How to relax shoulders/stop being pigeon chested?

FestiveFuzz

FestiveFuzz

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 January 2008
Messages
4,583
Visit site
So my new horse is a lot more forward going than H ever was and as such I'm finding the transition a bit difficult. We're having lessons with my YO and are improving each week, however after years of riding defensively due to H being so nappy/argumentative I'm really struggling to relax my shoulders and often look pigeon chested.

I'm trying to actively relax my shoulders by shrugging, imagining an invisible string pulling me up from my sternum and focusing on my breathing when I notice I'm getting tense but I wondered if anyone had any tips and tricks to overcome this?

It's not a great pic but here's us when I viewed her (stirrups were too long hence slipping up my foot a bit) so you can see what I mean.

779CE563-A1A4-4A8B-8B41-7F87BACFFBCC.png.jpeg
 
in that picture it looks like you could do with a bit more bend in your elbow and your hands look a bit low, but once you bend them more your hands will automatically lift slightly and this should help you relax your shoulder as straight arms will make your upper body tense, apart from that your position looks fine.
 
Pinkvboots said:
in that picture it looks like you could do with a bit more bend in your elbow and your hands look a bit low, but once you bend them more your hands will automatically lift slightly and this should help you relax your shoulder as straight arms will make your upper body tense, apart from that your position looks fine.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I am trying to work on having a more elastic contact. I should have mentioned, my hands were low in the pic as she was in need of her teeth being rasped and I therefore didn't want to take up too much of a contact because of this. She's since had her teeth done but can still be quite fussy in the mouth (trainer thinks she wasn't bitted correctly) so I'm still tending to ride with fairly low hands. We have a lesson tomorrow so I'll play around with having more flex in my elbows and see how that helps.
 
You need to use the advice we were given going into a dressage competition. T and T. The first one is teeth and smile the second one is to stick your chest out ( you can work out what the other T stands for ) but the phrase makes you smile and relax, which is the key.
 
I'm no expert, but aside from your hands being too low (which has already been mentioned and as you say will be improved when your horses teeth have been done and you can ride with shorter reins/ more of a contact), it looks like your legs are quite far forward (even though you're in a dressage saddle) and your stirrups aren't on the ball of your foot - but as you say, this is most likely due to riding defensively.

I would say maybe try without stirrups if it's safe or try stretching your legs once you get on before you put your feet in the stirrups by getting someone to gently pull your leg back and by bending your calfs up from the knee to stretch out your quadriceps.

Your back is also quite arched and I think this is where the tension is coming from, rather than your shoulders. I'm guessing your shoulders are more symptomatic of the rest of your body. I have this problem myself and have found it helps to work on my core.

I personally find trying to think 'sit up tall' actually makes the problem worse when it comes to arching my back. Will be interested to see other people's replies.
 
Schollym said:
You need to use the advice we were given going into a dressage competition. T and T. The first one is teeth and smile the second one is to stick your chest out ( you can work out what the other T stands for ) but the phrase makes you smile and relax, which is the key.
Click to expand...

The trouble with T and T is that I then arch my back more which just makes the situation worse...it's just not a phrase that works for my way of thinking sadly :(

itroteverywhere said:
I'm no expert, but aside from your hands being too low (which has already been mentioned and as you say will be improved when your horses teeth have been done and you can ride with shorter reins/ more of a contact), it looks like your legs are quite far forward (even though you're in a dressage saddle) and your stirrups aren't on the ball of your foot - but as you say, this is most likely due to riding defensively.

I would say maybe try without stirrups if it's safe or try stretching your legs once you get on before you put your feet in the stirrups by getting someone to gently pull your leg back and by bending your calfs up from the knee to stretch out your quadriceps.

Your back is also quite arched and I think this is where the tension is coming from, rather than your shoulders. I'm guessing your shoulders are more symptomatic of the rest of your body. I have this problem myself and have found it helps to work on my core.

I personally find trying to think 'sit up tall' actually makes the problem worse when it comes to arching my back. Will be interested to see other people's replies.
Click to expand...

She's newly broken so no stirrup work with her isn't really an option at this point, but I'm still having lessons on my YO's schoolmaster where 80% of the lesson is without stirrups so hopefully this will help in the long run. The stirrups I rode her in at the viewing (when the pic was taken) were too big and too long which is why they slipped from the ball of my foot. I'll try and get some pics from tonight's lesson.

I agree the tension is coming from my lower back, but I've struggled to find a way to relax it. I think most likely I'll end up seeing my chiro/physio as I think this is a symptom of riding my previous horse rather defensively and not something I want to carry into my riding with P.

Tiddlypom said:
A very good tip that I was given by a BHSI is to relax your elbows. Relaxing them means that everthing else from the shoulders down relaxes too. Following this advice transformed my riding for the better.
Click to expand...

Thanks Tiddlypom, I'll try this tonight and report back.
 
Try slow, deep rhythmic breathing as you ride. Keeps you calm and helps you think of the horse's rhythm too.
 
I've used Alexander technique to good effect with position and tenseness- I think you're in Surrey, Alison Craig does it in conjunction with a lady called Sue, the website is equiposture.co.uk- they do sessions with you and your horse and at wimbledon on the horsey stimulator there. That helped me hugely as I tend to drop/round my right shoulder (im wonky anyway) and when tense grip with my lower leg and both have improved. (I'm not connected in any way other than being a satisfied client!) some of it did seem a bit hippy-ish but it wasn't overly daft.
One of the things Sue said about my shoulders was imagine you're wearing a cape and you want to shrug it off your shoulders, then you keep your shoulders back to prevent it slipping forward again (if that makes sense, I think she explained it better!)
Eta- agree about the elbow comments- imagine everything comes from your elbows and they're elastic.
 
Last edited:
My goodness... youre fine love.

Apart from straight rod arms....

All you need are lunge lessons with no saddle, no stirrups, no reins.

Ride. A. Horse.

Close your eyes use your instincts and feel.
 
The other thing I found helpful for relaxing shoulders (and really good if you do a lot of pc-based work) is putting hands on shoulders and circling the elbows backwards.
 
chaps89 said:
I've used Alexander technique to good effect with position and tenseness- I think you're in Surrey, Alison Craig does it in conjunction with a lady called Sue, the website is equiposture.co.uk- they do sessions with you and your horse and at wimbledon on the horsey stimulator there. That helped me hugely as I tend to drop/round my right shoulder (im wonky anyway) and when tense grip with my lower leg and both have improved. (I'm not connected in any way other than being a satisfied client!) some of it did seem a bit hippy-ish but it wasn't overly daft.
One of the things Sue said about my shoulders was imagine you're wearing a cape and you want to shrug it off your shoulders, then you keep your shoulders back to prevent it slipping forward again (if that makes sense, I think she explained it better!)
Eta- agree about the elbow comments- imagine everything comes from your elbows and they're elastic.
Click to expand...

Thanks Chaps89 I'll look into that as that sounds like it might be helpful. We're not allowed external trainers on the yard but the horsey simulator sounds ideal as that way I can focus on my position rather than what the horse is doing.
 
I started doing some strange things when riding I used to tip forward and look down and then my leg used to sort of creep up and back, I think mine was nerves and my instructor told me to do a mental check in your head every so often when your riding so I would think head look up sit straight leg down and just have it in my mind and it really does help you check yourself, it does get difficult when your doing fancy moves in the school because it sort of drifts out of your mind but my instructor says I hardly do it now so it must have worked. try not to worry about it none of us sit perfect unless your Carl Hester of course:)
 
Pinkvboots said:
I started doing some strange things when riding I used to tip forward and look down and then my leg used to sort of creep up and back, I think mine was nerves and my instructor told me to do a mental check in your head every so often when your riding so I would think head look up sit straight leg down and just have it in my mind and it really does help you check yourself, it does get difficult when your doing fancy moves in the school because it sort of drifts out of your mind but my instructor says I hardly do it now so it must have worked. try not to worry about it none of us sit perfect unless your Carl Hester of course:)
Click to expand...

Haha thanks. I'm very lucky that I have an amazing trainer who is very sympathetic, but as a classically trained rider that seems to have lost my way over the years I find it incredibly frustrating that I'm tipping and dipping the way I am, particularly now I have a youngster that I desperately don't want to ruin...although as I keep being told, I'm my harshest critic.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top