gripping up!!!!

[Lita]

hi all

I've been riding for most of my life (I'm 27) and still have this awfull habbit that I can't break I grip up with my knee's in all but mainly canter gaits can some one please help me with this I'm quite a nervous rider always have been and think I aways will be.

[Remmy]

Hi Lita,

This is a problem which I quite clearly remember having myself despite riding regularly.

For me, it was a case of balance. Other factors can include poorly designed or positioned saddle and slippery saddle seat. These can be sorted fairly easily. Maybe ask a saddler to check the fit and position of your saddle or pick up the little book called 'Saddle fitting' by Kay Humphries. Also consider a 'seatbone saver' if your saddle is slippery. This will help you sit near the middle of the saddle and give a little grip too.

The balance thing just comes with practice. If the horse is trustworthy, try walking out without stirrups. When you have the chance to ride in a school then gradually work up to some trot. Better still, if you have lessons ask your instructor to put you on the lunge and work without stirrups. Take a look also at Heather Moffett's 'a kinder way' acticle on this site http://www.newrider.com/Kinder_Way/introduction.html

Hope this helps

Vicki

[Meghan]

I tend to ride with my legs too loose. When I ride the rounder horse, my legs are all over the place. My instructor is always telling me to keep my legs on the horse, and that I should be holding on with my thighs. I am not picturing this well at all.

When riding bareback, I felt so comfy, I was quite relaxed. Of course, then I slid all over the place.

I have heard that I should drape my legs like a wet towel, but I can't seem to apply the imagery. How do I hold on with my legs while *not* gripping? Am I supposed to hold on with my thighs? What about my calves? How do I keep them on the horse but still relaxed?

[fionahogg]

You need to develop an independent, 'deep' seat (when I say deep, that doesn't mean you sit 'deeply' in the saddle - this would depress the horse's back and therefore make him unable to work comfortably on the bit - you just appear to sit deeply because you move in time with the movement of the horse's back)
Anyway, I would suggest that when you grip with your knees, you do so because you are unable to use your seat effectively to absorb the horse's movement. This makes you tense and you therefore grip. This will in turn make you more tense because there is now no chance of you effectively absorbing the movement so you just bounce around!
You need to learn to move your seatbones in time with the movement of the horse's back. See Heather's pages for more info or post on the Enlightened Equitation forum. I'll try to explain briefly here:
In walk, as, for example, the right hind leg moves forwards underneath the horse, the right side of his back underneath where you are sat will 'dip down'. You therefore have to dip your right seat bone. As this happens, the left hind leg will be about to push up off the ground so the left side of the back will 'rise up'; you have to move your left seat bone upwards. The same happens for trot and its similar in canter but at a faster pace.
When you've learnt to use your seat independently you should be able to ride without gripping with your knees because you can now absorb the horse's movement effectively.
Riding without stirrups can be helpful in some cases but you must make sure you follow the above steps to absorb the movement otherwise you will end up in a viscious circle and grip with your knees even more!!

Hope this has helped, do try to look at Heather's pages by following Remmy's link if you can, she will explain much better than me!

Fiona.

[Dizzy]

You've already had very good advice. One other thing I think would help you is to ride in the cross country position, stood up in your stirrups. This will help your balance and to encourage your weight down through your legs.

I know you didn't mention your balance, but to be able to remain stood up in your stirrups, with your weight falling through your legs/heels will give you an indication of when you are gripping, you will lose your balance and be unable to absorb the horses stride. If you stand up in your stirrups and keep your lower back and legs loose and concentrate on the horses movement, you'll learn how to direct your weight downwards. Personally I find trot the best stride to do this in, If you find it difficult at first to keep stood up grab a lump of mane, keep your head up, shoulders open, and nice relaxed regular breathing.

Another exercise is, have your horse walking round the school, in a long relaxed stride, have your bum underneath you, so your sat on the soft part and your pelvis is forward, lift both legs off the side of the horse, twist your knees in towards the horse to allow as much of your inner thigh to make contact with the horse/saddle then drop your legs as low as you can. Its good to this without stirrups, you are looking to lengthen your leg, you'll be amazed when you've done this a few times how restricting your stirrups will feel.

When your weight drops through a relaxed leg into your heel(from cross country position) and you've lowered your thigh/knee with the other exercise you'll recognise straight away when you're gripping.

Hope this helps

Lesley

[LadyLimerik]

My old trainer used to tell me to grip more with my knees to take some weight out of my stirrups. But then I developed the problem of gripping my knees up so bad that my weight wasn't even in the stirrups anymore and that threw my balance off. But it's weird because I didn't do it when riding bareback. And it couldn't have just been the saddle because I rode in many different saddles. Anyway what i was trying to get at was is it good to grip a little with you knees or should they just be against the saddle?

[Dizzy]

You shouldn't be gripping with any part of your leg. Gripping causes tension in your leg, which stops your weight falling through your heel, it also shortens your leg length, making your upper leg/bum tense and your upper body unbalanced.

The most secure way to stay in the saddle, is sitting up tall, with open shoulders, shoulders above your hips, sit on the saddle with the fleshy part of your bum (so that your seat bones are forwards, not poking the horse in the back), your legs should be draped around the horse with your feet underneath you, and imagine that your weight falling towards the floor and leaking through your heels. As the horse moves underneath you, absorb his stride with a relaxed lower back/bum and thighs.

If you have tense muscles, the horse can not 'read' your aids, so can only respond to 'kick' to walk on and reins for halt.

Hope this helps

Lesley

[fionahogg]

You could also try 'legs away' - not sure if someone already meant this, I might have misinterpreted their post.
If you have last month's issue of Your Horse then there is an article on it in there.
Basically, you lift the whole of your legs away from the horse and hold it there for as long as you can - believe me it hurts if your not supple. You do the exercise in all 3 gaits - I guess because the leg is away from the saddle you can't then grip with your leg.
Even if it doesn't help too much it will always increase your suppleness and make you more able to feel your seatbones (especially if your saddle is not particularly comfy :) )

Fiona

[Mossy]

I was actually taught to grip with my knees, and it took me so long to break the habit that an exasperated instructor gave me some rather coarse but very memorable advice. If you sit with hips spread and legs long you won't go far wrong. A mental illustration for the hip position was child birth. Not far out if you think about it.

[rachil]

I have found, quite unexpectedly, that wearing a paip of jod boots with soles that have a really good grip improves my leg position, especially helping me to grip less with my knees and lengthen my legs. Makes sense, because if I feel more secure in the stirrups I'm more likely to relax my legs, I guess. Hope this helps,

[Wally]

Riding mega sensitive horses has been the making of me as a rider. I HAVE to be aware of what every part of me is doing otherwise it all turns to manure at 90 miles an hour!

If I was to ride with tense legs I'd be on Mars beore I knew it.( on my own horse) Okay this is not the remedy for a novice but it's something to think about.

Balance is at the heart of the problem, gripping up is purely from a lack of suppleness and balance. Get lunge lessons regularly and you'll be amazed how quickly you come on.