Helpful critisism please

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BBP

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I often look at everyones lovely photos and think how effortless they make riding look, and how wonderfully their horses go. But I imagine many of you will have had all the issues I have and have worked through them. So I am looking for pearls of wisdom that might work for me (i.e. rather than just saying 'you tip forwards, drop and fix your hands, your heels come up, you look down etc etc etc, any gems to help me fix all those things, mental images etc please).

I might struggle to get on here much to reply, but I am very interested in all comments. Without making too many pathetic excuses, I suffered a slipped disc and associated leg pain in March 2011 that I still suffer with, but I had all these bad habits prior to that. Pony is one I have backed and brought on myself, despite not having the knowledge or experience to do so. All his bad habits stem from my bad riding!
When my back is bad, this is how much I tip.
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and the absolute worst that I am horrified at and would never normally post except I seem to have started to do this horrendous heels up thing sometimes and my humiliation is less than my desire to fix it.
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I will wade in as someone prob of a same or lower level than you but you have no replies :(.

My hands would tend to do the same as I think yours do. I tend to try and think I am a really proud and good (I'm not :p) dressage rider with white gloves on (they never are ;)) This lifts my hands, introduces a bend into the elbow and in turn tends to open my shoulders, so that I sit up better/don't round or tip forwards and stop looking down at the same time (because I can't do both!). Sometimes I do actively have to roll my shoulders back to achieve this just to mobilize them a bit

I can't help on legs at all, because I am terrible for turning out toes and gripping up (in part due to a lazy bugger of a pony) I don't think it has been helped by me wearing spurs as to get the spurs on him (due to my legs!) I have to go up a bit (tho william fox pitt and carl hester do seem to manage :p). I am better in my long boots than in chaps (which I spot in the blue pic) because I can feel them behind my knee and basically if I feel them I know my leg is wrong.

In fact having looked at some pics my leg lenght is no excuse at all :p
 
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Something I've had to try to learn to do and it's hard, drop your elbows so your upper arm becomes a more toned part of your uppser body, soften the lower arm so it follows the bit, and rotate your wrists - flatten your fingers rather than clench them, and be able to see your fingernails. No more piano hands and a better connection :).
 
Tits out and smile!! A mantra a try to live by...
Try to feel the reins like your holding a baby bird, tight enough that it wont escape, but gentle enough so it wont get crushed!
And most importantly breathe... Really deep breaths with your mouth open throughout riding, especially during transitions etc!

Good luck - pony is gorgeous!
 
Sit in your saddle, and let your legs hang down underneath you, really feel that they are hanging. If you are sat in your saddle and your legs are hanging, you can't tip. Really feel that they are being pulled to the floor (I find it helps if I sit on a horse who is stood still and close my eyes to "feel this"). Lifting your little toe as someone above said, and wrapping your lovely loose, hanging, legs around your horse.

In this photo:
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I think your seat is exactly where I would want it, and just keep your thumbs on top and look up a bit :) In all of the photos, you don't look bad at all. The one above the one I have posted in this post is really good too!
 
In most of the pictures you look really nice! I have some *awful* pictures of me but I just never post those :p.
My advice would be to have more confidence in yourself, I think the difference between a lot of riders isn't so much talent but that some riders have more self belief than others, this means they relax and ride with feel more rather then getting all tense and fiddly.
You just always seem to put yourself down in your posts and I think you seem to be doing a really good job with your pony so stop worrying so much!! I tip my heels up and I find if I take my stirrups away for a bit that helps :).
 
I tip forwards too and one of the things that helps me most, unfortunately I can't remember who it was on here that said it, is to think of your boobs as headlights on a car and don't dip, dazzle! Weird I know but honestly it works and stops you from stiffly putting your shoulders back instead of lifting your ribcage and aligning your shoulders naturally, if that makes sense.
I also do piano hands but I don't have a trick for that, it's something I just keep in mind as much as I can.
 
Thanks guys, all helpful stuff. Firewell, I am trying to be less negative and more productive as you are right i spend way too much time worrying. now we are working on small victories. Last week when he was feeling quiet I took my stirrups away and the difference in my downwards transitions was great. His canter is getting stronger and he is able to collect more. I just need some visualisations to keep in mind when I ride. I have to admit my newest phrase is 'Hester hands', which sounds silly but seems to be working, I not only lift my hands but my whole body.

thanks JFTD, he is pretty hot, and a fellow TREC pony (in training)!
 
Already some good advice up there, esp "Dazzle, don't dip!"
i'd make sure your pelvis is upright, that it's not tipping forward (side seam of your breeches should be vertical).
i tip forward too (always have) and it's a nightmare to correct, but here are some of the good things i've been told over the years:
think of your body as building blocks 1 on top of the other (head, neck, shoulders, torso) and concentrate on keeping them on top of each other, not out of line. think of the front of your body staying absolutely upright too (i imagine buttons all the way down, and stack them 1 on top of the other).
re: heels creeping up - long, soft, floppy legs, as if they are two wet towels stuck to the horse's sides, is an image that works for me

the main thing that stands out for me about your position etc is your hands, actually - they are 'piano hands' in every photo, which is a real no-no. let your elbows feel heavy and bend them a little more, and then put your thumbs on top, if anything allow your thumbs to fall outwards away from each other a little. this will keep your elbows in and your hands upright.
lovely pony btw! he's stunning and you've done a nice job with him.
 
Thank you. I have had 'piano hands' for as long as i remember and never seem to have cracked holding them up, thumbs on top. It seems such a simple thing to have to do, i don't understand why my body won't do it! I need a shelf built up from the front of the saddle that I have to hold my hands above so I get a physical prompt every time I drop them, rather than relying on my brain to remember!
 
I think you are a lovely rider and to be honest I'd much prefer to see people who are quite modest and unassuming about their achievements/their riding than those bragging all the time (often for no reason!).

You are clearly doing a good job but as we can all learn from one another, I'd just echo what Kerilli said, especially two points -- the piano hands (also the first thing I noticed, but only because it's one of my pet hates!) and the wet towels image which I always find very helpful!!

"Dazzle, don't dip!" never worked for me, what works to get me sitting up is a "lightbulb moment" I read about on a blog on the Internet a few years ago and it immediately became a lightbulb moment for me too -- instead of thinking where my shoulders (or breasts!) are, I just concentrate on having a straight, upright sternum (I know that's not even physically possible, but it's the idea that counts!), and magically my whole upper body acquires a far more correct position :)
 
I once had a lesson with a ride with your mind instructor and one thing she said that really made a difference to my position in the lesson was to close the backs of your armpits, not clamp your armpits down (like a bird flapping) but close the back edge if that makes sense - it sounds wierd but if you try it you'll find it putting your elbows into your sides and opening your chest and rolling your shoulders back. :)
 
I had that problem of tipping for years. Two hours of no stirrups weekly for over a year solved that problem reasonably fast.
 
I do at least two of things suggested:

1. I ride pretending I am my instructor (who is brilliant) - that keeps my hands up and nice and relaxed and loose and in the correct position.

2. My instructor once told me to 'point my nipples in the direction I want to go'. Thought it was hilarious - but works wonders (e.g. with tipping and not looking down).

By the way - your horse is fab - well done, to you!
 
Lovely horse, you've done a great job with him! Don't be too harsh on yourself, you are clearly doing something right because the two of you look really good together!

Here are some things that have helped me:

- for the 'piano hands' hold onto two small twigs in your hands. When you turn your hands inwards the twigs will touch and give you a physical reminder. If you keep your thumbs on top the twigs will also stick up.

- if you have a 'naughty hand' that moves more than the other one, take your whip and carry it like a tray right under your thumbs (this helps with 'piano hands' as well).

- for looking up I find it helps to keep asking myself 'what colour is the sky?'. Just reminds me to look up at the sky, not sure if that would help anyone else however!

- for the heels unfortunately there is no other solution than work with no stirrups.
 
WetandMuddy said:
My instructor once told me to 'point my nipples in the direction I want to go'. Thought it was hilarious - but works wonders (e.g. with tipping and not looking down).
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I get this one from my RI, "pretend your eyes are in your nipples and look where you are going"
Kx
 
Two things that really helped me were when my instructor told me to imagine as I ride my horse that we are in the sea (bear with me!) the only part that is sticking out of the sea is my head, I must feel what my horse is doing underneath me and correct/adjust accordingly with the added bonus that if i tip I will get a gob full of seawater, helped me no end.

Also with regard to the hands things, sit in a chair, hold your hands as you are supposed to thumbs up elbows to your sides, now turn like like dog paws, what happens I hear you say, did you not notice how you tipped forward to do the dog paws! you actually load an extra 10 kilos of your weight to the front of the horse by not holding your hands properly, who knew!
 
You guys are all amazing fonts of knowledge! There are some great analogies here that I haven't heard before so I'm hopeful some if them will work for me. I might forget what he is up to for a while and focus on the hands and taking stirrups away whenever I can (those who saw my photo thread of him yesterday will understand!) and see if that brings an improvement in him without me 'fiddling'. Thanks! By all means keep more coming!
 
what a gorgeous horse, looks cracking so well done. I would suggest standing up in you stirrups tucking you bum under you and sitting down again this will put you back on your seatbones and correct the slight tilt forward. also i do a similar thing with my hand and i think of lifting them (and with the fist)tipping my thumbs right back towards me, it gives a straighter line from bit to elbow and always over exaggerate and then it normaly comes out just right! good luck and well done so far (also for your 'high heels' maybe no stirrup work? just a thought) x
 
snopuma said:
Also with regard to the hands things, sit in a chair, hold your hands as you are supposed to thumbs up elbows to your sides, now turn like like dog paws, what happens I hear you say, did you not notice how you tipped forward to do the dog paws! you actually load an extra 10 kilos of your weight to the front of the horse by not holding your hands properly, who knew!
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I read about this just last night, here...

http://colleenkellyriderbiomechanics.com/2011/09/18/how-the-horse-rider-holds-their-hands-can-put-the-horse-on-the-forehand/

Interesting isn't it!

Trina x
 
WetandMuddy said:
I do at least two of things suggested:

1. I ride pretending I am my instructor (who is brilliant) - that keeps my hands up and nice and relaxed and loose and in the correct position.

2. My instructor once told me to 'point my nipples in the direction I want to go'. Thought it was hilarious - but works wonders (e.g. with tipping and not looking down).

By the way - your horse is fab - well done, to you!
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surely the latter entirely depends on which way your nipples are facing in the first place :eek: :D.

If the only leg cure is work without stirrups I def need to find another horse to borrow for that :p, with a slightly longer, flatter, non-welsh stride.
 
First of all are you seeing a physio re: back/leg pain? A good sports physio can really really help. Secondly video your riding and before you crticise yourself make a list of all the things you like about your riding. I don't like critiquing pictures due to the fact that they are a split second in time!
 
ester said:
I am better in my long boots than in chaps (which I spot in the blue pic) because I can feel them behind my knee and basically if I feel them I know my leg is wrong.
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this exactly ^^i try and ride in long boots as much as possible i find thy help keep your lower leg more secure - mine also pinch horrendously as they are two long even with two wedges in the bottom! :eek: so the only way to stop the pinching is to put my heels down!

just a couple of things i have tried that i hope have had some effect:

for lower leg position, if your not happy with no stirupps i put mine down two holes so it feels like i cant reach them - but i can - then go into sitting trot make my lower leg go wobbly and long so i can reach them untill i need to give her a kick - this also makes them work for themselves as i cant keep reaching for my stirrup if im nagging her along! it really made me think about streching my leg down into the stirrup and worked on my sitting trot which i havent done for a long time!!

as for hands i always had problems with my hands - thumbs on top ect i looked at lots of picture/vids of rofessionals ridingthen thought about them when i was riding about how i'd like to look when i ride and as strange as it seems i started riding with a big 'dead fluffy sheep' thing ;) as it gave me a 'target' for my hands and something to think about, the armpit thing also works for sitting up straing- think about riding elegantly and it seems to work a little

dont be too down on your self you and your pony are looking really good, keep up the good work and good luck from a fellow 'i have an unbroken horse and im not sure i know what im doing but whats the worst that can happen!' they teach you so much - do you have a good instructor/friend to help you from the ground so they can remind you of different things, hands, legs ect?
 
I'm properly excited about riding him now and trying all these things out. I had a jumping lesson this morning (in the rain!) and in the warm up he was amazing, so something must have gone right. Then the jumps went up and he got a bit hyper, so not easy to try to be perfect. Towards the end i started to get some bucks thrown in, which turned into serious bucks. I realised that I had put a half pad under his saddle but that was it, and his girth is a wee bit short for his GP saddle and was pinching between the saddle flap and the split in the girth (usually goes over a slightly too big saddle pad so had not noticed before). Must be like tolerating a stone in your shoe for a while and then having a complete sense of humour failure all of a sudden because it is so sore. Poor pony. He was really uncharachteristically grumpy in his transitions the other day as well and I think it must have been a similar thing as I had no saddle pad, just a fleece exercise sheet. I am a bad mum for not noticing sooner 8( But im glad I thought it through instead of giving him a rollocking for bucking.

Hopefully I can get some video to post soon as you are right, photos are just a snapshot and we inevitably edit out the worst ones!
 
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