sidesaddlegirl
Well-Known Member
Schooled Hattie today and this new saddle REALLY highlights how weak I am on the left side of my body since it was never really broken it from the person who had it before it.
I just never realized how weak my left side is and it explains alot like how she drifts to the inside on the left rein and overbends to the outside on the right rein. Our left rein canter has always been ATROCIOUS (which is why I have only done walk/trot tests) but know I know why as Hattie had nothing to bend around to the inside because of my weak left leg.
On left circles, I've always relied on force to steer her around and she's always stiff.
Anyways, today we were only walking and trotting and I was practicing bending her around my inside leg and also riding her inside leg to outside hand in circles which helped us not drift so much to the inside when I got back on the track. I think once I strengthen my left leg, then our left rein canters will follow.
Are there any other exercises I should be doing to help strengthen up the left side of my body?
We only schooled for 30 minutes but my left side now feels like a lead weight (I think I'm going to hurt tomorrow) but at least Hattie and me started to show progress.
Sigh, it took a new saddle to show what a crap rider I've been- it was an eye opener today and how my saint of a horse has put up with me!!
I just never realized how weak my left side is and it explains alot like how she drifts to the inside on the left rein and overbends to the outside on the right rein. Our left rein canter has always been ATROCIOUS (which is why I have only done walk/trot tests) but know I know why as Hattie had nothing to bend around to the inside because of my weak left leg.
On left circles, I've always relied on force to steer her around and she's always stiff.
Anyways, today we were only walking and trotting and I was practicing bending her around my inside leg and also riding her inside leg to outside hand in circles which helped us not drift so much to the inside when I got back on the track. I think once I strengthen my left leg, then our left rein canters will follow.
Are there any other exercises I should be doing to help strengthen up the left side of my body?
We only schooled for 30 minutes but my left side now feels like a lead weight (I think I'm going to hurt tomorrow) but at least Hattie and me started to show progress.
Sigh, it took a new saddle to show what a crap rider I've been- it was an eye opener today and how my saint of a horse has put up with me!!
