Correcting position

Paint Me Proud

Paint Me Proud

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Does anyone have any exercises or advice to help me with my position.

Basically I have had problems with my knees and hips since i was 12 and as a result my left leg is much much weaker than my right.

When i am riding i put much more weight into my right stirrup and often find it hard to give strong enough aids with my left.

A good example of this is that my mare will do a beautiful leg yield off my right leg but i cant get a single step out of her with my left, i just have no power in my leg to press.

Any advice?

I have to have my trainer ride my youngster once a week to help correct the wonkyness i am riding into him - oops!
Hurry up NHS and get me my biomechanics appointment!
 
I'm sure there must be a way of working around this - after all sidesaddle riders manage with both legs on one side of the horse! You might need to come up with some slightly alternative aids, but is should be doable. Could you maybe teach your horse to move away from a light brush with a schooling whip, rather than a leg aid?

Teaching your horse to move off progressively lighter aids (from your right leg as well as your left) would also be useful, and you might find that as you overuse your right leg less you sit a bit more centrally. This is obviously a more long term solution and work in progress, and will need the cooperation of your instructor when she rides too.
 
I can't give you a link as I'm on my phone but these may be worth a try? They don't have the single 'point' like normal spurs but have the ridges which help to enforce the leg aid without giving the horse a prod in it's ribs, even if your foot does slip :)

Copy and paste - 260720342414 in to eBay and it should take you to the item I've found :)
 
Would lunge lessons with no stirrups help? They're very good for showing up your wonkiness (I'm always sliding off to the right), but I don't know if it would help with your particular circumstances or not.
 
thanks for that link, interesting idea but i would be worried about using spurs with my 4 year old.

I am getting annoyed with my lack of power and when my mare and i won our first dressage test all the notes on the score card were about me not sitting centrally and being collapsed into my right. Didnt realise it was that obvious, lol!

I am better without my stirrups as it obviously opens up my hips and i can stretch my leg down more.

I want to work on it more in sitting trot but my boy isnt at the sitting trot stage of his training yet so i will have to wait!
 
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