How do you know if you are putting equal weight in stirrups?

siennamiller

siennamiller

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As title really. I am wondering if maybe it's my fault the saddle is moving so much. I know the Bowen therapist said she was sore/blocked on one side, and had been for a long time, but maybe I'm making it worse?
 
If you're not weighting your stirrups equally then you're not weighting your seat bones equally in all likelihood, so try shifting your focus to your seat in order to become more aware. Also, assess yourself as you are standing on the ground....do you put equal weight into the ground? Get a chiro to assess your pelvic alignment and leg length.....many people are uneven.
 
I had a lesson on Saturday, she didn't say anything about me being unequal, and I had spoken to her about saddle moving.
Bonkers, good thinking, maybe instructor?
Gunner, I am uneven, am having second Bowen next week, so hoping that will get better, but not sure whether me and horse both being wonky is making is both worse.
 
siennamiller said:
Gunner, I am uneven, am having second Bowen next week, so hoping that will get better, but not sure whether me and horse both being wonky is making is both worse.
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You EITHER need to get yourself sorted and to a level such than you become CAUSAL and can positively influence your horse OR get a rider on him/her that is whilst you sort out your own physical issues. Otherwise, it is a slippery slope...been there and got that t-shirt!
 
I do have regular treatment, so hoping I am nearly there, and am starting regular lessons now I have moved yards too, which will help. There isn't really anyone around to ride her, she is massively improved since I got her (gone from hat rack giraffe impression to double clear BE80), so hopefully I am not making her that bad(I hope not).
The Bowen therapist said that the weakness behind her saddle was very longstanding, and she has treated that. We both get treated the same day, then a few days off, so hopefully that will help.
I work out regularly, which is definitely helping as it is making me more even
 
Well done for trying to get this sorted. I find that working without stirrups helps make me more even (as i can't then grip up easily) but you have to consciously keep stretching your legs down and do it for more than a few minutes (e.g. half hour walking, then build up to trot). Rising trot without stirrups (but very short periods till legs adapt!!!!!!) can also help.
 
Go and have a session on a simulator if you can, I am wonky and intend to do this, I have managed to even myself up a bit and have chiro/physio, horse also has chiro as it can throw him out too.

I go through periods where the weight in my seat bones is even but the weight in my feet isn't (following a car accident)
 
siennamiller said:
Good thinking, I am generally on my own tho, will have to try not to fal off-lol!
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I am sure you won't! You can also put a neck strap on if worried (I do this regularly when i try anything new), but if you just start with dropping your stirrups for the last five minutes or so then you will be fine. It is a bit of myth that stirrups help you stay on (although they certainly help in some situations), and it is amazing how much more secure you feel if you have been riding without stirrups for a while.
 
This is interesting because I actually ride a bit one sided and it shows. I've just had a back person out for the boy and she looked at the saddle, seemed fine, a very good fit but he was a little sore. Then checked the left side and there is actually a bit of a bridge where the flocking is worn and it all started to make sense so I'm also on a mission to ride without stirrups more and make sure I don't ride 'lazy' which I know I do.
 
How many numnahs and saddle blankets do you have under your saddle? Saddles fit better and sit more evenly when they have none or minimal packing under them.

Otherwise as others have said get to a chiro and have your pelvis and back assessed. If you pelvis is out of alignment or you have one leg longer than the other its harder to sit straight
 
Have you tried riding a different horse to see if you still have this problem?

A Bowen therapist is not going to change how your body is set up (and if they claim they can fix your asymmetry, please stop giving them your money).

All people and all horses have asymmetries. This is normal and cannot be corrected.

What you can do is learn to compensate for it and also use equipment that compensates for it (i.e. a correctly fitted saddle).

You also need to be sure to work your horse equally on both sides and reduce things in the environment that facilitate asymmetrical development. For instance, don't always do things from the left and don't use a hay net (watch horses eating from a hay net and you'll see that they preferentially tilt the head to reach for it from one or other side, meaning that one side becomes over-developed). This seems trivial until you think about how much time horses spend eating... Feed close to the ground instead.

Your own body may also be asymmetrical due to differences in muscle development - not just skeletal differences. This can mean you are more flexible on one side. I am more flexible on my left side but stronger on my right, for example, because I am right-handed and have better-developed muscle on my right as a result (this is not usually as obvious in the legs but I used to do gymnastics so my bias translated into more of a disparity in my legs). Doing exercise that doesn't favour one or other side like swimming can help you build more even muscle and you can try to improve your flexibility through something like power yoga (lots of free videos on youtube you can follow). I wouldn't bother with those spiritual yoga classes - you need to focus on your flexibility and do it regularly, not your "breathing and mindfulness" or whatever the current fashion is.

In terms of compensating while riding, lots of work without stirrups will help you sit centred and the rest should come with time. For something more extreme, try not tightening the girth and riding (at a slower pace of course - stay safe) so you can really feel when you are not sitting evenly.
 
Barnacle, asymmetry can be caused by various means, AND can be corrected. My pelvis is slightly tilted, long term, and a year or so back rotated as well.

Regular chiropractic work has corrected the rotation and improved the tilting. With the improvement my 'one leg longer than the other' has improved.

I have often sent my students to the chiro, especially the mums who have carried babies around on their hips for years. They have all improved after going to a chiro.

Along with the manipulation the muscles have to be developed to be able to hold the joint correctly. It takes time and sometimes many treatments to work.
 
If you have "Watt-bikes" at your gym, it might be worth a few sessions on one of those, they measure how much pressure you put through each leg which will probably be similar to your riding pressure.

As another poster said, try to make sure you do everything from both sides. I regularly change hands when I'm sweeping, mucking out, poo picking, so that I'm using both sides of my body more equally, and since I've made this a conscious effort I've noticed being more symmetrical.
 
Wow, lots of replies and details, thanks :).
That's an interesting point about the girth, I am the worlds worst at tightening my girth properly, in fact a complete stranger came up and tightened my girth at an hunter trial the other day haha ( I am not a complete numpty I do check it properly before I set off, just quite often forget before that), so maybe I am not as bad as I think?
She always has hay and feed off the floor, I hate Haynets for the reasons above.
I do have regular chiro treatments, am using the Bowen, partly as she has improved Z so much, and partly because she can treat us both at the same time, she hasn't claimed to improve asymmetries, but I am one sided due to a fall where I landed very heavily on one foot, which is a recent thing, so hopefully she can help that.
I work out at home (it's cheaper and quicker), so I work out to Jillian Michael's DVD, so it does work both sides equally. I also try and work equally on both reins when I ride.
I have found a couple of places where they have a simulator, so I thought I might have a go at that, will be very beneficial I think.
I will try mucking out/poo picking with both hands, and have managed to get Andrew Reilly to come out in a couple of weeks, so he can have a proper look at the saddle.
Thanks
 
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