If a horse is used to a crooked rider and goes straight, but then...

[PapaFrita]

a non-crooked rider gets on... will he go crooked? If you see what I mean... I'm just wondering why I had such a bee-atch of a time keeping a neddie straight today!

Got SUCH a bollocking for it. He was OK one way but soo stiff on the other rein. Saw his usual rider on him and he was very wonky. I suppose I might be wonky too, but no instructor has ever mentioned it, so assume I'm straight (I do work hard at it!) Also he IS only 5.

 

[Befney3]

I have a bad back which is quite uneven & as a result of my bad back I also get pain in my left shoulder/upper arm which means I am aware I can be quite 'fixed' on my left. My horse goes straight but it took a bit of work & he still gets a bit wonky when jumping if I don't really concentrate. Nobody has comented on it when they've sat on him but his is still quite new to me & has only had a couple of others on him.
I s'pose it all depends on the horse & also how wonky the rider is.

 

[YorkshireLass]

Of course a horse will become wonky if he is regularly ridden by a wonky rider. The horse will have to use one side or part of its body more to compensate and as such will build up more muscle on one side or quater than another.

The wonky rider will put more pressure on one side of the saddle than the other which will lead to slipping and ultimately muscular atrophy, even with a well fitting saddle.

The saddle will slip to one side which will hoyke the spine and eventualy cause damage and muscular asymitry as the muscle tissue is literaly killed off in one area.

So, eventualy the whole combination of horse and rider will become a vicious circle, the horse will become asymetrical and move incorrectly, which will make the rider more unbalanced and cause more damage. A wonky rider will not be as balanced as an aligned rider, so again, the vicious circle continues.

Depending upon how far down the road of wonkiness the horse is... it may or may not go correctly for a non wonky rider. It depends upon the extent of the damage done.

Before anyone jumps up and down... I am a wonky rider, hence my horse drives as much as it rides to build correct muscle. I also do lots of yoga and I am much less wonky than I was!