Bad riding/position habits - what is the one thing you'd like to change?

Having had a break from horses, I went back even more crooked, my seat was atrocious, my legs were swinging, my balance was shot... so embarrassing. Now having another break, I'm going to go back like a compete beginner :( I wish I had access to regular lunge lessons or something.
 
So many problems but when I watched a video of a lesson I really noticed that I loose the bend in my elbows, horse is very green and instructors says's to ride with low hands but if I don't concentrate they go straight and stiff. Also get told off for riding with my reins too long.

Would absolutely love the opportunity to ride a schoolmaster but unfortunately my friends also have young horses so can't even borrow one.
 
One thing?! Pah!
My dressage position IN GENERAL - it's all rubbish the second my instructor stops telling me exactly what to do.
And my lower leg when jumping...sighhh :(
 
I am weaker on my left side through sport and knee surgery. This means I have to work really hard with my hip on the left and pull my right shoulder back all the time. It also means I have to really watch my seat as it will move off slightly and the weight is not even in both stirrups.

I would love to change my shoulders over a fence and open up my jumping position. Years of riding naughty horses means I have a defensive position. It looks fine xc but just not right Sjing.
 
I need to stop looking down (or staring at the back of Dylan's head), and stop tipping in when I go round corners/circles.
 
Well I have several things that I would dearly love to improve, but like FB shoulders are my problem. Because I roll them forwards it also means my hands tend to drop and I'm not sat up tall
 
I have got into a hideous habbit of carrying my hands low and flat, I really need to work on that, my lower leg wont stay still and I need to stop dropping my weight to the inside when I use my inside leg. Oh and i need to stop doing what I want the horse to do, arching my neck and looking to far to the inside does not flexion create.

At least those were my problems when I last rode, now I am horseless and no longer working a yard I hate to think what is going to happen next time I get on a horse, looking for riding lessons in the chelmsford area at the moment but I'm on a bit of a budget.
 
My lower leg slips right forward and my heels go down so much that the foot is almost vertical!! I would do anything to have long thin legs as they look so much more elegant on a horse.
I also have one leg weaker than the other and my pelvis is not as stable as it should be. My left arm/hand tends to curl up for no apparent reason!!

Oh and I need much longer arms- they are far too short currently!!
 
I sit crooked with my weight over to my left.
Not helped by my horse loving to throw his riders off the the left, or by my driving and automatic car and working at a computer all day long with the mouse on the right.
In fact reading this post has made me switch my mouse over to the left.
This also means my right leg is week.
 
Another vote for looking at the ground and/or my horses head. It is firmly attached to her neck, therefore won't fall off, therefore I can stop looking at it as if it might...
 
I need to SIT. UP. MORE.
Sorry for shouting, but it's usually shouted at me. I look like Charlie76's 'before' pic. Even when I feel like I'm totally vertical I'm still leaning forwards. :(
 
I would really like to be able to NOT drop the horse (the contact) a stride out from a fence I’m unconfident about. It’s getting better, but still needs a lot of work. Any ideas anyone?
 
The fact that I slouch!! I hate it, I don't think sitting in front of a computer helps but I hope pilates will!

And my hands. I have a problem in that my contact isn't quite consistent, and it's something I'm working on
 
Jobo I used to have this problem as people were telling me I wasnt giving with my hands enough over the fence and i started giving slightly too soon - unfortunately my horse is less forgiving than your Bodey and she developed a habit of refusing fences if i dropped the contact.

What I practise is - letting the fence come to me and constantly telling myself (or instructor shouting) "hold her to the base of the jump" and if i keep telling myself those two things it really helps - oh and looking on over the jump and not at the jump. But the best one is holding her to the base of the jump - even if she gets in a bit deep....

Hope that helpsx
 
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