How has your riding style changed over the years?

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Lill

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Mine has gone from riding school style when i was VERY young
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, to riding with mega short stirrups - no particular style as the aim was to just stay on board (i used to ride for a dealer yard
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) to now, focusing more on the dressage side, so longer stirrups and sitting more upright.
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Just watching A ride Holly last night (she rides dealers too) her style is just the same as mine was when i was her age!
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Forgot to add watching her last night made me feel old!
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When I was a bit younger I rode any old how stayed on though no matter whatt horse I was put on,
Then I went to sorting myself out managing to ride a horse properly. Mind you at all stages I looked a mess :O
Now I have a bigger horse I Find I am riding more to get what I want, not looking any good still.
 
Yep I was a dealer style hanger on when I was younger. Flat work was simply a warm up for jumping. I then did a lot of flat work when I didn't have a horse and did a lot more with my last horse. However so many years of nutters seems to have stopped the signal getting from my brain to my legs to tell them to move so find it very difficult to get a slow horse going!
 
I used to gallop everywhere and jump anything and didn't really think about how I looked apart from the obligatory PC flat lesson. Never came home from a show without a bundle of rosettes. I felt like a good rider!

Now I video myself, take DR lessons fortnightly and really care about how I ride and if I am improving.
I jump a tricky, inexperienced horse who regularly caterpaults me out of the saddle! I feel like a crap rider sometimes LOL. I think (hope!) it's because I have higher standards now.
 
i used to sit very correct in a BHS style when was going thru my BHSII, but afew years of working on dealers and racing yards aswell and breaking babies, and schooling ex racers , now i ride very much to stay on! always ride with a neck strap now. realy must make myself sit up better this year for the show ring, its hard tho when you get out of the habit!
 
It depends on what footwear Im wearing, if I've got my woof wear boots on I ride long but if I ride in joddy boots and chaps I put my stirrups up 3 holes!!! I always put my stirrups up for hunting and jumping.
I never used to have any fear, I used to ride bare back everywhere galloping round the countryside but I wouldn't now!!
Is it once you have kids you lose nerve or just as you get older? Im only 21!!
 
When I was younger I was a cling on and hope for the best kind of rider (was at an appauling RS)

Then started having lots of lessons with my one of my YO's who is all about dressage, so long stirrups, getting horse to work properly, circling without corners.

Now I am a combination of trying my best with the flatwork, but loving the jumping more! owning a horse that definetly prefers jumping!
 
I have learnt that if I want to do dressage I look far better riding with stirrups that are longer than a flat race jockey's!!
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I went from being taught properly at college with a half decent position to working in racing for 6 months with my knees round my ears and now all i basiacally aim to do is stay on!!!

although when i get my new share ponio i will be investing in lessons!!
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I started off riding all the naughty horses at my RS, so jockey length stirrups and hanging on for all i was worth...

these days i still have the stickability but hopefully i look a bit more classy while i'm at it.

can still roll out the pony club legs with the best of them if i have to though!!
 
well when i was young i could ride any gait happily in bareback and found transitions up and down easy, i would also ride pretty much anything, big or small, nutty or calm
now.... well i like a safe, steady ride, which i have, and i dont ride bareback as i think i may fall and hurt myself
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also i am sure i dont ride in as well a balanced manner, i am intending to improve on that this year i hope
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For the worse
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But what the hell, I leave their mouths alone, I have decent balance, I generally stay on unless the horse is doing somersaults, I don't compete therefore have no one to impress. My horses don't run away when they see their tack coming and they enjoy going out, so I can't be all bad.
 
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