Improving my seat (so I can try and fall off a little less)?

[Echo24]

Haven't read all the replies but after riding a 16.2 ex racer that does the exact thing resulting with me hitting the deck, I applaud you for continuing to ride your horse! It knocked my confidence and the TB was so sharp, it's a sudden ditch of the shoulder and spin and it's very easy to get unseated.

I agree with some of the posts that you look quite perched on your horse and your shoulders appear to come forward. Before riding the ex racer I rode a mare that could be nappy and on one occasion threw a paddy, bucking and spinning because its stable mate left the school. I hunched over and had my instructor screaming at me to stick my heels down and sit up and thankfully didn't fall off! Good luck with your neddy.

 

[jules9203]

OMG - how much advice have you had!!!

I have a mare with a stop like yours. Go to an eventer UKCC3 coach and have lessons. Yes they are expensive but bet they tell you;
1. your stirrups are not too short
2. your balance is not right as your hips aren't open or forward.
3. your shoulders are in front of the vertical way before you take off. They need to be behind your hips before the jump.
Hunting is awesome and great fun. Some serious lessons will sort your problem out and you can hunt again after

 

[madmav]

Is he an ex-racer? Have known a couple that have learnt that the spin and ditch technique is far less trouble than bucking to remove a rider! No fun when you're trying to stay on board though.
I agree that lengthening stirrups a couple of holes might help, shorter reins, too, and riding in a legs wrapped round his body, heels well down, thumbs up, bum rammed in saddle way. Mary King says it far better than me.

 

[jules9203]

I really respect Mary King but she does not (IMHO) say it like Mark Todd, Dan Jocelyn, Matt Ryan, Warren or Murray Lamperd or leaving the best to last Michel Young (compare him going through the water at Badminton to anyone else that landed wrong initially). Teaching moves on and every one has to go with what suits them best. Watch some riders and their techniques and choose what would suit you and your horse best

 

[Girlracer]

Lol so much conflicting advice, I think I will try a few things and see what feels right for now.

Hunting costs me £40, to have a lesson with anyone decent would minimum be £40 + £100 for lorry hire. And considering hunting is what I enjoy most (and he seems to!) we will hunt over the winter and some decent lessons will be a summer project.

I'm not stressed about fixing it immediately, way I see it is we muddle along okay, and I have a horse to do things I enjoy so over the summer I will crack on with lessons etc. I am keen to improve, but equally I do it for pleasure not to be competitive if you know what I mean?

I don't want an instructor that pushes me too far out of my comfort zone though, as I do feel that that's how I ended up with a broken leg - too much too soon during a lesson.

 

[Chestnut horse]

I think you have it sussed it in your own head, good to take advice helps you to then take your own line. Good Luck.

 

[jules9203]

Good Luck - wish you were down my way - could be abit more help

 

[maccachic]

Try this: pull both legs up while in the saddle and adjust bum so comfy, then put legs down while keeping your bum where it is. This helps get your seat bones underneath you and puts you in a more secure position. If this is different to your current position you will have to repeat this regulary untill it becomes muscle memory. Made a huge improvement to my seat.

Another couple of options are you can stick your feet a little bit more in front of you than normal this gives you a more stable base and if you turn your toes out slightly this locks the leg on.

Agree re stirrup length and it will seem odd for a while after you drop them but you will get used to it.

Good luck.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

I would have thought that a few days hunting would have given you a better position, deeper seat AND make the horse forward going, that is the bit I don't understand!

 

[Mike007]

Tricky one this!. Lets just look at the fall first. You actualy seem to have longer stirrups here . Lets face it,he has a dirty stop . You got in front of the action and when he jammed the brakes on you were powerless. By being a bit more defensive and behindthe action you could have used your legs to advantage. You have to let them know that there are only two options ,through it or over it, they soon get the message.There is nothing intrinsicly wrong with your stirrup length. For a National Hunt jockey ,they would be long!. So you can ride at that length ,and it does help you stay on if they jam on the brakes. The problem is that your lower leg is less effective so they do jam on the brakes.Dont be afraid to ride him through the fence if he is stopping ,its his problem , he had the option to jump.

 

[maccachic]

The thing with those short stirrups is the are pushing the seat way back in the saddle. The jump pic over the rolly fence show this. A lot of weight is getting put onto the back and could be causing discomfort.

Is this jumping related or anytime?

Is this horse talented in other areas, dressage or something? Maybe he does want to be a jumper? His eyes look really worried in all the jump pics, not sure if its just he is having a bad day or if its related to the jump - video may help?

Also since you have injured yourself badly in the past maybe it is time to reassess if this horse is the one for you?

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Really its nothing to do with the length of the stirrups, its to do with "stickability"

 

[noblesteed]

I have a very sharp spinner - I have a bent arm and a bad back as a result! So I sympathise!
You stirrups do seem too short and maybe you are gripping with your knees?
I was going to suggest going hunting as a way to get you to improve your stickability, but it seems you do that already. I found that a session hunting over undulating ground, where I had to keep my seat really light and let my horse move under me, encouraged me to get my weight right down into my heels and leg slightly forward. As people say, it's not correct but it works really well! Practise cantering in a forward seat out hacking?
A lot of the time I stay on when horse is silly by pre-empting his dastardly spins. I can feel him tense up, I can also now tell when he's in that sort of mood. When he tenses up I raise one hand and keep the other low - so he can't unbalance me as he spins. He tends to spin right so I raise the right hand. Then when he shoots that way the rein is there to catch me so I don't lose balance - as soon as I lose balance he drops his shoulder and I am off! I have a grab-strap on the front of my saddle as a last resort.
The other thing I was taught is to always look up because if you're looking down to their shoulder then that's the direction you will fall when they spin! I have to remember to do this after every jump as that's when my horse can catch me out.
Now he's realised he can't get me off so easily he doesn't even bother trying, so you may find once you've got your balance sorted your horse will behave better anyway.

 

[Echo Bravo]

Why are you wearing spurs??? when pony looks like he'd take off with out the help from them!

 

[small]

Walking into small jumps is really helpful for a dirty stopper and easy to practice in any field. Just need a couple of poles it gets them a lot more committed to going over the jump- I think jumps need to be one foot or lower and it's good for improving your seat and contact going into the jump. Well done though for hanging on in there -you have my full sympathy ;mine has put me in a& e so often that now when I arrive a domestic abuse police officer takes me off for councilling they won't believe it's my pony. We do also have a lot of fun though. Have you tried without spurs? I got knocked out for 10 mins last time I tried jumping with them- didn't even make it into the ring.

 

[mulberrymill]

My horse does exactly the same with the added bonus of a fair few bucks in between. Longer stirrups definately and sitting deeper with more relaxed hands. It does work, I havent come off for nearly 6 months now in spite of his best efforts, and his moments are gradually getting less frequent and less intense, the more secure my seat is. Once you get used to it you will wonder how you ever rode so short .

 

[thatsmygirl]

I can't offer any help but just to add, I ride short and always have done since leaving racing. Iv had lessons where the instructor laughs and puts my stirrups down quite a fair way!! It's prob that I'm not use to it but I felt really unsafe. I ride difference horses now and they are fair from saints but with my short stirrups I sit 99.9% of the things they put at me. I do ride quite defensive at times and I doubt I look pretty to be honest but it works for me and let's me stick to the saddle and as iv got long legs, if I get a good bucker I stand up, push my legs forward and let them crack on, they won't get me.
So I suppose I'm saying ride how u feel comfy, try longer but if its not you I wouldn't worry about going shorter.

 

[Blythe Spirit]

In my opinion its not your stirrups that are too short but your seat that is too far back. In every pic (except the stop but thats just the momentum) your seat is behind the movement. At times you bring your shoulders forward to compensate. Basically to sit a spin you need to stay with horses shoulders. But in most pics you have little controle over shoulders because your seat is way behind them and your reins are long leaving an open door for his shoulders to run through. If your seat is nearer his shoulders and your reins controlling the side exits he might not spin and if he does you might go with him - on a good day! That is one dirty stop! Good luck!!!

 

[Girlracer]

Blimey can't believe this thread is still going!

Those photos were the best I could find at the time, and it's not only jumping related, no.

Have been working on it as best we can, that day we went with one other horse which kept cantering off from us. Major has a bit of seperation issues (which we are working on and he is a lot better than he was) so I think that's why he looks to 'worried' not actually because of the jumping.

Here we are the other day, just popping over a little X pole in the school, not being particularly stressed

[video=youtube;lUs_ACklhJk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUs_ACklhJk[/video]

He's changed a lot since I broke my ankle, and I really do feel like we're finally getting somewhere

 

[Dowjones]

I think you seem to be a pretty decent rider from past posts from you.
Id agree with the contact issue, try to keep the contact into and over the fence rather then throwing it at him. I have a dirty stopper and the contact was always an issue with people. She has a low set neck and does the same dropping the shoulder trick!
Am I right in that Major has kissing spines? Did that flare up at the times of the dropping you?