Lesson report for today - cantering, bruises and wandering feet.

T

Thelwell_Girl

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 March 2010
Messages
4,156
Visit site
Evening all! I am munching on some BBQ-ed dinner at the mo, relaxing after a hectic day!
~
Started off with my weekly lesson with B. I was on Dawi (again!) and prepared to work.

Warmed up, trotted, cantered, and had to deal with a loose horse half-way through! Thankfully the girl was fine, and she hopped back on quickly.

We worked for half an our without stirrups, which on Dawi is almost a death sentence. My bum is VERY sore, and now have a good golf-ball-sized bruise on the inside of my knee!

I did have a lot of trouble relaxing on him w/o stirrups, as he is SO bloomin bouncy. I didnt fall off today, though came close once or twice :o

And... Had my first real canters without stirrups! Was incredibly funny, and steering went out the window, but I loved it! :D Will definitely do so again on something less bouncy.

I did notice that my stirrups kept on ending up by my heel. Any tips on how to get me to actually keep them on the balls of my feet?

Also, any tips on helping me RELAX in trot w/o stirrups?! I was way too bouncy for my liking :o

All-in-all a good lesson! However, I definitely need to get a sports bra :o
~

Various things happened on the yard today, PM me if you really want to know, but I just seemed to do everything wrong! Especially according to one particular person. *sigh* Im just keeping out of her way from now on!

Also, one of our vet students, A, finished her placement today. I'll miss you, my fellow Bonnie fan!
~

Thank you again for reading my little essays, I find it so helpful to type out, and get CC, on what ive done.

Oreo cookies for all! :D

TG xx
 
YAY YAY YAY!! Sounds great :D

I think the w/o stirups thing is just practice and as you get more confident you will relax. Maybe best to start on someone less bouncy and get the hang of that first if your RI will let you?

Sports bra will help, wish I needed one *stupid flat chest, grumble grumble*
 
Well done. You will benefit from the stirrupless work in the long run. Make sure you don't grip with your knees, think tall and reaching down at the same time.

With stirrups I think the problem might be too much gripping and kicking, possibly with your lower leg rising up as you kick. Again, think long legs and heels down, but not jammed down. Keep relaxed. No knee gripping.

Above is only a guess at the proper problem.

Well done though, enjoyed your report. Sorry to hear about this nasty person on the yard. Some people can only convince their inadequate selves that they are great by putting others down and finding endless faults. I'm sure many of us have been there. Chin up!
 
Sounds like you had a good lesson :D

When you doing work w/o stirrups do you do exercises, like bring your legs out the side of the saddle & then forwards then let them back down slowly to get your leg position in the right place? As these can help you to relax, as it sound like you are gripping with your knees, something I use to do, also remembering to breathe :)

Other exercise you might suggest to RI if you on't already do them are:

Ankle circles
Swinging your legs backwards and forwards, alternately for each leg
bringing your legs right up in front of the saddle jockey style!
Lunge lessons x lots
Singing helps as it keeps you breathing

&& PM me about what happened at the yard :)
 
thelwell_girl said:
We worked for half an our without stirrups

.............

I did notice that my stirrups kept on ending up by my heel. Any tips on how to get me to actually keep them on the balls of my feet?

Also, any tips on helping me RELAX in trot w/o stirrups?! I was way too bouncy for my liking :o
Click to expand...

Half an hour? What a sadistic instructor!! ;)

Since I came back to riding I have the same problem as you with stirrups in canter.... either that or I go the other way and completely lose them! Thankfully my seat is OK and I don't wobble off to the side- my leg position improves as soon as the stirrups are gone! Can't offer any other advice on this though but wanted you to know you're not alone!

You might look a bit weird but singing will help you to relax- you can't hold your breath whilst singing :D
 
whoo! well done :D lol my steering went out the window when i done it 1st too :L then we done bareback and it went out the door!

we have safty stirrups where i ride so i dont need to worry about it lol but its very annoying when we dont use them!
but when ur doing work with no stirrups try make ur legs hang down and dont tense up. its hard at 1st but u just need a lil bit more practise i say:) and sit up straight, shoulders back:D
 
sorry but poor horses doing half hour w/o stirrups! their poor backs! the idea is to get you to sit on your seat bones in balance, your bruises on your knees highlights your gripping, which in turn leads to more bouncing especially on a bouncy one. this is why your stirrups slip back when riding with them! try to relax your hip and thigh, and try to absorb the movement through your back and stomach muscle (ie your core strength) when you have your peddles try to open your knee and allow your weight to drop down through the back of your lower leg into your heels. try stretching your achilles tendon on a 3 inch book ie toes/ball of foot on book and heel on floor when sitting watching telly or on computer. have fun!!
 
Let your legs go long, feet go heavy, sit like a sack of spuds and relaaaaaxxxx....lol. Don't worry, one day it'll just click. I used to have to do 30 mins plus of walk/trot/canter without stirrups every week...the morning after the contact session at rugby (apparenly I ride like a cowboy and shouldn't :p)

And definately invest in a sports bra...I've got one (granted more for running/really hot days rather than riding) but I do find it more comfortable at times...and I was definately not blessed by the Boob fairy.

My inbox is always open is always open if you need a rant/moan.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the replies, guys!

To all those who wanted more details, will compose a reply and PM it to you.

ofcourseyoucan - The horses were fine! Dawi is such a big lump he couldnt care less tbh, though I was too nervous to do that much trotting :o

Thank you all for your help and advice, Im going to book myself a private lesson next week for a tune up, and will hopefully do part of it on the lunge. xx
 
Well all i can say is that when working without stirrups, keep heels down, sit back and relax your leg, rather than tensing up.
If your legs flow relaxed over the side of the saddle you absorb the movement, but if your legs are tense clinging on the side of the saddle for dear life, your muscles in your legs will be too hard to absorb, so you will wobble all over the place.

I know it sounds weird and you do kind of go against instincts by relaxing rather than clinging, but it does work (it did for me anyway :p)
Sing yourself a little song, or take deep breaths to help relax and enjoy it :) x
 
Lunge work is good ;)
You don't have to panic about steering then!!! :)
My old RI used to knot my reins take away my stirrups put me on the lunge and do half an hour like that! :eek: So think yourself lucky it was just stirrups ;)
Like someone said I find it easy to think "elegant sack of spuds"! I let my weight "drop" into my heels, but keeping sat tall and try and make myself look as long as possible and try to follow the movement of the saddle on my seat bones :) I hope that makes ANY sort of sense but one day it will just click! :)
Sounds fab though, you're really coming on in huge leaps lately! SJ courses and cantering without stirrups, what will it be next!!!
PM me who's upset you? :(
K x
 
Raych said:
Well all i can say is that when working without stirrups, keep heels down, sit back and relax your leg, rather than tensing up.
If your legs flow relaxed over the side of the saddle you absorb the movement, but if your legs are tense clinging on the side of the saddle for dear life, your muscles in your legs will be too hard to absorb, so you will wobble all over the place.

I know it sounds weird and you do kind of go against instincts by relaxing rather than clinging, but it does work (it did for me anyway :p)
Sing yourself a little song, or take deep breaths to help relax and enjoy it :) x
Click to expand...

KellysHeroes said:
Lunge work is good ;)
You don't have to panic about steering then!!! :)
My old RI used to knot my reins take away my stirrups put me on the lunge and do half an hour like that! :eek: So think yourself lucky it was just stirrups ;)
Like someone said I find it easy to think "elegant sack of spuds"! I let my weight "drop" into my heels, but keeping sat tall and try and make myself look as long as possible and try to follow the movement of the saddle on my seat bones :) I hope that makes ANY sort of sense but one day it will just click! :)
Sounds fab though, you're really coming on in huge leaps lately! SJ courses and cantering without stirrups, what will it be next!!!
PM me who's upset you? :(
K x
Click to expand...

Thanks for the help and guys :)

K, will PM you xx
 
Yay!! Another update :) Was wondering when the next one was :D

Sounds fab!! I HATE cantering without stirrups - mainly because I tense up MORE through my back (I already have issue with that with stirrups, I'm not able to go floppy at all!!) and then coming back to trot is bloomin awful! Still, glad you found it fun :D To keep the stirrups on the balls of your feet I find shortening your stirrups by 1 hole or so really helps, as well as taking a check every corner. That way, it just becomes habit to correct it! Also try really really concentrating on your leg position all the way around :) As for relaxing, just breathe, push your shoulders back, sit on your bum and go slightly floppy. Well, without compromising your posture and steering skills :D Also really drop your leg down, heels to the floor. This is why I'm rubbish without stirrups, I tense up awfully and then send the horse into a frenzy because of it :D

And PM me!!! :( Doesn't sound very nice! xx
 
Last edited:
Well done for a start, sore bums, what can one say, I was always told meth spirits, stung like hell but harden off skin. the reason why stirrups hittings heels, I found I tensed when riding with out stirrups, so bringing up legs slightly, also did it at canter with stirrups and again I had to relax easrier said than done, I found if I relaxed back slightly things clicked, but maybe differant for you. But always found it was my right leg that goes up, have a very bad back but I did have hip injury round about when I was 14/15. so old I cann't rember that far back:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
VioletStripe said:
Yay!! Another update :) Was wondering when the next one was :D

Sounds fab!! I HATE cantering without stirrups - mainly because I tense up MORE through my back (I already have issue with that with stirrups, I'm not able to go floppy at all!!) and then coming back to trot is bloomin awful! Still, glad you found it fun :D To keep the stirrups on the balls of your feet I find shortening your stirrups by 1 hole or so really helps, as well as taking a check every corner. That way, it just becomes habit to correct it! Also try really really concentrating on your leg position all the way around :) As for relaxing, just breathe, push your shoulders back, sit on your bum and go slightly floppy. Well, without compromising your posture and steering skills :D Also really drop your leg down, heels to the floor. This is why I'm rubbish without stirrups, I tense up awfully and then send the horse into a frenzy because of it :D

And PM me!!! :( Doesn't sound very nice! xx
Click to expand...

Thanks VS for the, as always, fab help! And I shall PM you xx

Echo Bravo said:
Well done for a start, sore bums, what can one say, I was always told meth spirits, stung like hell but harden off skin. the reason why stirrups hittings heels, I found I tensed when riding with out stirrups, so bringing up legs slightly, also did it at canter with stirrups and again I had to relax easrier said than done, I found if I relaxed back slightly things clicked, but maybe differant for you. But always found it was my right leg that goes up, have a very bad back but I did have hip injury round about when I was 14/15. so old I cann't remember that far back:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
Click to expand...

I dont want to harden up my bottom!! :eek:

I seem to be ok in canter with stirrups... Luckily my instructor has a sense of humour, so was just laughing her head off, videoing me, as I bobbled around and tried not to do myself even more of an injury!
 
Id also like to mention, the bruise was caused my me not sorting out my stirrups properly when I put them up, and the buckle bashing into my leg :( Not Dawi's fault! Much...
 
QR:

sorry TG but I'm soooooo tired I can't read all the responses to this thread. Sounds like you had a good lesson though!! I know it's probably not "technically" correct but whenever I have trouble sitting to trot w/o stirrups, I always bring B down to rrrrreeeeaaalllllyyyyyyy slow, just till I can get into the swing of things

The idea is to get your seatbones to move in time with their back. If they are powering along, it's really hard to get the feel of it so sometimes it's better to just slow down and take a deep breath to try to get back into the feel of what you're trying to achieve.

If you're working without stirrups, it's invariably to improve the rider's position, rather than geting the horse to work correctly, so if you need to go really slow for a while then that's fine.

It will allow you to sit nice and deep, keep your eyes up and feel soft and sinking into the saddle.

Have had a glass of wine or two so hope this comes across as helpful as it was intended!!
 
thelwell_girl said:
Id also like to mention, the bruise was caused my me not sorting out my stirrups properly when I put them up, and the buckle bashing into my leg :( Not Dawi's fault! Much...
Click to expand...

You'll find it more comfortable if you pull the buckle down a bit before you cross your stirrups. Otherwise they do have a tendancy to dig into the inside of your leg!

ETA it's a great exercise for improving your seat. My old instructor (way back in the days when I was even younger than you!!) made us do it for ages in lessons and I can assure you that it improved my stickabilty no end!! In fact when I school my son's pony I often cross my stirrups as it's alot easier to sit and wrap my legs around, than ride with stirrups that are too long for the pony's body (does that make sense??).
 
Last edited:
Maletto said:
QR:

sorry TG but I'm soooooo tired I can't read all the responses to this thread. Sounds like you had a good lesson though!! I know it's probably not "technically" correct but whenever I have trouble sitting to trot w/o stirrups, I always bring B down to rrrrreeeeaaalllllyyyyyyy slow, just till I can get into the swing of things

The idea is to get your seatbones to move in time with their back. If they are powering along, it's really hard to get the feel of it so sometimes it's better to just slow down and take a deep breath to try to get back into the feel of what you're trying to achieve.

If you're working without stirrups, it's invariably to improve the rider's position, rather than geting the horse to work correctly, so if you need to go really slow for a while then that's fine.

It will allow you to sit nice and deep, keep your eyes up and feel soft and sinking into the saddle.

Have had a glass of wine or two so hope this comes across as helpful as it was intended!!
Click to expand...

Thanks M - I will try that on a slightly less bouncy pony, as I kind of tried it with Dawi and it did work xx

nikicb said:
You'll find it more comfortable if you pull the buckle down a bit before you cross your stirrups. Otherwise they do have a tendancy to dig into the inside of your leg!

ETA it's a great exercise for improving your seat. My old instructor (way back in the days when I was even younger than you!!) made us do it for ages in lessons and I can assure you that it improved my stickabilty no end!! In fact when I school my son's pony I often cross my stirrups as it's alot easier to sit and wrap my legs around, than ride with stirrups that are too long for the pony's body (does that make sense??).
Click to expand...

Thats what I tried to do, wrap my legs around Dawi, but it didnt seem to work! I think its cause I was so worried about falling off :o xx
 
Ok will try and explain my Old I's method. I rode with her for 2 years with no stirrups on the saddle. She called it "Wobbly tums". You try to absorb some of the movement through your stomach muscles. Push your tummy out and pull in. At first you will feel ridiculous, but as you continue you will need to push out and in less. If you sit anywhere and do this you will notice that it also moves your seat muscles. Hope that makes some kind of sense.
No stirrups is definately something that practice makes perfect good luck.
 
Have you ever tried a balance strap that fits between the D rings of the saddle, it is really good for work without stirrups or lunge lessons as you can just slip your finger under it to stabilise you if you are losing your balance. Quite a few dressage riders use them. This is what I mean or you could just use a flash strap between the D rings. I have one on my saddle for those odd spooky moments.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-BROWN-BAL...t=UK_Horse_Wear_Equipment&hash=item518e4ff193
 
Well done, I love reading your lesson reports you always sound like your improving :)

As for the work without stirrups my instructor taught me the best trick ever to sit, it also works if your on a horse with a bouncy canter.

Basically you have to pretend you have a huge yellow pages in front of you on the pommel of the saddle and you have to puch it off with your tummy, so when you feel the horse moving you rather then bouncing up and down you will move with the horse trying to push the yellow pages off the saddle.

Another way is just to not think about what your doing, and just totally relax, start with your shoulders by rotating them and then your body then move down to your legs, roatate them a bit to reomve tension, once your less tense you will move with the horse.

Before you do work without stirrups do you do things like this once your stirrups have been taken away? :)
 
I agree with Ofcourseyoucan. Relax your back and absorb the movement by rotating the pelvis, (explained in different ways by KKP and muddygrey).
When you can canter without stirrups and steer and stop you'll be ready to do grids without stirrups and arms stretched out to the sides!:D
Sounds like you're having fun.
 
Sounds like a good lesson, well done for staying on!!! I hate lessons with no stirrups. I tend to grip with my thighs and end up not being able to stop in canter, went round the ring 5 times once before circling in to stop. It was very funny and really didn't think I could stay on much longer!!! Sorry to hear about someone not being nice at your yard, hope your not feeling too hurt about it. PM me with whats going on as curious to know!
 
Im just glad Dawi is a bit of a dude, he cut off the corners ridiculously. but did end up near the back of the ride with both of us in tact!

Will PM you now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top