OK I officially suck - advise me and others like me please

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OMG Patches, I never EVER video me on the flat *shakes head furiously* Just not a clever thing to do for me, I would never ride again!

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Is this where I've been going wrong then? I have what I consider to be a really good flat work session. Duncan videos, I watch, and then am horrified and feel so dejected.

Hence why in madmare's post, I put I'm best at filling water buckets (ironic now that I have auto water bowls!) PMSL
 
You dont suck, you just think you do. Whats happend to all your positiveness??? you are sounding like me!

I found when I went through a real bad patch *because i thought too much* i had a lesson or two on a real nice old eventer, he had done up to 3 star but was 18 at the time. I had a super time, basically he knew the moves but if you didnt ask exactly right he wouldnt do it.
I managed to really get the wind up him too lol *electric arse
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* but it was great for my confidence.
I also had a lunge sess on him too and practised with no legs and hands - *look no hands LMOA*

You are more than welcome to come over and i wil give you a lunge lesson on winston if you like??
 
Weezy, join the club - I feel so dis-heartened sometimes. It is SO frustrating when you're brain knows exactly what to do & you just CAN'T make your body do it... *grrrrr*

Try giving little nudges rather than squeezing, it's easier on you & likely to get a more effective response. Also, don't forget your voice - always comes in handy!
 
OH yes PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE That would be excellent
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No lack of positivness when it comes to jumping, still happy to get on a plank and jump that LOL, just the flat crap!
 
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Also, don't forget your voice - always comes in handy!

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*Get yourself engaged you little shite* doesnt seem to be working
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Perhaps you used the wrong tone of voice
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MUSCLES!! I am the opposite! Im forever squeezing them on, which is bizarre seeing as I am scared of going fast!
Try some calf raises..............I have massive calves (yes muscle not fat!!) and Am convinced that has something to do with it as my knees/thighs are utterly useless, but I can plant my lower leg and thats it!
 
I know where you're comming from and know the feeling well.
When ever i try a horse or ride in front of a new instructor for the first time my riding goes all 'pretty' and stops being effective.
Concentrating on one discipline doesn't help either. I spent many months working on getting my new horse (showjumper) to do a decent dressage test for eventing. calmed everything down, got him to relax and carry himself in a light contact. Now he cant showjump, far to relaxed. New trainer (pure SJ) is reversing all the work I've done with him. Now he's powering up, the snaffle has gone and the kimblewick is back in. Light touch of leg means GO as opposed to lift. By the time we're finished we will never do a decent dressage test again which as I'm not eventing him any more is fine by me.
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ETA...and whats so b*%$dy infuriating is I teach showhjumping so know what I should be doing with my lad but still needed someone to give me a kick up the backside.
 
You're being far too hard on yourself! It takes a good hour for me to get used to a horse and start making it work properly - I'm guessing you probably weren't riding for that long. Takes a while to click with some horses - you have to get used to their quirks! I know what you mean about riding them differently, I rode Mangobiscuits boy and he was so different to Ty (but equally as gorge!)
 
Weezy, I think you may be 'suffering' from the same syndrome as I have been for the past 18 months since starting riding again
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Neither of us are 'bad' riders. We are both very capable of getting on most things and getting them going nicely. What I have found (and only in the past 2 or 3 weeks of having some lessons again!) is that I have picked up a few small habits that have prevented me from going to the next level
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Little details like not dropping the contact in the forward transitions....and i'm not talking about throwing the reins at the horse when you ask it to go forward....much more subtle...perhaps even just relaxing the fingers slightly in the transition. Small changes that in the space of a few minutes were rectified and made Bo feel like a different horse
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I was taught something new last night....something that I think I unconsciously did anyway, but now I am consciously doing it ! That in the downward transitions I should use my whole leg (inner thigh and lower leg), but in the upward transitions I should use just my lower leg. It allows the horse to differentiate between 'leg on means go' and 'leg on means slow'
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I'm sure a few sessions with someone on the ground helping you will soon bring it all back
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Of course your muscles have probably lost some of their 'tone' too, but they soon come back...believe me
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Out of interest Rambo, do you use your seat to slow a horse down too? I find it interesting that alot of people dont, but sometimes thats my only means of stopping! lol
 
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I think it would be hard to use upper leg & NOT be using your seat, wouldn't it?

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Absolutely
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And I think the whole thing she was trying to get me to do was to use my seat more
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It's easy to get lazy....especially when you are sitting on a horse that goes pretty well all of the time ! It's getting the last bit of performance out that takes the real effort lol!
 
Got to book some lessons in to get the confidence in myself back again, think its the only way! Rambo yes I do the whole leg, half leg thing and that is fine, its the using leg to engage hindquarters I have a prob wth! Mind you, as soon as my head is in jumping mode I have no probs at all - v odd!
 
See I had a couple of lessons with a MW instructor and it was completely alien to how I do ride and how I was instructed to ride. I cant understand how basically riding as if you were riding a half halt all the time can allow a horse to go forwards properly. Also for me there was far too much scrutiny on my position! I really really struggled.

I would have a couple of lessons, I have been going through a sticky bit for a couple of months, so got back to two lessons a week. Just by lifting my hands and relaxing and riding the forward movement I have my super mare back!

Chin up chick.

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Very true - it's very easy to be a 'passenger'!

Stimpy - you've got a point actually. I squeeze with my upper thighs in the downward transition but this actually kind of lifts me out of the saddle a fraction, i.e. lightens my seat - this is the OPPOSITE of what my instructor is telling me to do, i.e. drop/deepen the seat into a downward transition... Hmmm.
 
Ah Weezy m'dear you are just too self critical! I seem to remember you saying pretty much the same to me a few months ago!!!! The trouble is when we have been able to do something it seem unbelievable that we 'can't' do it all of a sudden - it's half mental, half physical - if you haven't been using your lower leg then it's not going to suddenly be there. I'd ditch the stirrups, get your leg long, and relax off the thigh (probably best not to do this on an unknown horse
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) The person currently teaching me wouldn't know how to use her seat if it bashed her around her head, so trying to explain why the horse was going / doing what I wanted with very little contact was very hard (completely deadened mouth that wasn't going to play any time soon, so why fight it!) And I would do what I do when legs don't seem to work, carry a stick, and use it to back up your leg aids - sitting there trying to kick a horse on because you don't have the muscles to squeeze isn't any good for you or the horse
 
oh hun. I soooooo know how you feel and cannot advise as Im in the same position.
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I watched a video of sundays comp and of me going down the centre line. I had no idea I sat so crooked.
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I dont feel crooked at all.
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But, sadly, as I have a misaligned pelvis, its not gonna change so my poor nag has to put up with a wonky rider that will constantly affect his way of going.

I was reminded, the other day that the horses way of going is 80% down to the riders balance etc...........Im fcuked!!!
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