Asking the impossible - rider help needed....

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I had the most amazing lesson on my little TB tonight, I am so incredibly proud of him - he was dressage trained until 5 years old, then spent 2 years as a racing pony, so our focus is all about getting him to remember the first 5 years! He obviously has a huge amount of ability, which I need to learn to unlock....

So therein lies the problem. I really, really want it to go right, and I know I am the one holding us back rather than Frodo. So I try very, very hard to get it right. So I tense up, try too hard, and it all goes horribly wrong :(

Has anyone any tips, however random, to allow me to get a better balance of riding with less tension (in myself not Frodo!) but with clear unequivocal aids? I ride my best when I am not thinking about it, but am chatting to a friend/my instructor as I ride around....

I have a real mix of feeling so hugely proud of my little horse tonight and also rather despondent about my lack of ability because I know it is holding us back - eek!
 
a good friend once told someone to relax their thumbs as for some reason it takes the tension out of the whole body and its only one little thing to think about. I have used it with people as well and it does seem to work well
 
I would get your instructor to give you lessons on the lunge, with and without stirrups and reins. Ride on your own without stirrups and pop a neck strap on to stop involuntary hand movements through nerves. I also think putting the radio on and singing along seems to distract the edge off nerves, set your goal for each schooling session and don't make it to high then you don't keep pushing for more but change your goal each time you school. Just as another option what about trying Bachs rescue remedy.x
 
ok - so the first thing is that you are aware of what is happening - which is a step forward from where some people are. The problem with tension is that the more you think about "relaxing" generally the more tense you will get.

I have had a lot of problems with tension through my shoulders and back, which would result in me leaning forwards, leaning on my hands and getting incredibly sore through my shoulders.

The shoulders can be helped by rolling them backwards as you are riding - so up to your ears and then back. This will help to relax your shoulders and to open your chest. The other thing that I really try to be aware of is that I am sitting on, and can feel that I am sitting on BOTH seat bones.

A lot of what I have managed to do with my very un-dressagey horse is purely through being stubborn and keeping trying. I don't usually have an arena to ride in, so our hacking time is schooling time. Working on flexing, stretching and lateral work while out hacking means that you can also really focus on your position and keeping relaxed while you are maneuvering (sp?) around. I also find having a long straight line to play with lateral work meant I was really able to experiment with weight aids also - when you don't have a field or arena to run out of room in and can just keep going, you can make your weight aids as big and OTT as you need to. I now don't need to make my aids so big and obvious - a small aid will have the same effect after practicing it like this.

Short version of the above is just keep trying! You will only be able to improve by keeping trying. It will feel like an uphill struggle as you are working on you and working on him at the same time - but it is not impossible - it can be done!! I promise! Just be stubborn!! :)
 
Brilliant, thanks very much all - UTE I should have just FB'd you :D

I do take beta blockers when I compete which helps on those occasions, but I don't really want to be using them whenever I school as well lol :)

I will be trying all of those things, I really want to crack this in a way that I never did with my last horse so we can achieve Frodo's full potential :)
 
Annie B. said:
I would get your instructor to give you lessons on the lunge, with and without stirrups and reins. Ride on your own without stirrups and pop a neck strap on to stop involuntary hand movements through nerves. I also think putting the radio on and singing along seems to distract the edge off nerves, set your goal for each schooling session and don't make it to high then you don't keep pushing for more but change your goal each time you school. Just as another option what about trying Bachs rescue remedy.x
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This. And please do look up the side-effects of beta blockers as they can do things like increase the risk of asthma/affect the circulation etc.
 
I'd recommend a Ride with your mind coach. You would be surprised at how changing a few seemingly minor things about your position can make a vast difference to your horses way of going. They will be able to break it down so you know what you should feel. I found a vast difference in just one lesson. Unfortunately I was unable to fully benefit due to horse going lame and subsequently retiring from schooling work. But I still try to put into practice when hacking.
 
Sussexbythesea said:
I'd recommend a Ride with your mind coach. You would be surprised at how changing a few seemingly minor things about your position can make a vast difference to your horses way of going. They will be able to break it down so you know what you should feel. I found a vast difference in just one lesson. Unfortunately I was unable to fully benefit due to horse going lame and subsequently retiring from schooling work. But I still try to put into practice when hacking.
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This as also the breathing taught is excellent for relaxing
 
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