Rider not sitting straight

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littlenordic

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Please can I have have some advise on the subject of not sitting straight in the saddle, ie rider leaning to one side whilst riding. I have for all of my ridden life ridden in a treed saddle and have always had a slight tendenacy to tip slighty to the right due to me having a tight left hip.Whilst this has never really been an issue previously (this has not been picked up by my instructors so never been a massive issue) I have just tried out a new treeless saddle and this problem is being massively highlighted as both myself and the saddle is tilting to the right slightly! Can anyone offer any suggestions on how to correct this?? I know from reading other posts about treeless saddles that such issues show up more. It seems to me worse in trot! Where do I start??
 
I'd recommend a few lunge lessons without your stirrups to check you are level in the saddle, then focus on keeping the left side of the body tall and stretched, above and below the saddle; lengthening and dropping weight into the left seatbone slightly, especially when turning to the left.

Also check that the left shoulder is kept back and following round the turn and you should be able to feel the difference. Keep getting somnebody on the ground to check that your hip isn't collapsing and you'll soon learn to feel when you are doing it.

It will probably feel strange at first, sadly there are plenty of instructors that don't seem to pick up on crookedness, but it will make a huge difference when you get it right.

Another trick is that if you use a shoulder bag to alternate the side you have it on, it can make you very one sided!
 
To be honest, I'd start by going and seeing either an osteopath or a chiropractor to get your body checked out. Ask around for recommendations - you won't be able to correct yourself very easily by effort of will, especially if this is a long-standing issue.
 
Thanks touchstone! Your comments about a shoulder bag are spot on! I do carry a fairly heavy bag on my right shoulder so will make a conscious effort to change this . All other comments taken on board also! Thanks!
 
Try wearing a back support, but instead of wearing it to the back, wear it to the side you're tilting towards.
 
I found that a good physio made all the difference to me. It really isn't something you can sort out yourself (except by religiously dong the exercises the physio recommends) IME.
 
If it is something you can change gradually, I would just recommend riding without stirrups for the first 10 or 20 mins of schooling, whatever the pace- and really stretch down.

Also read the Classical Seat by Sylvia Loch, really straightforward guide to getting yourself deep and symmetrical.

Worked better than the series of lunge lessons I wasted money on last year...
 
camilla4 said:
To be honest, I'd start by going and seeing either an osteopath or a chiropractor to get your body checked out. Ask around for recommendations - you won't be able to correct yourself very easily by effort of will, especially if this is a long-standing issue.
Click to expand...

This!

I had the same problem (bag carrying probably!), it was sorted almost overnight by a good chiro. Can't believe I thought it was my horse who was lop-sided!
 
Agree on chiro and physio...also get yourself one of those fitness balls and sit on it whilst watching telly!

My instructor did alsorts of things with me to help me straighten. Have a good look at 'Centered Riding' lots of exercises and tips to make sure you are straight.

Pilates also VERY good...a proper pilates instructor though! check their experience level.
 
I watched a DVD about riding position and it said to help correct You can shorten the stirrup you lean to by 5 holes (yes so you have odd stirrups!) and ride like that for 5 mins or so at the beginning of your session- I think it makes you put more weight in your left heel and straighten you up? Will try and dig the DVD out and clarify further ! Might be talking nonsense but it looked like it would work when I watched it :)
 
I have a slight curvature of the spine, so i lean slightly to the right, my OH always checks if I am sitting straight, he also corrects my leg position as they tend to be forward (I am self taught) just having my legs right does help.
My OH videos sessions, then I can see where I'm going wrong, so helpful.
Good luck with this, it isn't as easy as it looks
 
first things first - a good chiro

one of my clients has co-ordination and balance issues which affect her in life in general.
her mum asked me what exercises she could do (riding) to correct this.
i checked her hips the same way you would with a horse and there is a massive rotation of the sacro-iliac
(worryingly, none of the specialists she's been referred to have ever picked up on this:eek:)

fortunately her mum is 'used to me' so coped with me telling her if it was a horse i wouldnt expect it to cope with anything other than light hacking until i'd got the chiro to re-align its hips.

if the chiro finds it is confirmational/congenital then yes we can do things that will help,
but my view is there's no point treating a symptom if you can fix the cause...

secondly, movingon... the GOOD news is you are aware of what you're doing - which is more than half the battle
two things that helped me to correct positional bad habits are:

close your eyes (in a safe place:rolleyes:) whilst riding -this really helps you 'feel' what your body is doing - and correct (then open eyes again before hitting arena fence :) )

OR (v good exercise to do out hacking) run a 2 second check through each of your major joint groups,
progressing down through your body and back to the top,
over and over again in rotation,
check each time, for each 'pair,' that it's where it should be AND feels equal to the other side,
adjust if necessary, on to next joint group etc...

also you need to identify
are you SITTING to one side - in which case close eyes and adjust until pressure is equal on both seat bones (no, not when asking for bend, obviously:o)

OR are you COLLAPSING to one side - in which case lift collapsed side's rib cage until the distance between hip and lower rib is the same on both sides
 
Try an Equipilates session or two.

Great for highlighting and fixing body alignment issues where they aren't bone related.

I used one in combination with a physio after breaking my back.

Google Equipilates and/or Lynsey Wilcox-Reid.
 
The issue is not with the horse & not with the saddle, it is with you. You can mess with the saddle, stirrup leathers etc but the problem won't resolve itself until you sort out your physical problem with your hip. See a physiotherapist & they will examine you & sort out a variety of exercises that will help you to move correctly youtrself. Once you're sorted out then you can sort out the issue you have with not sitting straight. If you don't sort out things in the correct order you will be wasting money & effort. Good Luck. ;)
 
I aggree with all the other posters about going to a physio.
You need to be aware it you are slipping sideways it your hips are parallel but you are slipping over to one side or as is more common with hip problems you ride with one hip ( usually the stiff one) in front of your better hip once you know that it's easier to correct as the corrections for the two issues are different.
 
camilla4 said:
To be honest, I'd start by going and seeing either an osteopath or a chiropractor to get your body checked out. Ask around for recommendations - you won't be able to correct yourself very easily by effort of will, especially if this is a long-standing issue.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. You could also get yourself along to a clinic where they have a horse simulator - these give a readout critique of your riding and you can correct yourself on the simulator with the help of the instructor. Just an idea

My friend who rides wonky due to an old injury has a physio out who does the horse and her on the same visit, because the horse is obviously affected greatly too.
 
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