Any tips for riding large and very bouncy horse??

kusha

kusha

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Feb 17, 2008
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I have been back riding now for about 18 months and go fortnightly to my RS for group lessons where we usually WTC and jump.

I have kind of got into a habit of riding the same horse (P) most lessons (not a good idea probably). P is about 15 3hh, fairly forward going and can be strong, some people say he is a bit bouncy but I don't find that and feel really at home when I'm on him. Don't know if this sounds mad or not but when I get on him it's like putting on your comfiest jeans, he just feels good.

Anyway at my last lesson I decided to try a different horse who I have ridden a couple of times before. He is about 16 1hh and is well known for being very bouncy.

I really struggled with the lesson. I couldn't get my stirrups right. At the start before I moved off they seemed to be the right length but as soon as I trotted my feet were coming out of them so decided to do the warmup without stirrups. I thought they would feel better when I took them back but had to end up putting them up a hole! I then felt that they were too short and that I was getting bounced right up out the saddle.

All through the lesson my stirrups kept sliding back (despite being shorter than I think they should have been) and I couldn't really concentrrate on anything else. In the end I crossed my stirrups over again and finished the last 10 mins of the lesson wthout them, but felt this wasn't great either as it was hard to sit to his trot and felt that I was bouncing about on his back more than I would have liked.

I think a lot of my problems were because he was so bouncy and perhaps my seat isn't deep enough? I don't mind riding without stirrups but there is only so much sitting trot a girl can take (LOL).

He is a nice horse to ride but this has put me off trying him again. Any tips on what I can do to help if I reide him again. Do you think the stirrup problem was related to the bouncy trot?

Sorry for long post. :o
 
I had the same problem last week, I rode a 17.2 after riding 15hhs +
the YOadjusted my stirrups as she says I ride too short, and with his long stride, and my long stirrups I felt it was all wrong,nd the whole lesson felt out of control...even rising trot was difficult as the pommel felt as if it was getting in the way;)
Sorry I have no advice, but am interested in others answers
hows you anyway?
Hope all is ok??:D
 
might be a bit of a side issue, but make sure you've got good underwear - if you're not secure and comfy then you won't be able to concentrate on sitting to the horse.
Also, don't try too hard because that sometimes makes things worse.
what about a private lesson on this horse so you can take things at your own pace?
Sometimes though you find that you don't really get on with a certain type of horse and there's nothing wrong with that either,
 
My mare's trot is bouncy. Like Tigger (remember Winney the Pooh?)...and I've found that I tend to push myself out of the saddle when I'm tense (usually when she's doing her "Turbo Trot"). When I can relax my body, it's not so hard to sit, and as an added bonus, she slows her trot a bit. While I have problems with my balance on her, I figure that by the time I can manage her comfortably at all speeds, I'll have NO issues on any other reasonably cooperative horse.
It's a bit of ego boost for me to keep challenging myself, and, eventually be able to overcome my issues and fears enough to RELAX!!
Keep trying...it sounds like you're tensing up and pushing yourself out of the saddle...
 
Like Skippy's Mum says, it's just a case of getting used to it. I used to ride my old share horse very comfortably - she was a 15hh cob. Then I got Jackson, who was a young, unbalanced and very bouncy 16.2hh and it took me sooo long to get used to the long strides and the springiness - but now I think I'd be completely lost if I went back to the cob :D

It's the beauty of RS horses - you can alternate between different types, and so become a much more rounded rider :D Shortly, you will be able to happily accommodate springy big ones and smooth smaller ones, whereas I will still be stuck on my big springy one and have become clueless as to how to cope with anything else!

ETA - when I started riding Jackson after the cob mare, I had to take my stirrups right up - I used to ride quite long on the mare, but couldn't manage J's trot at all without shortening up. After getting used to him, stirrup length started to go down again, and now I think is back at the equivalent to where it was with Shannon...
 
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Thanks for replies. :)

There is a chance I was a bit tense, sort of lot my confidence over Christmas/New Year but it is coming back and one of the reasons I want push myself to ride different horses. Trust all the horses at the RS but still a bit apprehensive when trying to get used to new one. Probably didn't help that we were trying to do extended trot as well.

Will try the shorter stirrups next time I'm on him and try not to get a hang up about them!! Looks like it's just something different for me to get used to.

I have pictures of me the last time I rode this horse and my position was awful, felt it was because my stirrups were short then and think that's why I was trying so hard to get them longer.

He is absolutely gorgeoous too :)
 
took me over a year to get used to mac's trot, it was basically practice, practice pratice, whenever i got the chance, out on hacks and everywhere.

take some deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth to help you relax this will help you sit more.
 
I agree with everyone else...just give it some time! As others said, try to concentrate on relaxing and breathing (sometimes you can tense without even realizing it)....tensing will make you bounce more. Sometimes I try to concentrate on my breathing as I post, breath in on up and out on down....just makes me relax.

About the stirrups...you may need to play with them...even in the same saddle, you sometimes need different lengths to be comfortable on different horses. Also, it's great that you feel comfortable going without stirrups (props to you if he's that bumpy!) But if you're concentrating on trying to figure out stirrup length...maybe don't in the middle of the lesson. I always find that after I drop my stirrups, they feel short when I pick them up again, so if you're thinking about stirrup lengths, maybe don't.
 
If you really don't want to shorten your stirrups then try starting off without them, even if it's only in walk. If you feel up to it & can do so safely & without crashing into other riders then try shutting your eyes for a few steps too, it's amazing how much more you feel when you aren't distracted.

One thing I always find helps me relax is talking or singing. It means you have to breathe & if it's something funny enough to make you laugh then so much the better - have you ever tried staying tense when you're laughing? It can't be done! Mind you it could also explain why some people think I'm slightly mad ......
 
My horse has a big bouncy trot and what seems to help me is to visualise completely softening my back without rounding my shoulders. If I round the base of my back, I can feel a fold of skin across my stomach,then as I sit back into the trot the contact with the saddle is quiet. My 2 year old grandson does this naturally (very annoying -lol!), he doesn't brace but kind of folds his lower back softly going with the movement -completely relaxed. Don't know if that makes any sense, but I'm lucky in that I can visualise him in the saddle !
 
It seems to me that because this horse has a big trot, you're overcompensating by trying to rise to it, literally. When you try to rise high though, you end up tippy-toeing in your stirrups, causing them to slide back (basically, you've lost your heels-down).

Try concentrate on allowing your weight to drop down through your heels. You could try going into a light (jumping) seat at trot, not rising, just getting used to the movement whilst have your heels deep and down.
 
Who were you on kusha? I love that you can pick your lesson horse there so I usually stick to Duke when I have a lesson but have ridden a few others as well & just didn't clik with a couple even though they're lovely horses.
 
LOL! Can't believe it, what happened?! When I jumped him he was going so slowly he was practically walking up to the jumps!
It was Arnie that I didn't really click with but I'd like to try riding him again to see if it was a confidence issue I had with him.
 
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