Exercises to help my position-body tipping forward, legs back :(

Ben2684

Ben2684

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I've had B since end of October and we did our first prelim test last weekend, in every photo I'm tipped forward and my leg has slid back. Haven't ridden him again as he had the day off yesterday but I'm now super conscious that it's a problem I have. Made him unbalanced and my aids rather ineffective. my trainer does tend to have to remind me to not tip forward but this is the first time I've seen it in a photo, are there any exercises that would help? No stirrups? He can be VERY jumpy if the mood takes him in the school so will need to bear that in mind 😂

Thanks
 
You could try working without stirrups on the lunge so you have more confidence that someone else has control of your horse. Standing in your stirrups works really well too. Standing upright, not in two point. You cannot keep your balance unless your leg iis beneath you and your body upright. Perhaps have ned on a lead rein the first few times as a rider flopping about might startle him!
 
First I would recommend sitting down. Avoid hunching at the pommel which seems pretty much the norm. Think of the front of your pelvis being vertical and flat and then place your weight down thru your pelvis so your legs hang lose from your hip .
 
Tip your hat forward so that the peak is down over your the top of your vision - that will make you tip your head back to be able to see where you are going, and where the head goes, the shoulders follow.
And stop looking at your horse's head - as one well known trainer says "I've never seen one fall off yet!"
 
JillA said:
Tip your hat forward so that the peak is down over your the top of your vision - that will make you tip your head back to be able to see where you are going, and where the head goes, the shoulders follow.
And stop looking at your horse's head - as one well known trainer says "I've never seen one fall off yet!"
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Haha. Good tip re the hat. For me, I think shoulders back (or shoulder blades together) as that makes me sit up straighter.

It's a longer term issue however that I need to address with physio or similar, as mine comes from being tight in the hips, which rocks me forward and legs swing back. I suspect there will be something similar with you OP so, whilst you can try some stuff in the saddle to help, you may need more off horse work too. I've been doing regular stretches but it's not enough, so I need to get myself organised and get to some physio sessions.
 
Is your saddle level and are you sitting in the lowest part of the seat? If the saddle isn't well balanced and is up at the back, or is too small for you, then it will tilt you forwards whatever you do.
 
First of all, get someone to check your saddle. If it is not level then it will be forcing you into that position, and there will be no way you can sit properly.
 
Thanks all, saddle has just been checked and feels level. Rode today and just being hyper aware of where my body was has helped a little, I also dropped the stirrups a couple of holes too. I have various issues with hips/lower back and have regular chiro and sports massage. Pilates would be good but where do people find the time!!

Also-I think I'm guilty of looking at my horses head all the time!!!! Will try and stop that too!!!
 
Sunglasses with tape over half so you notice if you look down!

Shoulder rolls to rebalance and relax. Breathe deep into your core and settle in the exhalation.

Standing up in stirrups without locking the knee or ankle, upright not 2 point.
 
Hi all, tried most of the above on my lesson yesterday, MUCH better so huge thanks for the tips, rather chuffed I not only trotted but also cantered with no stirrups, despite the messy being a bit of a monkey. Much more secure position when I'm consciously thinking about how I'm sitting. We did however notice I tend to sit to the right and twist my pelvis to compensate. Not sure how to address this as have regular chiro/physio... (me and the horse!!) muscle memory that I need to break??
 
Maybe try a couple of lessons with a mechanical horse? I found that helped me, and you can normally use your own saddle too. It measures your pressure, levelness, strength etc and as it shows you on the screen you are able to correct it immediately and so it becomes habit.
 
pilates or yoga would help, lunge lessons with no stirrups with a different horse would be good too. When you say the saddle has been checked, do you mean for you or the horse? It mightn't be a case of it being level, but the knee blocks being in the wrong place. I recently switched through two dressage saddles because the knee blocks were wrong for my leg length. if you are tipping forward naturally then a saddle with bigger thigh blocks might stop your leg swinging back.
 
Both! I have a lovely saddler who is also a machining oracticioner and she has checked the saddle for both him and me. I tend to ride quite short due to various issues with back/hip but found yesterday just dropping them a hole really helped, but found my left thigh very tight and after 15 minutes quite painful, using muscles differently I suppose, Pilates is definitely on the agenda :)
 
Just to give you a giggle, I remember an instructor from years ago who said to someone in a lesson "your nose should drip on your boobs (not the word he used), not on your horse"! Mind you, his instruction for sitting back further in the saddle was also somewhat politically incorrect for current times... :)
 
I had a similar issue with my hips collapsing and causing me to be imbalanced and tip when riding in a dressage saddle. I had always had quite a lot of physio which slightly improved the pain in my hips. I then was allocated a different physio when mine was away and I was injured (had been invited to "jump the fence first" by my spooky gelding). She does something called myofascial release and it has been astonishing the difference she has made to the tightness in my hips and lower back. She said my pelvis was rotated as it is naturally uneven and I have to be more aware of my leg position when standing throughout the day. I no longer have the tipping problems and have easily found I can ride 3 holes lower than I used to, which is great as I have a short lower leg.Can't recommend this type of physio enough even though at the time it seems a bit weird and overly gentle. I'd say it is the best money i have ever spent on my riding!
 
cyberhorse said:
I had a similar issue with my hips collapsing and causing me to be imbalanced and tip when riding in a dressage saddle. I had always had quite a lot of physio which slightly improved the pain in my hips. I then was allocated a different physio when mine was away and I was injured (had been invited to "jump the fence first" by my spooky gelding). She does something called myofascial release and it has been astonishing the difference she has made to the tightness in my hips and lower back. She said my pelvis was rotated as it is naturally uneven and I have to be more aware of my leg position when standing throughout the day. I no longer have the tipping problems and have easily found I can ride 3 holes lower than I used to, which is great as I have a short lower leg.Can't recommend this type of physio enough even though at the time it seems a bit weird and overly gentle. I'd say it is the best money i have ever spent on my riding!
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Will definitely look into this!! Thank you, will also keep in mind where my nose will be dripping 😂
 
cobgoblin said:
Is your saddle level and are you sitting in the lowest part of the seat? If the saddle isn't well balanced and is up at the back, or is too small for you, then it will tilt you forwards whatever you do.
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Second this, I always felt tilted forward on my old horse. The saddle was slightly wrong and once fixed issue solved! You could also try standing in your stirrups, just as your plodding down a road or whatever. It helps loads. I couldn't do far at first now can go ages like it.
 
Other than the ideas above, tipping forwards is also a very defensive position - building riding confidence generally (if that's an issue) may also help :)
 
Theocat said:
Other than the ideas above, tipping forwards is also a very defensive position - building riding confidence generally (if that's an issue) may also help :)
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I think you have nailed it, hence it was worse at our first outing to stressage, he'd never seen boards or flowers etc before and I was extremely nervous. Lots to work on!! But repetition and repetition will make it easier (for both of us) pleased with how he did though, 65.5% for prelim 7 :) the prelim 12 we died a death but learnt a valuable lesson in a shorter warm up!!
 
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