HI i am having lessons and i keep seem to slouch in the saddle alot lol. bad habbit i guess. i get it right sometimes just takes a bit to get going. I was wondering if anyone else has this problem and what they did to help correct it?
hi wondering if anyone else has the same problem?
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I don't have this problem but to make you straight just tink up and think that there is a string tied to the top of your helmet and that the string is being pulled so then you may think about sitting straight.Hope it helps you
Do you wear a body protector?
I used to slouch really badly untill I started to wear a rigid body protector, to begin with it feels like you're wearing a straight jacket but you get used to it and you HAVE to sit up straight.
Even now if I feel my posture going I whack it back on.
xx
I used to slouch really badly untill I started to wear a rigid body protector, to begin with it feels like you're wearing a straight jacket but you get used to it and you HAVE to sit up straight.
Even now if I feel my posture going I whack it back on.
xx
Have you just started lessons? I think alot of people slouch when they start riding - especially in saddles. I used to but of course I always had my instructor there to shout at me . I think when you ride you often have alot of other things to concentrate on but once they become natural then you'll have time to think about your position.
. I think when you ride you often have alot of other things to concentrate on but once they become natural then you'll have time to think about your position.
Are you having lessons?
The very best thing to do is to ask your instructor if you can do a lesson purely working on your seat and posture, maybe on the lunge. You may, for example, be slumping because you're 'sitting on your pockets' a la Linda Parelli. It could be just that you don't have core strength so find it difficult to sit up properly for any length of time.
Even if you sit up straight there are a whole host of other things that you can be doing wrong ... chair seat, heels up, legs forward, hollowing your back etc.
If you're up for a critique and have side-on photos of your riding (and aren't too sensitive ) then you'll get plenty of opinions from on here BUT better than anything is eyes on the ground who can explain to you what you need to do and why.
The very best thing to do is to ask your instructor if you can do a lesson purely working on your seat and posture, maybe on the lunge. You may, for example, be slumping because you're 'sitting on your pockets' a la Linda Parelli. It could be just that you don't have core strength so find it difficult to sit up properly for any length of time.
Even if you sit up straight there are a whole host of other things that you can be doing wrong ... chair seat, heels up, legs forward, hollowing your back etc.
If you're up for a critique and have side-on photos of your riding (and aren't too sensitive
) then you'll get plenty of opinions from on here BUT better than anything is eyes on the ground who can explain to you what you need to do and why.
I think that working on the seat and position should be one of the first things that you learn. You can so easily influence your horse and block their movement by sitting incorrectly. A lot of saddles don't help, though, you have to fight against them to get a 'correct' position. That's why I like my set back stirrup bars, they don't make you have to pull your legs back to get in the right position.
yeah i am haaving lessons. i was having lessons at this place that was not really that good. i am now with a very good rs now. i found out that i was tought wrong but now i am on the right track. when i get it right i seem to keep my back straight most of the time. just seem to slump after a bit lol. i have only been riding for aobut 4 months now. i am loving it. i guess to i use to ride dirt bikes for ten years and i think that made it harder to keep my back straight since on them u lean forward over the handle bars. but i am determend to get it though :d
i slouch too but i learned to sit straight after they gave a me a few horses that acted badly but knew there stuff with leg pressure and such. also they gave me a walker to ride and he was a struggle because if you followed his movement with a nice straight back he was nice and smooth but if you slouched it became horrid. and last but not least to make me sit up i tried english and that corrected all my problems because man there was nothing to hold on too and i felt that if i didn't slouch, kept my heels down and my legs back where they were supposed to be and didn't lean to the side like i did we would be ok especiallywhen your instructor says its time to canter. and i know what you mean about riding dirtbikes it takes awhile to get used to, but now i ride my quad like i ride my horse heels down straight back and when the road gets bumpy start posting and once i caught myself clucking to the quad. good luck and don't worry after awhile it will come naturally
I don't think I've ever had that problem but a body protector should help. Must admit I've never worn one before but my friend said it helped her to sit up straight.
I am a general sloucher, out of the saddle especially, hence why i have such a bad back at 17 .
My instructor says the same as Dressage Diva though, imagine you have a string attached at the top of your head etc.
It will come with time, just keep correcting yourself. Eventually your back muscles will strengthen and it'll feel more comfortable to sit up.
.My instructor says the same as Dressage Diva though, imagine you have a string attached at the top of your head etc.
It will come with time, just keep correcting yourself. Eventually your back muscles will strengthen and it'll feel more comfortable to sit up.
fiesty_filly
Jockey In Training
The girl I ride with is a great rider, very compassionate etc. She does sometimes slouch her shoulders though. Our coach made her put a whip behind her back and through her elbows. So that her elbows would stay back. Now obviously you can't ride well like that and it is a HUGE exageration but when you are learning, sometimes that is what you need. She would just w/t/c like that a few times during warmup and it would help her from dropping her shoulders.
What everyone has said is great advise. The body protect will stop you slouching, but be careful you dont start tipping forward instead. Another great exercise would be to have a lesson without stirrups to lengthen your leg. You can do this on the lunge. If you try sitting trot without stirrups, if you slouch you will loose balance and be uncomfortable, when you sit up its much easier. You can also hold the pommel and pull yourself deap into the saddle whilst pushing your shoulders back and imagine making yourself as tall as possible.
It really helps if you can remain aware of your posture all the time. If you walk with your shoulders back all the time, after a while you get used to it and it becomes second nature and comfortable. You can also buy a device called shoulders back made my charles owen i believe, however i think its about £30 and you shouldnt need this if you just practise.
I had a terrible problem with slouching when i started back riding a few months ago but a few lunge lessons really helped. I stay very upright now most of the time, however i have a tendancy to tip a little in canter transitions. good luck with it!
It really helps if you can remain aware of your posture all the time. If you walk with your shoulders back all the time, after a while you get used to it and it becomes second nature and comfortable. You can also buy a device called shoulders back made my charles owen i believe, however i think its about £30 and you shouldnt need this if you just practise.
I had a terrible problem with slouching when i started back riding a few months ago but a few lunge lessons really helped. I stay very upright now most of the time, however i have a tendancy to tip a little in canter transitions. good luck with it!
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