Position help please

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matthew

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Hi- i had my first lesson in 5 years yesterday and need some help with my position.
I thought i grasped what my instructor was saying but have now come away a bit confused.
I felt that i needed to be more on my seat bones but my instructor said i sit too far forward in the saddle- it all falls into place but as soon as i step up the pace it all goes to pot.
I used to own my own horse and had regular private lessons- i am not sure if my position has changed just because i am very out of practice or if i have always done it and it just wasnt flagged up.
My instructor suggested so excercises such a raising my leg over the front of the saddle as if i was ajusting my girth so i could feel my seat bones.
Can any one help with more tips?
I have asked for a lesson on the lunge as the horse i was riding was very lazy and i had to work so hard to get a decent working trot out of her- it was hard to consentrate on everything at once!
Help!
 
Lunge lessons sound a good idea.
A friend of mine is on the english vaulting squad and their trainer does lunge lessons on the vaulting horses for dressage riders etc to improve their position.
Seems to work.

Also I guess work without stirrups (if horse is safe!!) will help you find a more stable position
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Being a bit old fashioned, I wouldn't ask you to step up the pace until your position is well established in walk, then trot, and only then in canter. Having to nag at a lazy horse isn't helpful, particularly if you don't have an independent seat.

Lunging does have a place, but it can also encourage an insecure rider to grip and tense so needs to be done in a very controlled way
 
I Know what you are saying but i dont have a balance issue- i just apear to be forward in the saddle- i must have been riding this way for a long time ( i have been riding for about 15 years ) and my instructor said i am just making things harder for myself!
Its really hard if you have been sat in the same way for so long and then you get asked to change!
Old dog new tricks and all that!
 
You might find Mary Wanless books helpful as she goes into great detail about how to find seat bones and angle of pelvis etc.

You say that your instructor says you are too far forward but you say you have not got a balance problem. Can you be more specific about what problems your position actually cause you?
 
Thats why i am confused i am trying to figure it our in my head- i have never noticed a problem before!
He said my back was arched to much - so i dont get how i can be too far forward????
I am very confused- too be honest i came away feeling pretty crap having not really understood!
Thing is the lesson cost £22 so i dont want to waste money if i am not going to come away feeling improved!
 
Ahh. Perhaps what he means is that you have arched your back and this means you are sitting on the front part of your seat bones i.e. almost a fork seat. The result of that would be stiffness in the back and probably blocking the horse's movement to a degree.

I would explain it like this. If you imagine your seat bones like a rocker, you can sit on the front part (fork seat) the middle (balanced seat) or the rear part (chair seat). You can change between these by rotating the pelvis. If you position your pelvis (i.e. seatbones) at the extreme end of the range e.g. either a chair seat or fork seat then you can see that there can be no softness in your back as you are already locked one way.

I make pupils go between the two extremes and then tell them to find the middle and try to keep their pelvis at the upright, neutral or middle position.

Does this make sense?
 
I agree. If you have an arched back, chances are you are tilting your pelvis the wrong way to compensate. Bringing your pelvis into the correct position will automatically bring the rest of your body into line. You may feel perfectly balanced right now (a lot of people feel they are, and can do most things) but you and the horse may not be in balance if you are too far forward, tense through the back etc, and you are unlikely to be able to use your seat/weight aids effectively.
 
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