Riders Weight

Nic_captain&frankie

Nic_captain&frankie

New Member
Aug 17, 2016
25
8
3
52
Just returned to riding lessons again. Frankie has learned so quickly the new moves I'm asking her to do. I'm so pleased with her. Tried some leg yielding and was really struggling to get how to put my weight onto one side without collapsing the opposite and leaning over. Any easy techniques?
 
I have always been taught to think of it as pushing my heel down more on the side you want more weight on. Personally it made sense in terms of weight shift. But you have to make sure not to overdo it as we don't want the leg to be too forward instead. Don't know if this makes sense and hope it helps!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nic_captain&frankie
Instead of pushing the heel down take your feet out of the stirrups and let them dangle. Then pull your butt forwards until your sitting on your seat bones, let your legs hang down and lift your chin.

I find this helps me centre myself before I start asking for lateral work. Pop your feet back in the stirrups and think about popping your weight into your pinkie toe, think about the outside of the ankle but keep your chin up. Then ask using your leg keeping your knee fluid and loose no leaning. I just imagine I'm trying to put the sole of my foot on my horses side and ask to move over.

Helps me not to lean and shift everything over and keeps my legs independent of my torso :) might not work for all but works for me, sounds odd I know but stops me having sticky out toes when I ride and also helos train legs for wearing Spurs :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: DukeyFjord
I think we are taught much like MrC describes. I have never put my weight anywhere - But we were always taught the timing. You nudge with your inside leg as the horse's inside hind comes off the ground.
That is the same both in walk and trot. Much easier sitting - as you feel through your seat. But in rising trot I think it means you give the nudge as you rise. And I was taught this on a widish canter track and was expected to change my trotting diagonal when we leg yielded back in the other direction. Havent thought about this for years. It seems hardly surprising I used to get into such a muddle.
But I later found riding all sorts of ponies in school lessons that when asked to leg yield from the three quarter line to the edge, I never had any trouble on any horse and I attribute that to the timing of the aid.You cant direct a foot of the horse when it is load bearing and on the ground.
 
I was taught to steer by just looking (no other aids) and it frightened the wits out of me. My early lessons and just looking and praying.
The RI who years later rescued me for school work told me to look (e.g. down the centre line to A when turning down the middle in trot), but also to point my tummy button in the direction I want to go. So look down the middle quite a long way in advance before the previous corner to prepare the horse and turn your tummy button at the moment of turning.
I am not sure that would work in leg yield - With due respect to eml I myself in leg yield, look straight down the school - I want the spine of the horse to stay straight and parallel to the side of the school, even though the horse is moving sideways. The time to signal with a look is for me is canter at x or on the centre line. But in the Olympics grand prix final I noticed some top riders really twisting their head from side to side in the lead changes and that did not look pretty.

I am really home sick for my dressage lessons.
 
I have to admit that I got to the grand age of 53 without being able to ride a good circle. Only in the last few weeks, with my RI telling me to look at either A or C for a 20m or 10m circle have I realised how much this helps Albi turn. Why did no-one tell me this before?????
 
Domane can you explain please Where are you when you look to A or C and where is the circle .
 
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back