Leaning or collapsing to one side

[imabrit_us]

Me . . . not Otis. My instructor has noticed that I tip my head to the right when on the right rein and on a circle . . . but it's most noticeable in trot and canter . . . AND I'm very unbalanced on the left rein, but only in canter. What we've figured out is that I collapse my right side and tend to sit more to the left (to accommodate the collapse) . . . what can I do while I'm NOT riding to retrain my muscles to sit straight (and, yes, I work at a computer all day and am right handed).

On the plus side, had a cracking lesson on Otis on Sunday . . . got walk to canter! I was soooooooooo chuffed. And he put in a couple of really good spooks in the outdoor school (I'd not schooled him outside before . . . just hacked him). A friend of ours came to deliver some hay and Otis really found the little girl in the pink bobble hat standing on the gate and waving at us ultra scarey . . . lots of snorting, bouncing up and down and shooting sideways . . . and I handled it fine. I think I can safely say my confidence has ratcheted up several notches in the past three or four months.

He's such a lovely boy. Never thought I'd get along with a thoroughbred (thought they were all too "much" for me) but he's a little gem.

[Mehitabel]

just practice, i'm afraid! i am the other way - i collapse my left hip and shoulder, and it really is just paying attention - set your watch to beep quietly every so often, or a prompt on your computer every half hour 'am i sitting straight'.

you could try going to a chiropractor or similar to see if there's a physical issue, i have various things up with my hips and joints that predispose me to collapsing as well as my inherent laziness, so when i am worse than usual i go to get straightened out.

i'd do that first, and then do any exercises to help straighten up, and other than that just nag yourself!

[Sophini]

I'm a collapser as well :D

Echo what es says, also (if your office wouldn't frown on it) i sit with my legs crossed on the chair so i am sitting straight otherwise i know i would lean to the left all the time which can't help.

;)

[cvb]

I found what helped with this was to focus on the gap between ribs and hip, rather than the ribcage itself.

i.e. the gap between left bottom rib and hip has to be the same as gap between right bottom rib and hip.

It may help to think of that space being occupied by a ballon and you mustn't squish the ballon ;)

It may also help to think about your breathing, as collapsing one side will mean you are not breathing fully/evenly either.

[KTSmini]

:D

I sit cross legged at my chair for the same reason!
Sadly my hips ache after a while of sitting like it- and when I get up, I stand like an old woman.

[stormbreaker]

the other good way of fixing a tipping to the left is to look to the right and vice versa this pulls your body back over do this every time you tip over and it should help.