Be more of a guest on your horse...

[dieseldog]

My sister was having a dressage lesson tonight and I was watching for a bit. Her Instrustor said to her

'To be more of a guest on your horses back and stop doing so much work'

I thought that was a really good thing to say as I think a lot of people probably do a lot more than they should be. I know its not pratical advice but it just made sense.

Have you ever had any flashes of inspiration from a comment made by an instructor and what was it?

 

[Abbeygale]

One of my favourite analogies from several years ago was to get riders to sit up taller, was for them to imagine that they had bungee cord attached to the top of their head, and were dangling from the ceiling.

This does seem to make people much more upright - without being rigid (cause) you are being dangled by bungee!! LOL!

 

[Irishcobs]

I used to keep getting 'shoulders back' shouted at me but I would then creep them forward again so my instructor started shouting 'stick your tits out'. Highly embarassing when you are young but it worked. I kept my shoulders back to stop her shouting it.

 

[Cloudhorse]

my instructor told me to imagine I was holding a cup and saucer in each hand, which helped me to hold the reins correctly - I've heard some people imagine they're holding two gin and tonics

 

[Weezy]

I do too much, that is my prob too! I always liked this line from my old SJ trainer "If in doubt give it a clout" tho I think that may not go down well on here...

 

[sherbet]

instead of being told to "stick tits out" we used to be told to "shine our headlights"!!!!

 

[suzyseymour]

My old instructor's line which stuck with me 'the whip is there to keep the horse alive, not to raise it from the dead'!!!

 

[dieseldog]

[ QUOTE ]
instead of being told to "stick tits out" we used to be told to "shine our headlights"!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Very funny, I think I need to put mine on full beam at times

 

[burtie]

It's very good advice! I always said I can't be bothered with kicking and pulling it looks too much like hard work when teaching people, but I might just use your sisters instructors comment too!

 

[Keltic]

I watched someone having a lesson the instructor said,
"use your whip its not there to scratch your fanny with!!!"
I nearly fell over laughing...

 

[WishfulThinker]

[ QUOTE ]
One of my favourite analogies from several years ago was to get riders to sit up taller, was for them to imagine that they had bungee cord attached to the top of their head, and were dangling from the ceiling.

This does seem to make people much more upright - without being rigid (cause) you are being dangled by bungee!! LOL!

[/ QUOTE ]

On I know that one - and it REALLY does work!

Ohjust remembered another one but its rude!! When tippinf forward, or sitting too far forward used to get told to stop Pommel F*****g

- Charming!