Trying EE

[Sharyn]

I am a mature beginner rider and have read Heather's book over and over. I've tried so hard to do the lower back movements during sitting trot and canter. Unfortunately, my back seems really stiff and is not cooperating which has kind of disappointed me. I can do it on the chair but not on the horse for some reason. One problem could be that I've fallen off twice in the canter and still have the fear thing going on which could make me stiffer. But this isn't a problem in the sitting trot so I don't know.
Anyway, I was determined to try something in the book and get it right so I tried tightening my seat muscles to get the horse to slow down and stop and it worked!! :D I was so excited I tried to do it in all my transitions. Any help with the first problem would be greatly appreciated. In the meantime, thanks for the book, Heather. I would love to be able to buy your video in the states. Can you let us know if that would ever be possible?

Sharyn

[roughing_it]

Hi Sharyn,

You can get the video in the US. I know because I got mine in the mail this week. There is a place in Florida called Feedmark that sells them. I think the website is www.feedmark.com. If that's not it, I know I found it by typing feedmark into the google search engine. It's 29.95, and took only a couple days to get here. They also didn't charge me any shipping- extra nice!

Nancy

[Heather]

HI Sharyn,

I am now just editing the second video- a job I HATE with a fervency!- it is sOOOOO boring!

Re the canter problem, if the horse you are riding is going on it's forehand, it makes the canter one hell of a lot more difficult to sit to.

Where in the US are you?- I will be over next year all being well to do some clinics.

Heather

[catherineb]

I seem to be the other way round. I've found that I can sit to the canter and feel what each of my horse's legs is doing. But when I try to stop by using my seat nothing happens (or more likely we just lose the outline, hollow and start running!). Has anyone else found this and if so how did you overcome the problem? Thanks!

[Janey Painy]

Tightening of the bottom muscles has worked to stop the horse everytime I've tried it. But I've only done it from walk, so I was just wondering if it'll still work from other paces? Mainly when a horse blots and all the pulling power in world won't stop it! It's not something I can (or would want to!) set up to test, so has anyone tried it?

Catherineb, is that just one horse you have tried it on, or is it a common thing?

[catherineb]

No I've only tried it on one horse. I've never had any brakes problems with him and when I'm schooling I find that he will make downwards transitions much too suddenly. This is using a small amount of hand and lots of leg to try to encourage him to maintain his engagement etc but all too often he falls from canter to walk rather than going into a nice forward going trot. So obviously it would be really beneficial for me to be able to use my bottom muscles instead of rein contact. I guess I just have to keep practicing so that he understands me!

[Heather]

Janey,

It works in all paces, and can be graduated so that the horse learns to say, go canter halt from a strong squeeze, canter walk with a little less, and canter trot with less squeeze still.

Catherin, are you riding with shortish stirrups on a GP saddle? Sometimes, this negates the aid. If so, try it without stirrups with your legs down quite long, just walk to halt. It will also not work if your horse is hollow and not on the bit.


Heather

[Sharyn]

Thanks so much for replying, Heather. It is such a privilege to correspond directly to the person who wrote such a terrific book!!
I am in Delaware so anywhere on the East Coast would probably be possible. Please let us know when you come to the states!!
The horse is probably going very much on the forehand and I don't yet have the sense to correct it. I am going to keep trying though.
Yes, Janey it does work in all gaits. As Heather said you do it very lightly in walk, a little harder in trot and canter. And I didn't need to pull on the reins at all. Maybe try it in slow trot first. And I've done it with two school horses so far. It does make your seat lighter, too.
Nancy, have you actually watched the video yet? I read that it didn't work in our VCR's in the states. If you have, PLEASE let me know ASAP. Thanks so much for the link. I will get it as soon as you let me know it works.
Thanks, everybody!! If anybody has tried some of Heather's methods and they've worked, it sure would be nice to share!!
Sharyn

[Heather]

HI Sharyn,

We do the video in two formats- PAL for the UK and NTSC for the States so you shoudln't have any problem. Most of our newer VCR's in the UK also now play NTSC, whihc is handy for me as good friends of mine in California send me videos which I can now play with no problems. Previoulsy we had to get them converted, which was darned expensive.

As some of these tapes are rare footage of Nuno Oiliveira, I am especially pleased!


Heather

[Sharyn]

That is terrific news, Heather! Now, does anyone know where I can get the video in the states? I tried the feedmark link and I got the home page just fine but when I tried to get the Heather Moffet information it said "empty reference" and would not go through. So any help would be appreciated!! Sharyn:D

[roughing_it]

Hi Shayrn,

The number for Feedmark is 800-462-8982. (I think). If you dig around their website enough you can find it. I told them when I called that the link to Heather's stuff didn't seem to be working, but apparantly they haven't fixed it yet. They were really nice, and I now have my video, its great to see what Heather is talking about.

Heather-

I am also interested in when/where you'll be in the US. I am one the west coast, but have family all over the place, so can go just about anywhere- with a good excuse, in case my husband thinks I'm absolutely crazy to fly somewehre to take a riding lesson. So any info about your trip here would be great! I sent a PM, but I haven't heard back- did you get it?

Nancy

[Heather]

HI Nancy,

No I didn't get the pm- don't know why. I will be coming to California most likely at some point next year, as I have friends and pupils there, providing everything in the world is still functioning by then, so all being well, it will be on your side of the US! Only thing is that it will only be for folk with their own horses so unless you coudl bring your own horse it wouldn't be possible. Depends whether I have a simulator over there as you could of course have a lesson then.

All the best,


Heather

[Sharyn]

Thanks for the number, Nancy. I will call first chance I get. I can't wait to see Heather in action. The pictures in the book are really good but I still want to see it in action. I'm now riding a fellow with a very bouncy trot. All help is appreciated. I thought I was doing well with the rising trot until this fellow. He is really chanllenging my balance. Thanks again, Sharyn

[tess]

Sharyn, i was interested in your comment about the horse you were riding having a bouncy trot. I too ride a jumping pony who is extremely bouncy. I was lucky enough to attend a course at Heathers and took the video of me riding her. (awful) When i got back home i rode her again and i could not beleive how much better she seemed. It was not that she had become less bouncy of course, it was because i had leant to move with the horses movement at Heathers. If you ever get a chance when heather is in US go! The video is very helpful too.
Tess

[Sharyn]

Thanks Tess. That's good to know. I can't wait to get the video. I would love to see Heather in person. Did she actually work with you personally? It sounds like she's going to California and I am on the East Coast in the US. Can you describe what the movement feels like and how if feels different than what you were doing before? Sharyn

[tess]

Hi Sharyn,
You will find some useful info on this site. its to do with flexing the lower spine and at the same time `allowing` your seatbones to rock with the movement of the horse. the amount of `allowing` is directly related to the amount of movement the horse makes. So, the bouncier the horse the more you need to flex your lower spine. I probably havent put that very well so hope u have the book!!
Yes i was lucky enough to be shown by Heather exactly how to do this on her `equisimulator` the result being that i have improved my riding more than i would have believed (the horses like it too!!)
It was also a bit of a shock to find that our school horses (who get some very strange and inconsistant messages from a variety of riders) responded consistantly to the seat aids that Heather describes, such as, squeezing your seat muscles together to stop
Observers say it looks like witchcraft as they cant see you doing anything!!
Regards Tess