One sided rider????

[Perfect Pony]

ok strange question but just wondered if it was only me who had experienced this, when i school shadow i notice that he is worse on the right rein and when he is schooled by my friend he is worse on his left rein!!!
So your all thinking ok so????
But heres the catch she is left handed and im right handed, so just wondering.... is it possible for the rider to favour one side therefore making the horse favour one side!!! Also anyone got any ideas how i can sort this out so im more balanced!!! so we can both sort it out!!! :o
Strange huh!!!

[chev]

Most horses do naturally tend to prefer one side to the other. Horses who've never been handled at all will usually show a preferance for one side when they move at liberty in an enclosed area.

But under saddle, we do have a huge impact on one-sidedness. People will always have a strong side and a weak side, and riding nearly always reflects that. It's also nearly impossibel to judge yourself.

Best bet is find a good instructor who can pick up on what you might be doing and give you some help from the ground to sort it out.

[MeMe]

Ditto Chev

We all have good reins and bad reins as do horses.

Zak's worst rein is his right, however that is also my worst rein, I tend to collapse more to the right and lower my shoulder and also bring it forward.

The only way around it is for some serious lessons so the problem is identified, and any physio you may need should it be a physical problem, as I know I have back problems which contribute to my falling in on one side.

[Perfect Pony]

ok thanx guys, it may be due to my knee dislocation when i was smaller and it still gets quite sore so maybe that, will get my instructor to really have a look, havnt had a lesson in a while so will be good for me, also would like her to get (Nina) Left handed friend to do the same so she can assess us both with him as he def works better on oposite reins for us both!!!
Maybe we could do a dressage test and swap each time we wnat to change rein!!! :o :D :o ;)

[domane]

Can I also just add that it came to light about 5 years ago that I have a twisted spine! The physiotherapist who gave me exercises to unstiffen a dodgy neck (because of the spine!) told me that 30% of the population suffer a twisted spine to some degree!!!

I am not using this as a lame excuse for being an appalling rider (that's all my own doing!! :D ) but it does explain when during lessons I was told to sit straight and when "straightened" by my instructor, I always felt like I was unbalanced in the saddle and when I felt comfortable, I was actually sitting wonky. (These days just a happy hacker so no lessons in a while)

Can I also just add that the only way I know my spine is twisted is because if I lay in bed on my stomach, my natural inclination is to turn my head to the left and if I turn it to the right, it feels like I am over-stretching my neck/back!

I can also touch my nose with my left big toe but not my right!!! Even though I am right handed/footed.

So going back to this thread.... I wonder by twisting slightly to the left, it would affect a horse's balance when circling to the right....

[ajhainey]

As for why it seems backwards your stronger side is actually usually the one opposite to your writing hand. Most people have better strength in their 'offside' but better control in their writing side - or so said my (long ago) ski instructing notes (you get the same thing in skiing, most people turn one way MUCH better than the other).

aj xx

[Perfect Pony]

oh i see, so the oposites thingy again!!! Hmmmmm, i know i am stronger in my left side than right especially in my legs and wrists!!! weird hey!!!
So is it difficult to correct this so i work well on both reins???
Any exercises etc which may help!!!
thanx guys

[MeMe]

But I am weaker in my left side, but ride better and strong from this side?

Yet I have a weak wrist and weak ankle on this side and generally not alot of power?

On my right side I do have the probs but as long as I see the Chiro its kept at bay?

[Portia]

It may be that you're softer on the left and so is he as a result? Among my (very many) riding faults have been told I 'lock' on the right, hence mare is stiff as a board to that side, but soft as butter on the left.

[Pink's lady]

If you have a think about your riding, you'll find your much stronger with one leg. It's usually very noticable.

You can especially see it in begginers - they usually find heel hard to keep down and hold their legs in slightly different position.

The only person I know that doesn't is my mum (who can barely ride) who is truely ambidextrous.

I noticed that I was much stronger on my right side (being right handed0 and had to work hard to correct it. It's still noticeable though.

Pink is left-hooved. She finds the right side much harder to stretch and therefore finds circling on the left rein harder (think about it ;) ) Me sitting very slightly to the right (putting more pressure under the right panel) makes it even harder for her to stretch that side. So really I don't help. She finds it easier with my left-handed friends he sits slightly to the left.

But I am very consious of the fact that I collapse to the right (and her pushing her over with her bigger left shoulder doesn't help :rolleyes: ) and I work hard to correct it.

[Perfect Pony]

Thanx pinks lady will have a good think and experiment with that 2night, am trying to work it out now but think i need to be on horse for it to fully make sense!!! hmmmm............ Thankyou has put it into perspective for me now!! Oh one quick question what did u do to correct it!!! did u do anything off the horse to improve it???

[Cheeky]

Heya,

Yeah I agree - almost every horse has a prefered side .. just like humans :P

Every time I go into or come back to a trot - I always ALWAYS pick up the exact same diagonal unconciously - even if i try, I Cant get the other one lol! I love this diagonal :P

Cheek also loves this side :p he finds going to the left a lot easier ... his right side (espec in canter) is compeletly stiff, we have to work extra hard with this side. His canter, ooh its very short and sharp and bouncy - not smooth at all. We work in a forwards seat taking the weight off his back so he can stretch down, buck, grunt what ever ... for a few good laps in canter and trot - he really appriciates this and will soften up. HE also needs quite a bit of work in the canter on 20m circles on this rein before he starts to relax and get his back into order.

Lots of circles will help, and riding in forwards seat - letting them stretch their back is very VERY good for them and your blanace :p Cheek loves to lower his head and "bobble" along the ground, buck in the canter, arch his back ... just enjoy himself. AFter this little work out (Which can take up to 10 or more mins of working in the canter on the 20 m circle before he is stretched) he will willingly supple up, move alot easier etc..

Yeah, I found the best way is to work on the side that your horse is stiff or doesnt like on a little bit more than their comfy side. Not so much that they dread doing it - just that bit extra to get them over it :p

good luck