Bad habits when riding - what's yours?

PinkFairy

PinkFairy

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Mine are:
1.Tipping forward - but I find this is mostly because I feel that my reins are too long which in turn, pulls me forward as I shorten them. :confused:
2.Turning my hands inwards - I have to constantly remind myself!
3.Not pushing my heels down and keeping my feet "flat".

Anyone else?

:D
 
Letslip - I do that too! That makes me tip forwards as well - oops.

Wowser - Sometimes when we're just plodding along, I ride with one hand but as soon as I feel him quicken, I stick both hands on the reins lol. :)
 
I feel like a total numpty at the mo with my reins, I can't seem to work out whether they're too long/too short - I either feel like I'm tipping forwards or letting the contact be way too loose. *Gahh*
 
Everything! Having not ridden regularly for about 5 years, and then coming back to it, it's incredibly frustrating because I feel like I know what my body should be doing, and it certainly used to, but now it's all over the place.

I think my worst right now are not very still legs and looking down. I'm basically just very unbalanced at the moment and wish my muscles and seat would hurry up and come back quicker!
 
Not looking where I'm going when doing a leg yield, and tipping forward and hunching my shoulders a little bit in canter.. I usually get a bit tense on the horse I usually ride :p xx
 
I think at the moment, I'm still getting to know the new ride and so I do tense up a little. I try and talk my way through it, talk to the horse and relax but as soon as I feel him tense, I do the same!
 
Hmmm let me think :p

1, Looking down at horses neck/shoulder/the floor instead of where we are going

2, Tipping forward/curling especially when asking for canter

3, Not keeping thumbs on top and letting them turn inwards

I do these when schooling but when having a jumping lesson I'm sat up straight and look where I'm going. There is probably loads more :o but that will do for now :o :p
 
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I have quite a few.
Im very tense in my back, I put my hands on her withers, I turn my thumbs in.
When I canter, I grip with my knees and everything goes to pot.
I turn my toes out
I look down (especially going over a fence)
Think thats everything :/
*Must add that I dont always do all these things*
 
Being too tense in my hands despite feeling perfectly relaxed / safe etc on a horse which tenses them up

however i now have some tips to sort this out so will see

Those that look at the jump going over - that would frighten me!
 
:D It would be quicker to list the good ones;)

I thought at first that you meant things like talking on the phone or smoking, no one has mentioned those yet.
 
Getting elbowey over a fence.

Other than that I'm not too bad and don't have any really awful ingrained ones I don't think.

I am trying very hard not to tip forward in my canter transition though, and trying hard not to click for an upwards transition!
 
Heels - but this isn't technically a bad habit, because i've been taught to keep my feet flat because it helps my balance.
And tipping forwards when something goes wrong, I tip forwards and just freeze :(
 
gosh where to start;
1. i cant keep my thumbs on top or my heels down
2. i listen to my ipod schooling and hacking and get told by people im ignorant as i cant here them lol
3. i dont breathe when cantering in the school or jumping as i get really tense.
4. i have an awfull jumping position
5. my right leg has a mind of its own when cantering

lol i think thats enough but theres many more haha
 
I get motorbike hands,
I tip forward in canter transitions,
when hacking I wander along one handed not paying attention,
my knees flap when I'm jumping!

I'm sure there's various other things..
 
Looking down, letting my hands drop onto his neck, tipping in on corners, letting my lower leg creep forward ... it's a wonder I can ride at all, really :p
 
Thank god it's not just me!
I am getting really frustrated with my legs - my toes turn out and my legs grip up in canter. It's driving me nuts and I'm working hard to fix it (not that you'd know by watching my rubbish riding tho!)
 
Looking down (note to self- their head is *not* going to fall off- but I might crash into some-one if I'm not paying attention to where I'm going!)
And not relaxing in my seat- I tense/don't move with the horse. Need to open my hips more
 
nelle48 said:
And tipping forwards when something goes wrong, I tip forwards and just freeze :(
Click to expand...

This is one of my faults too - its so annoying because if you look at it logically you are putting yourself in a more vulnerable position by tipping forwards. Yet when things go wrong all logic goes out the window and there I am hunched forward over her neck like a complete eejit. ( PS for me the next step is jumping off before anything really nasty happens!)
 
- My lower leg moves when I trot! :redface: One of my past instructors told me off for kicking all of the time saying it would cause the horse to become dead to the leg, but if you look closely, my legs are not actually touching the horse... they just wobble around and I can't see to stop them!

- Toes turning outwards - usually when I am out hacking and just relaxing!
 
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