I feel pathetic

[hApPiNeSs]

Yesterday when I was out riding, I decided to forget our schooling for the day. When we were trotting, I was landing right in the back of the saddle and my legs were flying everywhere. I felt stupid and ridiculus. So much in fact, that I got off and walked home. I couldnt cope with riding anymore, I just cant drill it into my thick skull to stop wriggling my legs. Its not fair on Happy and its stressing me out. I have looked at all the previous threads on trotting but nothing helps. Even my instructer is getting bored of my nonsense :mad:

Would a break from riding help? :(

[DavidH]

Relax, take a deep breath then hop down to your local tack shop and buy a pair of spur straps. Attach between stirrup and girth. This will prevent you from swinging your legs much and will train them to keep still.

Everyone has some problems in their riding. You just need to find the soultion that helps you.

[eventerbabe]

Great idea davidH, i was gonna suggest baler twine!! our old instructor used to do that with me all the time

[Nookster]

I get like this also when i am determind i should be able to do it right.

I think sometimes we get ourselves to mind set on trying to get it correct and end up trying far to hard. In trying so hard everything goes wrong, we get more upset as its going wrong, more tense, and its just a horrible feeling.

The only thing i can suggest - is don't try as hard. The only thing that works for me. Even this doesn't work sometimes as again i get myself all upset not trying to try and then knowing really i am trying to try.

Just try to remember we ride for fun :) You are learning and trying and not denying you know where you need to improve. You can't ask for more than that! Theres some riders out there in complete denial

[horsemad]

Don't give up! I think most of get days like that :o Sometimes when I ride, I think my legs belong to someone else - they are wobbling about all over the place, and I just can't seem to get them under control :o I have absolutely no idea why this happens some times more than others - it maybe partly depends on how my horse is going. Generally the lazier she is, the more my legs flap about because I'm having to work so hard to keep her going....but if she is more forward going, I can keep better control of my legs :)

Very good advice from Nookster - often the harder you try, the worse you ride because you become tense and it all goes downhill....

So don't be so hard on yourself - this is supposed to be fun, and I'm sure Happy isn't as critical of you as you are of yourself :)

[cvb]

Yesterday when I was out riding, I decided to forget our schooling for the day. When we were trotting, I was landing right in the back of the saddle and my legs were flying everywhere. I felt stupid and ridiculus. So much in fact, that I got off and walked home. I couldnt cope with riding anymore, I just cant drill it into my thick skull to stop wriggling my legs. Its not fair on Happy and its stressing me out. I have looked at all the previous threads on trotting but nothing helps. Even my instructer is getting bored of my nonsense :mad:

Would a break from riding help? :(

Dear. Ms Happy Hacker ;)

Why do you think a break from riding would help ? What's it going to do - would you be more relaxed, get a new body (if so please le me know how !), etc etc...

As you may tell, I can't see why a break will help. But, it does sound like there is something odd going on with your balance. What's the saddle like ? is it sitting you level etc ? Stirrups ?

Ok - now take one chill pill. Cos if saddle and stirrups are ok, then maybe there is some tension creeping in there and messing up your position when you are not looking :eek: (those position gremlins - arg !)

If you were landing at the back of the saddle, then its highly likely your legs were forward and you were behind the horse a little - so not a big surprise that your legs were flying. So, what can we do about that. Well, you've had the chill-pill - so what next ? make sure the horse was not rushing off - a nice steady trot is much better for you both, and there's no fire to get to.

I reckon, despite all my previous comments about lessons etc. that if you just relax and enjoy yourself, and stop trying so hard ! :eek: you will find that you relax back into a sensible riding position again :)

breathe deep, take a good look at the countryside, and RELAX !!!

[LittleD]

Just jumping in on this thread!

DavidH are spur straps the ones called Symmetry straps! I've got some of these but only tried them once when I was having lessons with an instructor who put the fear of God into me and my mare, and probably have bad memories of my mare running backwards with me on her trying to evade aforementioned instructor - I may dig them out and give them another try now we're in a happier relationship

[hApPiNeSs]

haha cvb - taken the chillpill :D

[Jessey]

So many good ideas but how about doing a little work with out stirups, I'm not talking hours of rising trot, just enough to get those legs to be under control with out any pedals, once you have got that you will be well away.

Don't worry about not being able to do stuff, it will come. I have ridden for over 20 years (english then changed to western 7 years ago) a couple of weks ago I dug out the english tack and discovered I am no longer capable of doing a sitting trot.....of any kind :( but I'm sure I will get there (again) with a little more practice :p

[Mary Poppins]

I know how you feel with flapping legs. My new pony can be very hard to get going sometimes and I end up flapping my legs like a pony mad child! Someone videoed me a few weeks ago and I couldn't believe how bad it looked. The thing is, he only responds to squeezing anyway and just ignores me so it isn't even like it is doing any good. I have been doing lots of work without stirrups which is helping and I also have a message drilled into my brain which I try to repeat when trotting which says 'keep your legs still!'.

Don't be too hard on yourself though. You have recognised an area of your riding which you need to improve and therefore have something to work towards. These things take time - I have been riding for over 20 years and sometimes I feel that I still haven't got the basics right.

[hackedoff]

Try a different instructor even just for a one-off. Can make all the difference.

[hApPiNeSs]

Thanks, but i think i know what the problem is.

I am a major stress head who expects too much of herself and her pony :rolleyes:

Looking at my training log, things havent been going to badly (why couldnt i see that before), and I have calmed down a bit now. Sorry for taking my stress out on here. :( :o :( :o

Tonight i am going to give Happy a juicy carrot and tell her i dont care about how well she does. :)

A quick questions about tying my stirrups - wont it pull them too far forward? and how tight should I tie them? :)

[Loopslou]

Glad you are feeling more positive Happiness. Keep looking at the training log and realising what you are achieving ;)

now, where did you find those chill pills, I'm in need of some myself :D I'm just being a big jessie at the moment, need a good kick up the backside! Glad I read your post though, its give me a little food for thought and its good to know we aren't on our own when we have our little crisis of confidences.

Keep up the great work Happiness and I'm sure it will all come together for you ;)

[hApPiNeSs]

I have to keep a stash of chill pills. :o I dont know whats up with me. Im at the stage where Im past the 'basics' and riding starts to become hard to improve. :rolleyes: Im stuck ina rut and dont like it!!! :eek: :rolleyes: :o

[Loopslou]

I feel like that too and I'm sure the majority of us on here get that way at some stage as well.

Perhaps some tuition would help? I'm thinking of going down that line with Amber as its 2 steps fowards 10 back with her (I'm trying to keep thinking of the goods steps forwards and not dwell too much on the backward steps).

Keep your chin up and keep thinking positively, and if you need a good rant then PM me! ;)

[cvb]

Thanks, but i think i know what the problem is.

I am a major stress head who expects too much of herself and her pony :rolleyes:

Looking at my training log, things havent been going to badly (why couldnt i see that before), and I have calmed down a bit now. Sorry for taking my stress out on here. :( :o :( :o

Tonight i am going to give Happy a juicy carrot and tell her i dont care about how well she does. :)

A quick questions about tying my stirrups - wont it pull them too far forward? and how tight should I tie them? :)

Happiness - tying your stirrups got discussed on another thread and got a big thumbs down for all sorts of reasons. Other than the point you raise about alignment, there is also a question of whether it will truely re-educate your leg position, or just mask the problem !

One thing - when you are not using your legs, are they in a good position ? If so, then it seems to make sense that using your leg less will help ;) So - perhaps we need to persuade Happy to listen a little more to you ? This is a circular argument cos if you "talk" less with your leg, they often listen more to when you Do use them. So - when you use your legs - Happy needs to respond - there and then, not later ! And if you get a response, then keep those leggies quiet :D You don't want to be a nag ;) (pun intended).

[LinzCos]

Have you tried riding a different horse? I have a big TB who is very bouncy and I find it much more difficult to sit still on him compared to my little Sec C pony.

Also, it boosted my confidence to see someone else struggle to ride my horse although this might backfire if they don't have a problem so chose a rider carefully ;)

[hApPiNeSs]

cvb - that is definatly not a problem. if i even think about going faster we go faster :D :o Shes a very sensitive girl! Slowing down however, is another matter.

Happys trot is VERY VERY flat and lacks impulsion (which is something im despretly working on) maybe im trying too hard because she has literally no bounce in her trot. My legs stay perfectly still in sitting trot

[Loopslou]

this may sound like a silly question, but what footwear do you use? I always ride in short boots and for a while there half chaps as well. I found one day when I forgot to bring my chaps up to the yard that my lower leg was all over the place when trotting. I stopped using chaps and my long boots for a good few months and now ride only in short boots. I think the extra support around my calves helped me keep a good position but without it in rising trot I was awful. It may be an idea :rolleyes:

[Em 1]

Yesterday when I was out riding, I decided to forget our schooling for the day. When we were trotting, I was landing right in the back of the saddle and my legs were flying everywhere. I felt stupid and ridiculus

You don’t need to feel ridiculous. We all have bad days! Did you feel tired? That can make you rise out of synch and land on the back of the saddle. Has your horse put on any weight with the spring grass? Even a little bit may mean that more of your leg length is taken up by your horse’s barrel so your stirrups are too long. This makes your leg swing as you describe.

Would a break from riding help?

In my opinion it probably would. When I took a break from riding it made it completely clear to me that horses were in my blood. I missed riding so much. If you don’t miss riding you want to wait until you are ready to ride again and then find an instructor who suits you. A break lets you put into perspective what you want to do with a horse and what you want to get out of a horse.

Good luck anyway. The fact that you are prepared to jump off and lead rather than ride him ‘badly’ shows how loving you are towards your horse. Relax and enjoy for a couple of rides!

[danielle:>]

. When we were trotting, I was landing right in the back of the saddle and my legs were flying everywhere.

Can't really help with the leg problem , but about landing in the back of the saddle my old instructor told me something that really helped . Imagine that you are trying to put your hips in between your hands . It really helped me , and was also good fpr keeping my hands still ( I really couldn't tell you how this thing helped mt hands but somehow it did . weird :rolleyes: ) . But I think the only problem with this is that it could make you rise too high , so you have to watch out for this

Danielle
xxx

[*toHorse&Away*]

Its stressin' and beating yourself up is the problem.
I do it too.
Some of the guys on this thread and others have talked a lot of common sense.

The less of the million things to remember going on in your head the easier it seems.

Chill pill = Bach flower recipe, nice and calming
Have a hum, keep breathing and relax.

Gonna do same this aft and stop worrying about getting everything spot on. ;)

Good luck

[cvb]

cvb - that is definatly not a problem. if i even think about going faster we go faster :D :o Shes a very sensitive girl! Slowing down however, is another matter.

Happys trot is VERY VERY flat and lacks impulsion (which is something im despretly working on) maybe im trying too hard because she has literally no bounce in her trot. My legs stay perfectly still in sitting trot

Ok - second prescription is - chill pill for Happy !!

I also spent a lot of this weekend trying to convince Fi that there was no fire to get to :rolleyes: Try a million or two half halts ;)

[hApPiNeSs]

I rode her yesterday and she kept getting disunited in canter. Yet another problem. Ho hum :rolleyes: never mind though, because we had the GREATEST free schooling session at the end of our hack! I *was* free schooling fern over some jumps, but H looked jealous and wanted to join in. so i let her in too :) So I had both of them running round (i felt like that lady with all the arabs!) :D

Fern had done enough then so I let her back out into the yard, but kept Happy in. She needed a bit of encouragement, in the form of a flying lead rope :o but i got her trotting around. Then, all of a sudden SHE WENT IN AN OUTLINE! she was so beautiful! :eek: Then dropped her head and chewed! she wanted to join up! :D so i did and then sent her out again in a canter. Ok, her canter leaves a lot to be desired but everytime she went flat or disuntied (this sounds mean) but i shouted at her to waken her up a bit. Then at the end a gave her a good scratch, and out she trotted into her field (in an outline of course) , and reared! this is the first time i have ever seen her rear :D

[cvb]

That sounds great ! I used loose and lunge work a lot to help with Fi's canter. She used to go disunited a lot - and now rarely does. I think its a combination of muscle memory and fitness (having sorted an underlying hip problem out - which may be recurring from time to time).

I've just added long reining into the repetoire.

We've had my mum's Fell from 4 - "just backed" - couldn't walk in a straight line or turn a corner ! :rolleyes: So i know what training he has had, cos I did or was involved in most of it. he's now 18 and I've long reined him loosely once before only. Well in the meantime I had a long rein lesson and got a better idea of what to do. So had another go on Sunday and he just sort of went "oh, thats what you want" and went into dressage pony mode :eek: I was soooo impressed with him. :p

Aren't those moments great :D

[hApPiNeSs]

:D so great! I will try and get some pics tonight