Rider straightness

[Thunderbirds R Gone]

I've recently come back from a back injury and realised on Friday to my horror that I am now sat crookedly

My friend videoed me riding so I could see what I'm doing, and my whole seat is sitting to the left, my left leg is hanging down as it should and my right leg is drawing up and back, hence my horse is falling out through his right shoulder cos that's exactly what I'm telling him to, poor boy

I immediately took my stirrups away and it was much better, but again on the video I am still sitting slightly to the left even though it feels to me that I'm sitting straight

. I will be doing lots of work now without stirrups, but obviously it's not going to do much good if I'm still sat crooked. Saddle fits fine, horse is as straight as a 5 year old can be, so it's not him throwing me off, it's my wierd body

We have no mirrors in our school, so other than asking someone to watch me every time I ride does anyone have any exercises that will help correct it?

On a brighter note, I took him to unaff dressage on Sat morning and he was such a good boy and got 65.8% and won!! Was so pleased with him, it's only the second time he's been. Only did one class so I could rush home and watch Badders all day

 

[Stoxx]

Have you had any physio since your injury? My advice would be to see a good physio who can advise you on exercises that will help to strengthen up your weak areas. If you are crooked in the saddle then you'll also be crooked when sitting, walking etc.

Well done for Saturday!

 

[Thunderbirds R Gone]

I had a slipped disc so I've been under the care of a consultant, a physio and a chiropractor!

 

[Stoxx]

Has your physio looked at your over all 'conformation' so to speak?!
I was having physio on my hip after an operation but my physio went into everything. Even my breathing!! At the time it was extremely tedious and I felt useless but in the long run it has helped and I still have a long way to go a year on!

Other thing you could do is to have a few lessons on a mechanical horse. It would give you the opportunity to work on you without worrying about the horse at all.

 

[LEC]

I had a lesson with a Mary Wanless devotee and it was fascinating for this as she tested all my core muscles before the lesson started by getting me to push with my stomach and resist pressure so we could work out which was my weakest side. We then worked on the principles of straightness and correct position having this knowledge.

I collapse to the left and guess which side was not as strong! A fab exercise if you are not getting even distribution in both legs is to shorten the side that you keep reaching for into jockey length and ride like this. This will balance up your seat and pelvis then when you take them back you are straighter.

I spend hours with my arm behind my back, looking to the outside and forching my shoulder back in order to be straight.

 

[Thunderbirds R Gone]

lfield - I don't think it's actually a physio 'problem' as such, I think I just got into a habit of holding myself in a certain way when I was in pain to ease it, and I'm still carrying myself in that way to a certain extent.

I do have regular lessons on a mechanical horse already but the problem doesn't show itself up then because the horse isn't doing anything. It's when I ride and start to think about what the horse is doing that my body slides back into it's 'bad' position.

lec - do I shorten my left stirrup, to push my body back over to the right? I think I have a Mary Wanless book somewhere, I'll have to go dig it out.