Lots of questions?

[skyenfaye]

Ok, so, sorry for the post thats probably gonna turn out long. :redface:

Ok, so, First question............ How to balance in a forward/light seat?!
In my last lesson we were working in a forward seat in trot so i could get my balance and practise for jumping.
Some times i done ok but most of the time i just couldnt get it right. :redface:
If i put my heels down more i tip back but if i bend more i fall forward. If i try to stick my bum out more i fall backwards! :stomp:
Its sooooooo confusing!
How do you manage it and do you have any tips for my next lesson?

On to the second topic..........Transitions!
So although ive been riding for ages i dont actually know the aids for transitions so i want to start getting it right.
I know trot-canter; Sitting trot, raise inside hand, move outside leg behind girth, put inside leg on the girth. (Atleast i think thats right.)
So can you explain the rest possibly? Please? :angel:
Halt-Walk?
Walk-Trot?
Canter-Gallop? (although i probably wont need it for a while, It'd be good to know it)
Gallop-Canter?
Canter-Trot?
Trot-Walk?
Walk-Halt?
:banghead:
Hehe, Thanks in advance! :bounce:

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

I find it difficult to practise my forward seat without Ziggy interpreting it as a cue to break for the border :unsure: but as far as I can see you try to find that point where your weight is through your legs, your bottom is a bit further back than normal, and you are balanced and stable.

If I've got this correctly, you can practice it standing on the ground. So stand in riding position with your heel-hip-head aligned, find your balance; then try leaning forward and seeing how your lower body needs to compensate to keep you in exactly the same balance. I reckon a Swiss ball would also be great for this.

I'll be very interested to see other responses though!

As for the aids for different transitions - I asked my RI exactly this yesterday about trot-canter, and because she is Ride With Your Mind / Mary Wanless rather than classical or BHS she told me something completely different from what I had learned previously (which was about the same as you) - and it worked like a charm. I won't confuse you by telling you what she said because it wouldn't make sense without all the other RWYM stuff, but it showed me that an aid is basically just something that communicates with your horse and if it works, it works!

(BTW - my aid for halt at the moment is to say "Whoa" whereupon regardless of gait the Zigmeister crams on all 4 brakes and looks around for his treat. A bit unseating, but better than no brakes at all, which is what we had before! I am working on managing without the Whoa :bounce

 

[MistyGal]

Zigmeister crams on all 4 brakes and looks around for his treat.

Ha ha ha :bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:love it

 

[sjp1]

(BTW - my aid for halt at the moment is to say "Whoa" whereupon regardless of gait the Zigmeister crams on all 4 brakes and looks around for his treat. A bit unseating, but better than no brakes at all, which is what we had before! I am working on managing without the Whoa :bounce[/QUOTE]

Ooh - is that clicker training or how have you achieved that?

I too am interested in responses to OP question. I too have ridden for donkeys years, or rather should I say, sat on! Now I am having to rack my brains and not having had lessons for nearly 25 years am a bit stuck!!

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Ooh - is that clicker training or how have you achieved that?

Yup, clicker training it is. It is frighteningly effective, I think the harder part is how to incprorate a bit more subtlety! I am working on it.

For the record, the aid I am training him towards responding to for a nice, relaxed, square halt is: apply my core muscles, tense my thighs from knee to hip, sit tall and relaxed against his motion, and the tiniest squeeze on the rein. Mattie stops for the seat aid without any rein aid. Before the clicker with Zigs I could pull and pull and pull until my arms ached and he would still carry on moving.

 

[skyenfaye]

my aid for halt at the moment is to say "Whoa" whereupon regardless of gait the Zigmeister crams on all 4 brakes and looks around for his treat. A bit unseating, but better than no brakes at all, which is what we had before! I am working on managing without the Whoa :bounce:

This sounds like THE best thing to teach loonie bin!! Or race horses. :biggrin:

 

[OwnedbyChanter]

Humm can't help you with the forward foward sit for jumping as we don't jump much, but I had a lesson with James Arkley (sp) once and he told me that as I am only jumping small fences I should stay in my seat to until a couple of strides out then just stand no 'folding' required as he was not actually working enough for this. So now I just sit and keep my legs on, 2 strides out stand with soft knees and give with me hands so sorry usless

BUT

As to your other questions, they depend on a couple of things this is how I do it when I am schooling (hacking is different as he works on a softer contact)

Make sure he is listening to me and on the bit this is for all transitations.

Halt to walk and walk to trot.

a gentle squeeze with both legs and a small (not noticable from the ground) give with my hands.

canter to gallop (i only do when hacking) and is a simple rise from the seat when in canter slowing give a little on the contact and I just say 'go on then boy' if this is not enough I just give another sqeeze and failing that I give a gentle kick. If that does not work I don't ask again as I like him to gallop when he feel ready, fit ad well and as we are not in x country training I don't see the need to force him.

As for coming down the tranisations, A simple 'slow boy will bring him out of canter on a hack or just seat don in the saddle, but if I am schooling I just sit up tall half halt once to make sure he is listening and I just stop moving with him as he slows I put my leg on so he knows not to just stop but to step under himself in to trot.

Trot to walk.
Again a half halt, sit up tall, stop rising a little pressure on the reins leg on to get him to work in to the briddle in walk.

reading that back it sounds crap sorry

 

[standardbred]

I find it helps if you can press you knees into the saddle, it gives me a bit more stability.

 

[Skib]

Forward seat was harder for me too. And for many of us who started by learning sitting trot and canter.
It helps if you can practise it on your own a bit and in walk.

One image an RI used with me is that of a folding, adjustable ironing board.
You need your weight evenly distributed - front and back - over your centre of gravity.

This means that the lower you lean your head forward, the further back your bum will need to be too. Pushing your heels down shifts some weight backwards so it is a good way to start - Another trick is to imagine an elastic band attaching the back of your raised bum to the back of the saddle.

Forward seat can vary in height - I dont jump so dont know what body angle youre aiming at.
But because it is so easy to stop oneself tipping forward by resting one's hands on the neck of the horse, many RIs start by helping you do it that way.
Whereas the teachers who cracked the problem for me were the one's who got my weight back. My problem is that when I stopped fast hacking, I stopped riding forward seat and now I too am back to square one, having to learn all over again.

 

[LindaAd]

In fact resting your hands on the horse's neck will make you tip forward, and if you're jumping it can make it difficult for the horse to jump, and harder to you to recover your position when you land. Your weight should be balanced above your feet when you're galloping x-country or jumping.