Lesson with Vic! Pic!!!

[toohorsemad]

Ok I need some honest comments!!! Ok here is me riding Vic! In our lesson I am scared! Do I look terrible? I have been riding for 2 years and I don't feel like I am going anywhere! I love Vic in the pictures! :D But I think I look terrible! :( Can you tell me what I can inprove on and how!

Ok here is where we were troting: I though this one looked ok!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a390/obsessionofhorses/Horseridinglesson069.jpg

Ok here is the other troting one:
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a390/obsessionofhorses/Horseridinglesson018.jpg

Here is the best canter one I got, I know its fuzzy but my camera isn't great!http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a390/obsessionofhorses/Horseridinglesson064.jpg

Please tell me your honest opinions!!!

[vimto92]

You look good.....I really wouldn't know though because I am a beginner but your position looks ok and you are focused.

[phyzelda]

I think you are being harsh on yourself, i think you just need to relax through from your shoulders to your hands. You look very tense especially in the second picture. You have a good seat, try not to point your toes out, and most of all smile :D Enjoy it!!

Hope that helps, im no expert.

I cant wait to get back in the saddle and get some pictures for poeple to comment on me!! In a way im dreading it!! the comments that it!! hehe!!

[toohorsemad]

Thanks for the advice so far! Em my lower leg is terrible and tense up a lot! Its panic mode for me really!

[hApPiNeSs]

i am very envious of your hands :D

i am a victim of pram hand syndrome :rolleyes:

[toohorsemad]

Thanks happiness but my legs are terrible! Not that I expected them to be any better! :( :rolleyes: Ah well just means more work! No more stirrups for me!

[Swissarmyknife]

you look really good!
I think that you could probably do is, you see how your toes are pointing out (on the first pic expecially) try and turn them in and have a weighted heel this will make you use your calf more than the back of your leg. Also bring your hands close together but keeping your thumbs up and making sure that you don't lock your elbow otherwise you will give cues from your wrist instead of your arm. There should be a pretty straight line from your elbow through to the bit. And of course staying relaxed. You look really good. I find sometimes with me, when i ask really hard from my calfs, i tense a little but i am now working on getting my upper body and lower body working by themselves. by this when i post in my trot and use my thigs...
Anyways, i hope this helps. i'm only 15 and am onlly raelly saying things from past experience from my 7 year TB or from past partners.

-Lauren
Check out my website!! www.iluvmyhorse.piczo.com !!!

[AllEquestrian]

yep i think the main thing is to relax through your body and arms, but body protectors dont exactly promote that!

[Tangle]

I wish I looked like you in the canter one - I fell off once from leaning forward, so now I lean SOOOO far back it's dangerous :o.

re. you feet - do you know whether they're turning out from the ankle or from higher up? You really need to have your whole leg pointing forward rather than just your toes - if you try and fix it by twisting your ankle you'll just wreck your joints and make your overall position worse..... Ask your instructor to give you some exercises to do to loosen your hips (in group lessons we always spend the first 10 minutes swinging our legs around and having a good stretch while the horses walk around and warm up - privates I get round the world :rolleyes::p).

I always used to get really tense in sitting trot (especially with no stirrups) as I was convinced I was about to fall off :o. I found it incredibly liberating to deliberately move my legs off the saddle while trotting and find out that I stayed on the horse :p. The realisation that my legs really weren't keeping me on made it much easier to relax them...