Instructors! I need your help!

Amy567

Amy567

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So, I have a 15.2hh TB showjumper, knows her job, loves her job, and is fast at her job. Have a sharer who has been riding for 8 years (in an RS) and is 14 herself. Not a bad jockey, BUT, she still leans forward a lot, in rising trot she uses her shoulders, rather than her hips, to rise and in canter, hands on horses neck shoulders forward etc etc. Firstly, thought a RS would have taught her a proper seat! But, she's been able to handle said horse and has actually done really well! So we took her to a small local show tonight, and she kept losing her stirrup over one jump that the horse jumped a bit big over, she got into the jump off (it was 65cm, so nothing huge) and lost her stirrup, then went on to jump a double, lost other stirrup and flew into the fence (a lot of people would have fallen off).

However, HOW do I get her to sit up and use her seat and weight to slow the horse down, and just, quite frankly, to stay on, have a better seat etc. I keep telling her to "sit up"," shoulders back"," push your boobs out" all sorts. Should I keep doing what I'm doing, or is there something else I can do?
 
I would video her, so she can see it for herself, then lunge her - slowly at first, without stirrups or reins until her seat builds up.

Another suggestion is taking her to an arena with mirrors so she can be aware of what she is doing.
 
well at least she has balance with no stirrups!!!!

with looseing the stirrup - to much weight in other foot and not enough in the on that is being lost - so sitting to one side (also check heels down?)

can you lunge? and your horse? if so take her stirrups away and lunge her...cant lean fowards with no stirrups!!!! (if your feeling mean take away reins to! shes using these to balance)
use of seat and weight comes with time and balance - resting on neck and leaning forwards will mean seat cant be used.
but its no good just telling her 'sit-up' etc she may think she is sitting up....show her and put her in the correct position! its difficult to know if your right if you dont know what 'correct' feels like!!!
 
She needs to sort her lower leg position first. It will be too far back, which is tipping the upper body forwards. V common fault especially in younger riders who've come the RS route where they *usually* are used to lots of kicking.

Until the lower leg and foot is fixed telling her to put her shoulders back etc wont do anything as she'll just end up tipping forward again.

Hope this helps :)
 
She can't afford lessons with a proper instructor that often, so it'll have to be me. We'll see if the horse lunges under saddle, but a couple years ago, we only lunged her to see if she was lame, so associates it with pain and turns in constantly. I can run with her for walk and trot and try lunging. The thing is, she doesn't have weight with NO stirrups, just one, so I'd rather take reins away than stirrups right now. I have put her in the correct position numerous times, and we've filmed her, and she said she can see it herself.

I'm thinking, have her 'rise' on a saddle without a horse first and feel the correct position, then lead her round with no reins work, see if the horse will lunge and do it in canter. Do no stirrups in walk and possibly trot and very little jumping until her position is better.
 
TandD said:
with looseing the stirrup - to much weight in other foot and not enough in the on that is being lost - so sitting to one side (also check heels down?)
Click to expand...

With me, this was due to my left leg being much weaker and less flexible than my right. I was sitting to the left to compensate. A bit of time at the gym concentrating on the left leg (and more time spent correcting my habit of standing with my weight all on my right leg!) and I've got much better.

Also, when I was tipping forward, it was entirely due to sitting with my pelvis tilted forwards and my lower back hollowed - my lower leg was absolutely fine. I'm still working on correcting it, but I've improved since I tried the hula hoop-ing tip I saw mentioned on HHO! (A pole dancing workshop at a folkdance festival also helped, but I suspect suggesting a 14-year-old take up poledancing wouldn't go down too well with her parents, no matter how good your intentions!)
 
You could try getting her to do some stretches and hip circling on the ground first just to loosen everything up.
I always describe the rising hip movement as pushing your hips up and towards the whithers (if she ends up rising too much, it's easier to lessen the movement), whilst keeping the lower leg as still as possible, and if you need to 'kick' - squeeze with your calves on the sitting bit).
The other way to describe it is as a 'sexy' movement - although being 14, you'd hope she didn't know what you mean!
 
Unfortunately, with 14 year olds today, I think she might know what 'sexy' movement is! haha. I tell he to 'thrust' with her hips and keep her shoulders a still as possible, and it dos help, but I've only told her that in one lesson so far, so room for improvement still.

I did some no stirrups and no rein work on Kiki (horse) myself today (if I can't do it, no point in telling her to!) and the horse responds well, I'm just a bit dubious about the jockey's balance with it all, don't want her to fall off again, she has EXTREMELY over protective parents, real worriers. You need balance to be able to tell the horse what to do when you have no reins, but I guess that's where me running around will come in...

I really did think that 8 years in a RS would have made her position better, I feel like I have to go back to scratch completely. But, if that's what I need to do, that's what I need to do.
 
Some of my pupils have spent years going round in a RS, all the ponies following each other and listening for the instructor to give commands. I guess in group lessons, instructors can't watch everyone.
I find it far harder to teach ex RS people as the habits seem to be more ingrained, both physically and mentally (well, we were taught to....blah, blah, blah), and I have to patiently explain that weight aids are far better, IMO, than hanging on the reins with a tight grip and kicking!

I usually have to take them right back to basics.
 
Not an instructor and certainly not 14 so hope you don't mind me commenting. :o but can say what helped me the most to get my posture and balance right.

Lunge.. No stirrups and no reins whilst doing leg and arm exercises and yes at one point I was asked to lift legs and circle arms at the same time in trot! That WAS a challenge :eek:

Riding bareback with just a halter..lead rope tied beneath horses chin so hard to use it to steer so have to use legs and seat.

Lots of work with no stirrups..canter trot canter. You really cant get away with leaning forwards if you don't have stirrups :D

Am RS taught but lucky to have a RI who's a stickler for correct posture. Best of luck.
 
Thanks for commenting TrasaM :) I'm trying to get said horse to start lunging again, but she associates it with pain, so this is difficult. Horse also HATES being ridden bareback, and rider doesn't have enough balance to do so anyway. I'm not RS taught at all, and I'm also a first generation rider, but I swear position was the first thing that was taught. I also find body protectors can make you lean forward too, but her parents say she MUST wear one, which is fair enough.

Going into this share, I didn't think £30 a week would also mean daily lessons too. Note to self... watch child ride at RS first next time! haha
 
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