Help with position needed

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251libby

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Hi I have already posted this in CR but though I pick your brains too! I need help with my position.....it's bloody awful.
I actually thought it was ok until I looked at some pictures and realised
I basicly look like I'm perching and not sitting on my bum and because of this (I think) I cling on like a limpet with my calves and my feet stick out and toes point down. Not pretty!

I dont think this affects my riding too much as I always feel balanced and safe but it's looks terrible and must be restricting her movement a bit.
I oftern ride without stirrups and get on fine although a bit bouncy in trot. I do have lessons and go to the occational clinic but really haven't got the money to have lessons every week or even every 2 weeks.

So any help, tips or excersises you can give me to help?

I can post a pic if that will help thanks in advance
 
Just focus on sitting up straight, making sure shoulders aren't tipping forwards, and this should make it easier to keep your heels down, and this will make you use your seat more. Just keep working at it and you'll soon get out of any bad habits
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From the pics i would put your styrups down a couple of holes and try to tip your pelvis fowards a bit (into a netural position) so you can feel both your seat bones equally on your saddle.... That should help you also get your shoulders in the right position!

But its not awful, dont be so harsh on yourself!! Trust me i have seen a lot worse
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It doesn't look nearly as bad as I thought it would from your initial description. I am assuming that you are asking for your flatwork position tips even though you are going over poles in some of the pictures.

The major problem is that you appear to have your weight in your knees rather than in the stirrups. i.e. You are sitting rather than standing on the horse.
If someone removes your horse you should be left standing in balance with your knees slightly bent. From these photos I think you would sit down quite quickly.

Basically you need to lengthen your whole leg from the hip, lift it from the saddle and turn it so that your feet point forwards with the big muscles on the top half of the leg sticking out the back rather than under your leg like it is at the moment.

You also need to lengthen your legs so that you bring your knees back so that they are not in front of your hands, and the hip knee angle opens out a bit. This may mean you have to put your stirrups down a bit, so try it without stirrups first, and if you have to lift your feet too much to put them in they are too short.

Your feet should sit over the girth with your toe in a fairly vertical line down from your knee. If you are on your own, stick it forwards until your can see your toe and then bend your knee until they disappear.

To help you get the feel of keeping your weight in your stirrups try riding standing up in them, without crouching\leaning forwards into a jumping\galloping seat. Riding without stirrups is also good as long as you are letting your legs hang long and not hanging on with your knees.

Anyway your position looks OK, and your pony is going nicely, so you must already be on the right lines. If you really want to concentrate on your position it may be worth having a lunge lesson or two, either on a school master, or on your boy if he is well behaved.
 
have a couple of lessons with a good instructor, that will help tweak things position wise. but its not as bad as you think, and as long as you enjoy your horse and riding thats half the battle. you might find you like the challenge of improving and set some more goals! have fun!!!!!!!!
 
I agree that a lunge lesson is the best thing for working on position. Also, is it possible that your saddle is contributing to the problem? Some saddles just seem to have the stirrup bars in the wrong place for you to find a natural balance and you constantly have to fight for position. Have you tried riding in a different saddle?
 
Thanks for all your advice, I dont think the saddle is helping much as I occationally ride friends horses and I seem to sit better on some of them but I dont know if thats because of the saddle of the fact that their horses are finer so take up my leg better?
Shazzababs - thanks for all your advice, I will try and put it into practise tonight.

I've now got a couple of lessons booked so having someone nagging me for half an hour should help too!

Thank you everyone
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Dont be too hard on yourself hun!! I was expecting alot worse, the way you described yourself.

Not sure if its been sad already, but I think the one thing that will help you enormously, if possible for you, is a dressage saddle x
 
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