'Natural' riders

[Weezy]

I am not a natural rider, unless I am riding certain types of horses - I feel really natural riding an Andy for example, but I feel very much different when riding a TB or TB x as I didnt grow up riding those types - however I feel that jumping comes really naturally for me and after riding a horse once or twice I can pretty much put them to any fence on targer 99% of the time - it comes naturally to me to set up strides away and I never ever fiddle within the last 3 - I have never questioned this "sight" nor do I dwell on it - however today I jumped a horse I hadnt sat on before and balls up quite a few times

However with jumping my downfall is coming away from the fence as I have to be careful not to gee the horse away from the fence (no idea HOW I do this lol)

BBs, whatever she says, is the most natural rider I know on the flat - she gets a tune out of anything and looks as tho she is doing bugger all!

 

[BBs]

Aww shucks - Ill pay you later!!

See I think Im the middle one - if i could only stop THINKING and critising I would be a much better rider!

So Im okay on the flat....not much bloody help in the jumping ring is it!! Must try HARDER *groan*

 

[Weezy]

BBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too much thinking is deffo your prob - you have ridden all of my horses bar Chico and you have got under their skin within 5 mins of getting on them and I have been left standing muttering "bugger" to myself LOL!!!!

Your prob with jumping - as you well know - is DEFFO too much thinking and you let negativity creep in - once you are over fence 3 you rock and roll!

I'll tell you who else is a seemingly natural rider - Bossanova - looks like she is doing nothing on her horse *sigh*

 

[SillyMare]

You see, whatever you say BBs, I'm sure I am closer to the 3rd (although not yet in the 95% that make it around Badders).

Kick and hope!!

Although dressage I do tend to over-think and worry which would push me closer to 2.

 

[MissDeMeena]

Bet at some time or another you've all heard the saying "a good horse makes a good jockey"

While i also think there are deffo some people out there that probably ought not to be sat on a horse! alot of the people that may look good, are probably sat on a machine!!
Sit some of the people you think are natural on a pile of sh1t, and then watch them ride!
You'll soon pick out who's natural and who isn't then!

 

[severnmiles]

[ QUOTE ]
if there are natural riders, would you say they're more from an older school of horsemanship? perhaps developing from childhoods of riding without saddles?!

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe. My first pony was a wild welsh pony straight off of the mountains unbroken, untouched and going for meat.

He taught me patience, I broke him (at the age of 10) with my parents guidance, we spent a winter doing nothing but walking him on the roads to gain his confidence, he then went jumping/hunting/we rode him bareback, did everything, he never bucked, reared or anything. When we sold him the new people couldn't get on with him at all, he was definately a one family pony.

My kids won't be having 'made' ponies, they will have to learn how to 'make' a pony, it teaches patience and I think people who start off that way are more natural riders, more so than those that go to a riding school and are taught to sit in a certain position and plod around on 'donkeys' and never really learn the art of riding.

Look at some of your top riders, Matt Ryan, Andrew N, Blyth Tait all started riding to round up the cattle or sheep, often without a saddle, they all broke ponies in from a young age and I think thats why they are very natural riders.

 

[severnmiles]

[ QUOTE ]
BBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too much thinking is deffo your prob - you have ridden all of my horses bar Chico and you have got under their skin within 5 mins of getting on them and I have been left standing muttering "bugger" to myself LOL!!!!

Your prob with jumping - as you well know - is DEFFO too much thinking and you let negativity creep in - once you are over fence 3 you rock and roll!

I'll tell you who else is a seemingly natural rider - Bossanova - looks like she is doing nothing on her horse *sigh*

[/ QUOTE ]

I've not seen Boss live on a horse, only vids, from the vids she's an ace rider but Weezy are we talking about natural riders who are just natural at what they do or riders that make it look easy (not putting you in this category Boss) because of the amount of training they've had?

 

[Weezy]

I really believe that every rider has a ceiling regardless of how much training they have had - some are sponges and can take more on board than usual

A natural rider for me is one that looks as tho they are doing nothing - you cant teach someone to sit quietly - some people are movers and others are not - IMHO its the people who can sit quietly that prove to be the natural riders

 

[hayliana]

what about the only fools on horses lot? some peoples definition of a natural rider might be ones that can do what they did in such a short space of time! and if that's the case then i think it's definately down to having the best trainers

 

[severnmiles]

Well Durmuid certainly didn't appear quiet but I thought he was a natural rider...the horses seemed to work for him and his 'unusual' style!

But I do agree with what Weezy says.

 

[Weezy]

I wouldnt consider any of them natural riders TBH - the girl on Faking It was more of a natural rider than any of the OFOHs riders IMHO

Again I think natural is a rider that quickly is in tune with a horse - however difficult - can zone in and look very chilled and relaxed whilst having a horse dancing to their tune beneath them

 

[severnmiles]

I thought the FI girl just looked like she'd been told to sit in a position and ride in a certain way, she looked wooden to me.

 

[Haflinger]

I do believe there are natural riders and some who arn't natural riders. The natural rider (IMO) are the ones who sit quietly and make everything look easy! I don't think not being such a natural rider can stop you from doing well though

I'm not sure if I'm a natural rider or not.

My first riding school I was always put on the more excitable or difficult ponies from the start. I didn't fall off for the first four years of riding.

After that riding school closed I went to another one. Well they started me on the plodders and to be honest I stayed on the plodders because I did not agree with the methods they taught and what the instructor told me to do, so I refused to do it. I did not agree with booting a horse right up to a fence and heaving on the reins.

My instructor now (I no longer go to a riding school) teaches me the methods she agree's with - as do I. Not booting a horse up to the fence but giving it a squeeze a few strides out from the fence and using legs to steer the horse instead of reins. It works a lot better!

I think natural riders are the ones who respect horses as well

 

[Weezy]

By the way, I find it immensely difficult to sit quietly when riding on the flat, as my trainer will attest! I think this is really due to the old style "squeeze and fiddle" to get a horse "on the bit" - now I try and acheive this 100% through seat only, but every now and then the temptation to just sponge those reins and create the outline is immense!

 

[Munchie]

I think the answer to 'what is a natural rider' first of all lies with who you are talking to.
There are those who are so far up their own a*ses that they think they are good.
Then there are the doting parents who think their precious darlings are the best riders since sliced bread (or whatever the equestrian version is...Perhaps those giant hoover things that suck up poo? They look fun anyway.

)
There are also those who think that they are natural riders because they ride 'wild' horses - again their definition of wild could be anything from a slightly raised back to a bit of prancing about, the odd rear etc. Personally I've never met one of these types of rider who was actually riding anything dangerous. Its seems mainly talk to make themselves seem more competant than they actually are. Again, thats just from personal experience.
There are also those who think they are wonderful because they compete.
In my opinion none of these actually make for a naturally talented rider.


Personally, I think you either have it or you dont regardless of whether or not you have had the training, the horses and the support.

I also think attitude plays a huge part in it. The best riders I've ever seen are the ones with the best attitudes and feel for the horse.


And me? Well, I'm just naturally crap

 

[Weezy]

Bollox - you are also a very natural rider

 

[Munchie]

Hmmm, a very unfit rider anyhow!! Was shattered after my lesson today - and that was with a break in the middle to replace all the sweat I'd lost!! lol (sorry, bit gross isn't it

)
Have another tomorrow so if I keep this up I'll be super fit in no time

You really must pop down for a lesson soon, can see the new house to with our open fire in the kitchen

A and I have already been discussing mulled wine over the fire at Christmas...yummy!!

 

[Weezy]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh wow!

Yes to both please!

 

[teapot]

[ QUOTE ]
There are the ones that work bloody hard, and strive for perfection, but are constantly critising themselves which, is what holds them back

[/ QUOTE ]

That is exactly what my instructor said to me the other week! Gave me a good kicking up the derriere so to speak. You work for perfection, setting such high standards that if you don't reach them, you feel like you've taken 10 paces in the wrong direction. I know I'm never going to make the olympic team of whatever, but when I ride, I out 100% into doing it as I want to able to do it, and get the results.

I'm not sure there is a thing as a natural rider as dont think we were designed to ride horses as it were. But then again - I know a girl (who i teach occasionally) who has been riding I think 4yrs now, but picked it up quickly so was out of the "beginner" lesson far quicker than others in her group. So perhaps its the sporty genes as it were - some people are better at long distance running than sprinting & vice versa

I think BBS has it spot on - the 3 different categories. It's a fantastic (anology - that the right word??) of how riders can be classified.

I do think though that people can have unteachable talent. A mate of mine who's competing at BE from intro - novice at the mo, just has this thing (can't think of a word) that enbables him to ride incredibly well. I met him when I worked with him. He'd never had a lesson in his life, he was self taught basically. And plus he's got this self determination to succeed in what he does.

So swings & roundabouts really. Really good thread.

Oh (just to add) I think where you learn your trade as it were also helps a lot - Mark Todd learnt from jumping walls at his farm back in NZ, PF (for her dressage especially) all the training she had & still does with Ruth McMullen for instance - helps a lot.

Just a thought, perhaps due to the sueing culture we now have, we won't see as much "natural" talent as it were due to the gone are the days of jumping with no stirrups & reins, riidng bareback etc

 

[tigers_eye]

I think I am not the most natural rider - my legs are my bug-bear. But I had such huge ambition (it's still there, but slightly less volatile these days) it kept me in the plate when all else was failing! I think what I lack in the ability department I make up for in the self-belief and 100% focus on getting to the other side of the fence, which I think was what got me t the places I went. I've quite a few photos which demonstrate this!

Re the point about making ponies and riding bareback etc - I was a very nervous little rider, particularly about jumping. I could really easily have been put off up until the age of about 11, after that I turned a bit of a corner. Luckily my mum saw this and bought me a really nice elderly achoolmaster who nannied me until I got braver.

 

[severnmiles]

Oh I didn't mean I'm going to bung my 3y.o's on wild creatures! They'll have the cutest, safest first pony but then aslong as they have the gung-ho attitude they will make their own, I'm not going to be buying made FEI / Ex JA ponies, they will have to learn how to get a pony there.

I would say I was pretty nervous at 10, but I still did it and had the most fun and no regrets. It was all my parents could afford and I'm glad I didn't get a perfect saint of a pony else my attitudes (and maybe also my riding ability - mentally too) would have been different, I had the wild off the mountain pony and although nervous was so keen to have a pony of my own I got on with it.

 

[racingdemon]

i also think that it depends how you see yourself as to how you see other people, and people that i would veiw as natural riders, may not be the same as what the next person would consider to be 'natural'

i'd say i think too much, then bollock myself and think sod it & kick!! so far from any good!!

 

[Zebedee]

Probably the most famous rider who is adamant that she is not a natural is Lucinda Green. She said in one of her books (I think it was Four Square) something to the effect that she felt that the natural riders sometimes missed out on the thrill of 'getting it right'.

 

[Seahorse]

My ex boyfriend had the best natural position of anyone I've ever seen. He just looked so good on a horse and to look at him you would think he was the best rider ever. But, he didn't have a clue about anything, he couldn't get a horse in an outline and was so bloody minded that no one could actually tell him anything!
Which was a pity because he could have been really good!

 

[puddicat]

nice question...

Is there any such thing as a natural rider? Some people are certainly more athletic than others, but riding is so much more than that, can you be a 'natural'.

Yes, natural ability in a subject just means that the brain functions that are particularly important for that subject are unusually well developed, to a level that goes beyond being just 'good'. It applies to everything, maths, english, sport, art etc because we use our brains for everything. At the moment think of Beckham or Rooney in football, O'Sullivan in snooker, Woods in golf, and Federa in tennis. These people have natural talent that puts them in a class of their own. In sport, what it is they have is 'kinesthetic awareness' which is the ability to understand movement and spacial relationships without trying. This would very much apply to riding as well as balance is important.

Also, if there is such a thing as a 'natural', can you ever be a really good rider if you are not one? Does hard work and training compensate?

Tricky one but probably no, although the other variable is how much someone works to develop their talent someone who is a natural who doesn't work could be beaten by someone that isn't who does. Also how 'natural' someone is, is a sliding scale so someone who's very good doesn't have a big advantage. However, the answer to what you were really asking is 'no'. Someone who has very obvious natural talent can do things other people can't no matter how they try. This is almost by definition as the people whom I would call 'naturals' and this goes for anyone I know who has an interest in the subject, are people who are well beyond the mental capacity of normal people ie they are working mentally in what appears to be a different way.

And, if natural riders do exists, and if you can never really be good unless you are one, how do you know?

Really good question and its something that worries me. You can have natural talent at a subject an not realise it, or perhaps not realise it until too late. There are a number of ways you might know:
(1) usually its obvious because wen you try to do (whatever) you find that your impression of how hard it is is MUCH less than other peoples. One of the sad things about the UK is that somebody discovering they are in this position at school might well try to hide it for fear of being picked on! Suppose however you do apply yourself, you will begin to see that in performance of your sport you find you're just better!
(2) Personally I think one of the best ways is talent spotting. This happens in everything from football, rock music, ballet, academia etc etc. It works because people who are experienced enough to know what the range of performance abilities of normal people is like can spot people who are exceptional. I think it is one of the roles of instructors to be able to recognise when they have an exceptional pupil althogh this will depend on their experience. Its a good argument for having very experienced instructors.
(3) There is a rather subtle way you can tell if your a natural at something and that is you 'see' answers rather than work them out. Its difficult to explain but if you have the feeling that when you ride you just do what you need to do because you can almost mentally see the answer rather than have to think about it, you've probably got natural talent to some level. Of course when people learn to ride they stop having to think about the details just like when you learn to drive a car you steer down the road automatically. Its the same feeling but much more extensive and covers situations you haven't learned.

I don't think I am a natural - have always relied on hard work (but then, as I said above, how do you know if you are or not?), should I give up my Badminton dream now?

Definitely not! what I'd say to anyone is go and have a lesson from someone who is very experienced and very good and ask them for a frank and honest assessment of your potential. That's the best way I know of finding out where you stand in the scheme of things. Good luck with it