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

Weezy

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Went and tried a fantastic horse today - he was everything I have had on my list except he isnt grey
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He jumps really well, has an exceptional attitude to everything, is safe, sane, fun and an allround cracker - he hunts like a gentleman, has £222 BSJA and can easily go above Fox (and has done) - all sounds fab, huh?

Anyway, I totally let him and myself down as I appear to have forgotten how to ride from leg to hand
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Seriously, I suck badly - I think its all in my head, mostly ride forward-going horses, you have to be careful how you engage them otherwise you could be counties away so I use my thighs and seat and not my lower leg - but I am getting it all wrong it appears
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I just could NOT engage into my hand in trot at ALL (me, deffo not him, his owner can with no effort) I seem to find it pretty much impossible to use my heel on a horse (think this is because I worry that means GO GO GO lol) and I try and lift with my thighs, but seeing I am grossley unfit I couldnt even do that
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So tell me, is there some secret no one has ever told me? I have done this before and I also teach *leg into hand* however, I am losing the will to live now, I just seem to have lost my mojo - HELP!!!
 
Ahhh, think I am suffering from this too, after having to ride a couple of strange horses lately it seems that Star has been helping me out more than I realised
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Ohhhh, Weezy, just to tease you
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today I rode a big 17.2, dapple grey warmblood gelding who hunts
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Big cuddly dope he is too
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Of course you haven't, I bet you were THINKING about it way too much. If someone had thrown the horse to you at a show and told you to get on with it - you were in the ring in 5, you'd be fine. Bet you found him easier when you were jumping. Do you ride with your knee away from the saddle? Might find it easier to engage your heel then. Plus play around with length of stirrups. But at the end of the day you don't have to buy a horse that has been schooled a completely different way from how you are comfortable riding. I bet you've had loads of horses you've taken on with glaringley obvious things that needed changing. Now you're in a situation where you can choose. Believe it or not there are others out there if you think this is an issue...
 
Get back into practise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I rode a lovely bouncy showjumper this weekend as Donkey has a shoe off - I put my leg on as I would with her (hard and continual!) and off he shot with a buck, really had to ride him from my thighs and seat - by Sunday I had the hang of it again and was really enjoying it! Can't have been too bad as she says I can ride him when she goes away (yeah right in my spare time!!!!!!)
 
Join the club!!

Whatever you do, don't let anyone video you....evidence of your riding flaws is far more distressing than the reality alone.
 
At least you have long legs! Riding a 16.2 in donkey mode when you only have short stubby legs like mine is really depressing
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i think tigers_eye has hit the nail on the head!!!
stopping thinking about being perffffffffffffffect. If you like the ride the horse gave you, give it a couple weeks in your ownership and you'll be singing form same song sheet and in a nutshell, sweetie 'CHILL'
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sounds fab horsey, good luck
 
It is all in your head, you can do it..you have just got used to riding legs off..it all comes back with confidence in the horse...I shouldn't worry too much, you don't have to make a decision until the other one has been vetted, do you?
 
Oh god, tis happens everything I get on something that isnt Oshk or Murph. I worry so much about being quiet on them and not using my electric ass as Iain so nicely put it, to send them into a tizz, but when I get on the others all that comes into my head is "you cant ride this one like oshk" and it falls to pieces rom there on...
 
[ QUOTE ]

Ohhhh, Weezy, just to tease you
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today I rode a big 17.2, dapple grey warmblood gelding who hunts
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Big cuddly dope he is too
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[/ QUOTE ]

*insert that fabby MSN raspberry blowing smiley here*
 
Hmm suppose, also I wanted to impress and it made me VERY humble! Yep the jumping was absolutely fine, it was just the fact that I would have been laughed out of the ring had I been doing dressage!

Also he is 17-1hh, so a tad taller than I have been riding LOL!!!

No, I ride with my legs quite snug, so yes, durrrrrr (thats to me not you) I should open my knee more - played around with stirrup length rather a lot (to the point that the owner had to get me some longer leathers LOL) - also I was in my very slippy bum denim jods and a stubben SJ saddle (making excuses now LOL)

I dont think he has been schooled in a way that I am *UN*comfortable with, just bog standard, just I couldnt get IT, whatever that illusive IT is
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Not making any rash decisions yet on anything I have sat on, seems I have another 2 to try tomorrow now so I can begin to gauge just how thoroughly crap I am LOL!
 
YOU'RE NOT BUYING TO DO DRESSAGE REMEMBER!!

Wasn't a forum horse was it *wiggles ears attentively*?!

Shift your ass over to Herts - your horse is waiting in the stable and you're welcome to paint him whatever colour you want. Will fit in a trailer too....
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I reckon there is something in the air!! I had a lesson on my horse today and rode like a complete muppet!! Here's to hoping it's just an "off day" thing
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Its understandable to feel like this. Going to try a horse is one of the worst things. Everyone is watching and assesing you, you are bound to feel a little pressure to be perfect. Chances are you werent as bad as you thought.
 
No rush to do anything, and yes, deep down I know it is simply becoming accustomed to riding different horses again, but still blooming frustrating!

And nope, am in no rush to make any decisions
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See, O and M are like the horses I am normally on, but this next horse I own will NOT be like that, it WILL have sanity and maybe, just maybe, my electric arse will stop buzzing so much LOL
 
go to a riding school and have a go on all the horses!
Get a tatser for each different one, you'll soon forget to think about what you are doing and just rrrrrriddeeee.....
You know where I am!
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This is the thing - I used to ride at least 3 different horses a day, all sorts, all levels, and I found it easy to adapt to anything within reason - now I cant
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I think I need to face up to the fact that you cannot pick up where you left off when you were younger and expect it all to fall back into place easily! Oh, and I need to stop being such a lazy bugger too
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Your body does lose the ability to coordinate itself correctly amazingly quickly. And trying horses is a horrible situation - most people, unless very good indeed, don't ride at their best.
But it sounds like your seat is not connected and that you are too tight in the thigh and not allowing your lower leg to drape down. If you can find somewhere that does them properly with decent horses, why not have some lunge lessons? At least you are aware that you have a problem; thats half the way to solving it!

Ps. Good luck with the horse hunting!
 
Dont *THINK* my thigh is too tight (if it is I tend to get cramp LOL), and legs are OK, just they are not attached to my brain LOL! Lunge lessons are my fave and I used to have lots, must start again - thanks!
 
I do sympathise Weezy about not using your leg enough. My YO's father (who used to run the yard) was watching me and a friend 'schooling' last week. He decided I was a complete numpty rider and needed taken back to basics. I've been using hardly any leg at all, my excuse is that the horse goes forward when you only just think about it and the meerest touch is all that's needed. However that's left his hind end in the next county. So 3 sessions later (free ha!) he's got me using my legs a lot more and Syd going much rounder and steadier. We did a lot of walk, halt, leg yield (sp?), circles, etc. trotting in circles, spirals etc. etc. We can do it, just needed to remind me and Syd that my legs can be on without him shooting off.

So its very likely that if you like this horse a few quiet schooling sessions would sort it/you out. We've still got a way to go, but the difference since YO's father has taken us on is encouraging.
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