Follow on from the 'hand' thread. Help with teaching daughter to sit up please...

[nikCscott]

As we got on to neck strap chat i thought I'd ask you good folks for some advise but didn't want to hijack

My daughter age 6 has a natural instinct to hunch and lean forward when the pony trips or start to rush etc.

So this week I've been lunging her with no stirrups (walk and tiny spells of trot) and just the neck strap and asked her to exaggerate the sit back for balance (not forward- explaining this is what jockeys do to go faster) and trying to imagine digging her heels into the ground to keep her legs long.

Its sort of started to click but if she does have a wobble and gets out of that position she'll curl forwards the knees bend and almost forward rolls off the front.

Any ideas? She's a great, kind rider, she's nailed rising trot and desperate to start doing more off the lead rein and more jumping, but He's not the 'easiest' of ponies and without the ability to sit back stay on and tell him to do as he's told i can't see how we can move on- your help would be much appreciated.

To start

Getting better

 

[Littlelegs]

Do more on the lunge, & some bareback stuff too & lots of work without stirrups. Get her trotting with hands on head, knees etc, & standing trot. All good for sitting up without nagging. I also think its fun to get kids to balance stuff too, I've discovered a cadburys fudge will balance on a child's hat peak (just!)
I think sometimes as well, they need to have the moment where they tip forward whilst pony misbehaves, with you desperately shouting 'sit up' to realise why tipping forward isn't a good idea.

 

[touchstone]

Agree with plenty of exercises to help her sit up, but she also looks quite tense and nervous in that first pic, and holding on for dear life, so I think attaching a sort of handle with a leather strap or even string to the front of the saddle so that she can grab hold, but not have to drop her hands down will help until her confidence has built up a bit and she realises that she doesn't have to hunch forwards to stay secure. I see she has a neck strap, but this still means she will be leaning forwards to grab it.

 

[xxMozlarxx]

Awww, bless! At her age it will all be about balance as she won't have the muscle development for an independent seat until much older. It's just time and practise.

 

[tallyho!]

Do the imaginary string thing. There is a vid somewhere someone posted on here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvePvEfQEv0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[nikCscott]

The 1st picture I don't think she believed me that no stirrups was allowed- CRAZY MOTHER!!!

I'll try the hands out on head etc- although she's only ready for this in walk atm I'll try and get some video tonight

 

[Littlelegs]

If she's only ready for it in walk, that's fine, no need to push her.
Another one that's enjoyable is a song with a fixed routine played on radio, i-pod etc. Such as the locomotion, macarena, anything with actions in. Head, shoulders knees & toes work but others give a bit of variety. If you can find that superman one its hilarious (you know the brush your teeth, comb your hair, superman one?) Stuff like that will stop her tensing up & going forwards too.

 

[dunkley]

I had a similar problem with a little girl a few years ago. Her mother is an instructor, and kept the mantra going "Sit up!" but the little girl couldn't seem to manage it. It turned out she thought she was, but evidently not! The pony was a little bugger and as soon as he felt her balance slip forward he would put in some little tiny bucks, which made it worse. I suggested telling her to "lean back" and it worked! The child thought she was leaning right back, but in fact she was sitting up and straight beautifully, and no more bucking

 

[Natch]

Great ideas above, and remember that she IS only 6, and don't fall into the pushy mum trap (all be it only because you want the best for her). Let her be a 6 year old, and it may even take a few tumbles for her to realise that crunching her stomach and tipping forward is causing it.

How about some more work without reins, you could focus it on controlling speed and direction from the legs, seat and voice, starting at the walk on the lunge and moving on. if she realises she doesn't actually need her reins for security perhaps that will help prevent the tipping.

What about also including touch the pony's tail, touch his ears, lie back on his back and be led around, round the world, be led around havign done a half-round the world, half scissors, pretend side-saddle etc, or even some basic vaulting type moves, so that she gets comfortable on the whole of the pony's back and saddle, again without reins and stirrups. Plus that's really fun!

 

[dafthoss]

She looks like she is reaching down for her neck strap, would one of the ones that goes between the D's of the saddle be in a better position for her?

 

[Hedwards]

Do the imaginary string thing. There is a vid somewhere someone posted on here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvePvEfQEv0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

This ^^ Ok so I am an awful lot older than your little girl, however it helped me no end - I have a trapped nerve in my right shoulder/neck - which has caused me to roll my shoulders forward a lot - I've used the imaginary string thing and it has really changed the way i ride (I still tip forward and roll my shoulders a bit so there is a little way to go, but I'm getting there!)

 

[PonyRiders]

I would try doing some standing exercises in walk and getting her to stretch boths hands up above her head. If she is balanced enough I would try doing to the same in rising and sitting trot. It helps them to stretch up the front of their body and sit tall. Just have to make sure they don't end up stretching toward the ponies ears instead. Could also try doing backward windmills with both arms, will work best doing them backwards, as forward tends to make them tip forward even more. Good Luck

 

[nikCscott]

Thanks

Some great ideas some are part or our repertoire and lots that aren't. This pony likes to snatch the reins so that doesn't help although it did clip that she was being unseating less when leaning back or doing the standing in stirrups with hips forward.
I'm going on iTunes now to download some 'actions' songs- love this idea as singing Nelly the elephant has sorted my show jumping out too.

Don't worry I'm not too pushy - fun 1st!

 

[GinaGeo]

Just a thought, the saddle looks to be tipping back to me, this being out of balance will make it harder for her to sit properly as she'll be fighting the position it puts her in. Also try the stap D-ring to D- ring which will encourage her to lift her hands a bit, as opposed to leaning down for the neck strap or pommel.

 

[nikCscott]

Well spotted and I'm on it- this is the saddle he came with, in loan agreement that 'must be used', but its an appalling fit as way to narrow for him, so have a new one arriving any day hopefully. my younger daughter rides him in the cub saddle but J is too bootylicious and no longer fits into the cub

 

[GinaGeo]

Fab, that should help her out

 

[ponypilotmum]

Just a thought, the saddle looks to be tipping back to me, this being out of balance will make it harder for her to sit properly as she'll be fighting the position it puts her in. Also try the stap D-ring to D- ring which will encourage her to lift her hands a bit, as opposed to leaning down for the neck strap or pommel.

This was my initial thought, the saddle doesn't fit.

Pop a donkey pad on him, she'll develop a seat in no time.

 

[ischia]

I play 'simon says' with my daughter on the lunge
Lots of touch your ponies ear, touch your toes, touch your horses bottom, hands on your head, hands on you hips, knees etc
Its great for their balance and is lots of fun when simon didn't say touch your nose.
Best thing is their balance improves without them even thinking about it.
I bet if simon says 'lean back as far as you can' it will help x