leg problems

[hApPiNeSs]

i have a problem that i have a little bit of an armchair seat. not a lot but its annoying me . actually ive got a pic (im on the skewbald)


http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v241/happy_the_horse/chiverton/canter.jpg

i have even switched to a dressage saddle on my own horses which has helped a bit and riding without stirrups but im not seeing a lot of improvement! are there any exercises i can do to help?

im v. frustrated :mad:

[Sarah]

hello!

The probalem you have got is nothign to do with you so don't worry! The positioning of your stirrup leathers is such that if you want to sit in a ear hip heel line you would have to pull the stirup leathers back at a considerable angle for them to be in the right place. As the leathers are only fixed at one point (the top) they will swing when you trot and you will have a real job to keep your leg in the right position.

What woudl really solve your problem would be a new saddle with the stirrup bars further back, but that is a very expensive solution, so here is a cheaper one! Get a Heather Moffat setabone saver, this lets you sit a bit further forward int eh saddle so that then you are sitting over the stirrup bars a bit more and the stirrup leathers will hang a bit more vertically for you. you can get these from the 'better saddles' website (see box on RHS of the page). They also make your saddle as comfy as a sofa to sit on!

bye!

[hApPiNeSs]

ok thanks, why do saddlers make saddles like that then? :rolleyes:

hehe no offence to any saddlers out there! :D

[WhiteIceGem]

Off topic but...
Is that chiverton riding centre? Looks like it. Went there 4 a dressage demo a couple of months ago. Looks a nice place. Whats it like? Are lessons expensive? Are the horses nice?

[Sarah]

saddlers always used to make saddles with the stirrup bars further back, then when hunting became really popular last centuary and they addopted the leaning back seat to jump over hedges, you needed to stick your legs forwards to be able to 'balance' over the hedge! The bars just haven't really moved back since most jumpers or hunters have now adopted the 'normal' jumping position.