Going Backwards

[imabrit_us]

I'm going backwards. This is SO frustrating. I've spent much of the last five or six lessons feeling like a rank beginner all over again.

We've been working on deepening my seat, I've had my reins upside down, I've managed to crack keeping my upper body still (horrible fault), I'm maintaining an even contact, I'm able to stop/downwards transition using just my knee and thigh now rather than relying on my reins and I'm a much more confident hacker now.

But . . . I can't get the horse off the leg (again), my balance feels horrible (behind the movement), and I can't seem to keep all the necessary information in my head at once AND act on it all at the same time. So if I keep my hands/upper body still then I'm cocking my head. If I'm not rising from my toes then my knees tend to get tight (not grippy) giving an inadvertent half halt. If my head's on straight and my knees are soft, then I'm hollowing my back tipping forward onto my fork. Things I used not to think twice about I now can't do again. It's driving me crazy. And forget thinking about bend or improving the way the horse is going . . . Sunday I spent almost 40 minutes just trying to get Nimbus off my leg . . . no shapes, bend, straightness exercises . . . just endless, useless transitions. I knew WHAT to do (short, sharp transitions . . . starting w/ halt to walk, walk to trot and moving up to halt to trot, trot to halt, etc.) but I couldn't get her moving off the leg ENOUGH to not have to wallop her and I didn't think about hanging the stick down by my leg (which always works) until half an hour in. Why can't I do more than one thing at once?

I feel so useless.

[Pink Pony]

Poor you! Improving your seat is always a good idea when riding. With horse riding there is always something new to learn. I sympathise with the way you are feeling right now but try not to let it get you down. (Easier said than done I know). Sometimes something clicks when we are riding and we seem to make good, fast progress then suddenly it all stops and we feel like we're going nowhere- even backwards. I'm pretty useles in that I don't know what to suggest. What I can say, though, is that sometimes when we get in a bit of a rut we try too hard and it sends us into a downward spiral i.e the more we try the worse it gets. We wiggle around so much that the horse can't actually hear what we are asking him to do - conflicting messages and all that! There is also the possibility that your horse is bored - horses can so easily switch off. Maybe try to add something a little more exiting into your scooling sessions or even, simply, take a break - go for a hack and enjoy yourselves for a bit then go back and try again. Sorry I can't be more of a help - but don't let this little set back get you down - it sounds like you were beginning to do okay.

[Trewsers]

Can't really offer up any advice (am a very novicey rider myself!) but stick at it - am sure it will come good. If its any consolation, after a years worth of lessons (very confident capable lessons on my part) I've just got my own horse and finding that I've regressed slightly, I seem only to be capable of walk and trot at the moment, and I can't seem to remember to do the many things we need to do all at once in a balance co-ordinated way! I'm just keeping on practicing - it will come good eventually, I know it will........ :p

[kedwards]

Once we are comfortable with something, making major changes can throw everything off kilter for awhile until we adjust. It can feel like backsliding, but once you are through that period of readjustment, you'll likely see some huge improvements. Try to keep that in mind, while you are going through this tough period.

Do you have access to longe lessons? This can be a great way to work on deepening your seat without having to worry about pushing the horse on.

[Bay Mare]

It's normal to feel like this, you've changed something quite fundamental and it knocks everything else off for a while. It WILL be worth it in the end and you sometimes have to go a few steps back to be able to move forwards again :D