How would you approach this?...

[bruisedbum]

I have had two lessons so far, each with a different instructor. My first instructor told me to use my outside leg when cornering to push the horses bum in line with their body - I thought I was going mad because I was sure it was the other way round! Second lesson with a different instructor and she said to use my inside leg to push horses bum out to the track, that's how I had learnt as a child and felt a lot more natural.

I have my lesson tomorrow with the first instructor and I don't know whether I should do as she says even though it isn't right for me..

Is it acceptable to ask if I can use my inside leg? I don't want to question her teaching methods but my second lesson was really good because it all came back to me as opposed to being taught from scratch again.

I do have the option of switching instructors but I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings!

Should I keep quiet or should I speak to her about it? Help please...

I'm rambling again!

[xloopylozzax]

all i can think is the outside leg thing is to stop them falling out on the corner, but you have to push them round the corner with your inside leg, opening your inside hand to allow them to bend.
but you kep contact on the outside rein to keep them straight (legs wise, on the track) and to stop them falling out through the shoulder- sometimes when just beginning to school a horse again, i have to have my stick there so its more obvious pushing them away from it, otherwise we just run through the corner (we dont have a school so end up running into various hedges when they fall out because they cant turn )

think that has explained it,or it might have made it more confusing- both are right, just do them at the same time ???

[Shire Monster]

on your two lessons did you ride different horses, just a thought that the first horse might have tendancies to go too deep into the corner whereas the second one might cut corners. Hence one RI told you to use outside leg to stop him going too far in maybe catching your leg on the wall, and second instructor was telling you too ask him to ride deeper into the corner cos he was likely to cut.
Does that make sense!
I understand where your coming from totally, after a few year break myself and returning to a different riding school, some things did seem slightly different to how I'd remembered, can get very confusing. Good luck with your lessons

[JamesJackson]

I'm going to complete contradict that. What your legs do first and foremost depend on what the horse is doing at the time. But, as a general rule, the following applies:

* Outside leg slightly forward of the girth asks for the turn (a horse turns by moving the front round, not the arse towards the wall)
* Inside leg supports the body, ideally playing a totally passive role

Of course, exceptions apply:

* Horse loses control of inside hind (ie quarters in) - inside leg back to get the engagement back
* You want to prepare for a movement in collection after the turn - Ride shoulder-in through the turn (actually ridden in a very similar maner to the last point)
* You want the horse to be entirely straight through the turn (for schooling purposes) - legs stay on the girth and you ride entirely from body and hand to maintain straightness

[bruisedbum]

loopylozza - that made perfect sense to me!

Shire Monster - I hear ya! and yes, two different horses, both with a tendancy to take shortcuts!

JamesJackson - I understand what you say and that also makes sense, I'm getting sooo confused!!! As the second instructor explained when I asked her about it, she said that there are various styles of riding and teaching and that both were right, and now you've explained another one, dammit my brain can't take all this in - my legs will be all over the place tomorrow!

I will see how tomorrows lesson goes, but I'm not sure I want to pay £20 a week to be taught a new way to ride, when the way I ride is a valid way too!

[nemolucy]

I was always taught inside leg on the girth line, outside leg behind the girth. so inside asking for the turn and outside controlling the back end. Is this right??

[wonkeywoody]

Ditto JJ.

There shouldnt be hard and fast rules about aids as all horses move/evade differently.

With mine at the mo I have to ask the front end to move round on the right rein but on the left I can ask with 'traditional' aids as he is more supple this way.

If your instructor is telling you to use aids you are not sure about ask them Why? Then you'll learn to feel for what they are seeing.

[Shire Monster]

I think in most walks of life everything changes after a while, I think your best bet would be to go with the flow on your next lesson speak to the RI and explain you are a little confused after being told two different things in two consequtive lessons, maybe try and put across that the oher method seems more straight forward in your mind cos thats what you were taught in the past.
Good luck with your lessons and keep us updated

[bruisedbum]

Had lesson with first instructor today, (she is the one who teaches outside leg on - the opposite to me...are you keeping up?)

Anyway, I explained to her that she teaches the other way round to what I am used to so to bear with me and she was fine about this.

However, my gorgeous Dhylis who was an angel last week kept getting to one corner of the school whilst cantering and shooting off to the middle and there was nothing I could do about it, so Instructor was shouting at me to put my inside leg on anyway to try and keep her on track!

So it all worked out in the end.....sort of.....I think!

Must remember my carrots, I forgot them this week and she played up like a b"*gger!

Other than that it was a fab lesson - I could take Dhylis home with me...I LOVE HER!

[Shire Monster]

Sounds like you had fun even if she was bein a little monkey, glad you've kinda sorted it out, its always hard with different teachers

[bruisedbum]

thanks peeps, looks like I'm sticking with this instructor from now on and she was brilliant about the whole leg thing, I was worried about her thinking I was questionning her methods.

I'm now saving fervently for my Champion Ventair riding hat because the one I borrowed this week STANK!!!

[fimonkey]

Lol re: riding hat. Defo get your own!

Re: legs.. not wanting to add to the confusion re legs, other than to stay stick with it, as your instructor will be working out how you ride too so may well change her advice throughout the lessons.

My instructor would constantly say 'outside leg on more' when we were clockwise as every horse I rode clockwise 'fell out' of the circle, .. eventually she worked out it was actually inside leg OFF more in clockwise as my right leg is so much stronger than my left, and I could not use my left leg independantly of my right (so pressure from my left leg = more pressure from my right, even though i was completely unaware of this)!

Stick with it, eventually you'll get to know what feels 'right' in terms of where your legs should be, but to get to this stage you need to know waht feels wrong by making mistakes etc.

Bless the RS ponies, they put up with all sorts from us don;t they?

[parsharainbow]

Originally Posted by nemolucy

I was always taught inside leg on the girth line, outside leg behind the girth. so inside asking for the turn and outside controlling the back end. Is this right??

I was taught exactly the same thing