the circle ...if that makes any sense!) so I trotted on a loose rein but ended up nearly going to the fence again. (He would trot towards the fence, then stop, then turn in walk).
I don't really know where I'm going wrong. Last week I managed to sort it out by using my seat and legs to keep him on the circle and my reins were just "there" to stop him "bulging out". This week no matter how hard I tried it just didn't seem to work! I know it's me and not just Sky because he listened to everything else, and I could tell he was genuinely confused by what I was asking him!
I also found that sometime he'd drop back into walk, even though I kept squeezing with my legs to try and maintain the trot!
Has anyone had the same problem and could they give me any tips/advice on how to use my seat and legs more effectively?
Thanx!!! xxx :)