Looking down - breaking the habit

W

Walrus

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 January 2007
Messages
2,433
Visit site
I have the most horrendous habit of looking down when i ride, it's a habit i've had forever and it gets worse when i get stressed (so competitions). I need to make a concerted effort to break this habit - does anyone have any recommendations. I feel like a need a physical solution (like a keith lemon style collar or tying my ponytail to my collar!!) as when i'm schooling on my own at home i start off trying to remind myself and then i constantly forget and concentrate on whatever exercise i'm doing. Any hints and tips welcome including any psychological tips to help me remember to check myself when schooling on my own.

Thank you

:)
 
I had to ride around looking at the ceiling for a while to help prevent this :)

For a physical solution, tie a stock slightly higher and tighter than normal, so it's just under your chin, whilst looking straight ahead. Then, if you look down, it tightens a bit!
 
We have mirrors, it's remembering to use them and look in them, i get so fixated on the pony i just forget to check myself and look up. I need to find some sort of trigger to correct myself.
 
This is so common and so hard to break. I think when we concentrate we have a natural habit of rounding the shoulders a little which tips the head and then we add in an obsession to study the crest of the neck on the horse.

Having had and watched many lessons, the best bit of advice for me was to open the shoulders rather than chin up/look up.
 
I have a habit of riding with my reins too long. At the moment I'm being strict with myself; every time my hand bangs my leg, i have to put £1 in a charity pot. it was expensive to start with....

You could do the same! Every time you see your horse's shoulder, £1 in the pot....!!
 
Give yourself points to look at around the school, so when going down the long side you have to look at the stable, when going across the short side look at the car-park etc - whatever makes sense with your set-up. But make sure it's something outside the arena so your head doesn't drift down as you get closer. I found my circles improved no end when I divided them into quarters and focussed on the next quarter-point as I got to each one, which is slightly different but does make you look up and around. It's normal to want to look down at the ground so you can see where you are going, but as long as there are no obstacles in the arena you can let the horse do that and look into the distance. Your peripheral vision will tell you when you are getting near the fence!

It also helps if you have somebody on the ground telling you when your back is straight. It's harder to look down with a straight back.
 
Thanks guys, i think i need to just try and be more disciplined, i like the idea of picking points round the school to look at. I'm wondering if riding with my phone set to beep or make a loud noise every few minutes will help to act a a reminder to check where my head is. I managed to sort fo break the habit over jumps by over-exaggerating it as i go over a jump and sticking my chin forwards and also picking a target in the distance to aim for. However with flatwork i just get carried away looking at the flipping horse!
 
I've no idea but I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone!!! I'm going to try some of these ideas when I ride later!
 
Last edited:
You could try tying a small brightly coloured ribbon to the top of your horse's bridle headpiece - always keeps my eyes focussed up rather than down! I also use the 'looking at things outside the arena' trick :)
 
Walrus said:
Thanks guys, i think i need to just try and be more disciplined, i like the idea of picking points round the school to look at. I'm wondering if riding with my phone set to beep or make a loud noise every few minutes will help to act a a reminder to check where my head is. I managed to sort fo break the habit over jumps by over-exaggerating it as i go over a jump and sticking my chin forwards and also picking a target in the distance to aim for. However with flatwork i just get carried away looking at the flipping horse!
Click to expand...

Oooh you need to train yourself to use your mirrors :) Recently moved to a place with mirrors and I can't take my eyes off them :lol: so useful. And then try to ride more by feel rather than looking.

setting an alarm is quite a good idea actually - I bet it won't take long for you to retrain yourself. And I find it easier to think of opening my chest/shoulders down with backbone stacked one bone on top of the next to stay upright in a relaxed way. Do you share the school with others? having to look around to avoid crashing is also helpful ;)
 
Do you use a laptop for work?

I had issues with looking down, my neck did it automatically. Someone on here suggested changing to a separate screen at the correct height and quickly my neck felt better and I stopped looking down.
 
In all seriousness, I find that when I am training myself to adopt a better position, I have to periodically make myself stop and check everything off. So every time I do a transition, check my position. Remind remind remind and eventually you get to a stage where you're always aware and can start correcting yourself.
 
Thanks everyone, will try some of these techniques tonight. Vodkagirly you make a good point about other areas like work etc. I do have a separate screen but I might try lifting it up a bit, I also look down when I walk as well so maybe I need to start training myself all the time to look up!
 
I do this too, and haven't actually tried this but I will share - trick I got from a Mary Wanless clinic was to use sticky tape which you apply off horse, when you're in the right position, then it gently 'pulls' you when you go out of position as a handy reminder. Even just applying it seemed to improve things without the pull effect. I wonder if you could tape a bit to the back of your neck? Maybe something like bandage tape so it doesn't scalp you when you remove it!
 
Walrus said:
I have the most horrendous habit of looking down when i ride, it's a habit i've had forever and it gets worse when i get stressed (so competitions). I need to make a concerted effort to break this habit - does anyone have any recommendations. I feel like a need a physical solution (like a keith lemon style collar or tying my ponytail to my collar!!) as when i'm schooling on my own at home i start off trying to remind myself and then i constantly forget and concentrate on whatever exercise i'm doing. Any hints and tips welcome including any psychological tips to help me remember to check myself when schooling on my own.

Thank you

:)
Click to expand...

Apparently it takes 21 repetitions to break a habit and 16 repetitions to teach a horse something new. So we appear to behind the equine brain.
 
I have the same problem! Every single photo of me is me looking down and dropping my hands. I do it mainly when I'm really concentrating and don't even notice it. The hands are improving greatly, but I'm still staring at the floor!
12705718_10153882098531092_701013829686316908_n_zpsyzet5wle.jpg
 
It can be useful to recognise the difference in the way the horse goes when you are looking down and when you are looking up. Shoulders open and head up looking way into the distance will instantly allow the horse to lighten his shoulder and forehand. That is a nice feeling and very different to the on the forehand thumping along way of going when you are looking down and rounding your shoulders.
 
When walking a course for jumping, always look for an object ahead of the jump to look at...
As for flatwork/training, try taping/tying an actual note to your horse's mane saying "look up"!! A friend of mine did this and it seemed to work! :D
 
I teach my students to 'Check and Correct' before they do anything different. Could be leg position, rein length, thumbs, looking down.

So before you change from walk to trot, you'll check and correct your position.

Self Discipline can be tough but this way you are constantly aware of what you are doing and each time you correct your position you are improving your riding and the way your horse goes.

You can also think what would happen if you were driving a car while looking down! Head up and move your eyeballs instead.
 
AdorableAlice said:
This is so common and so hard to break. I think when we concentrate we have a
natural habit of rounding the shoulders a little which tips the head and then we add in an obsession to study the crest of the neck on the horse.

Having had and watched many lessons, the best bit of advice for me was to open the shoulders rather than chin up/look up.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's pretty much it. What helps me is when i remember a lesson i got years ago from an older lady in dressage who had the poshest voice i have ever heard. She was teaching us and then to get us to sit up properly and not look down she randomly shouted "Headlights forwards ladies!". Having just heard this posh woman refer to boobs as headlights I promptly collapsed in the saddle laughing. But when I remember that it relaxes me and does make me sit up properly and look forward again rather than down.
 
rachk89 said:
Yeah that's pretty much it. What helps me is when i remember a lesson i got years ago from an older lady in dressage who had the poshest voice i have ever heard. She was teaching us and then to get us to sit up properly and not look down she randomly shouted "Headlights forwards ladies!". Having just heard this posh woman refer to boobs as headlights I promptly collapsed in the saddle laughing. But when I remember that it relaxes me and does make me sit up properly and look forward again rather than down.
Click to expand...

Yep, have also heard of them being 'on full beam'! Although if you're a hollow backed rider like me the danger is that makes you even worse. Boobs down for those riders !
 
I made myself a collar once with a pen pointing up to my chin on it. Every time I looked down I got poked in the chin by the pen :)

For safety of course, the pen should be thick and the collar/pen should break off easily.
 
Thank you for all the suggestions guys! I've been trying the picking various things outside the school to watch out for and also trying to use the mirrors more. Seems to work for the first 20 minutes then I get wrapped up in the pony! Must keep trying! We have a deadline as we are off to the BD winter champs in April and I want a good photo if nothing else!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top