Riding goes out the window, feeling a little disheartened

[Drea16]

Well today i struggles to get my horse to bend properly on the left rein, Hes quite stiff on this side anyway and if i get him to bend his head around my leg he comes off the inside track and cuts corners, its becoming a bit of a battle. Also i feel like my legs are just not strong as they used to be - am not *old* at 35 but say a few years ago i used to be really strong with my legs, i have had a couple of long breaks from horses in the past 10 years due to small family etc but now i am having regular lessons to improve and want to get out and do some dressage. We have been introducing lateral work and i don't feel like my legs are strong enough!! Its really disheartening actually, its just sort of crept in this past week or so. Hes not too bad on the right rein and softens up, i just find it difficult on the left rein, so much so that my left arm is aching after schooling him today which isnt right! I need to be less strong with the left rein but its really difficult when hes got the wrong bend!
I know it must be me as my trainer gets on him (he rode him tuesday on our lesson) and goes lovely. We have a dressage comp tomorrow and i just feel like pulling out
I record myself riding as i like to look back and todays session i rode terribly! i can see my faults on the camera and try to improve - i thought i nailed it week before last week, he was going so nicely and went beautifully at our dressage comp - this week its all gone out the window and feel i am falling into bad habits!! IE not riding him forward enough into the contact, looking down, leg creeping back etc...bah think i am having one of those weeks
I know its trivial but every time we have a session which isnt so good it really makes me feel disappointed in myself!! Its not even as if we compete all the time or school alot, i don't. Have a lesson 2 x per month and school 1 x per week, rest of the time its hacking. Its such an expensive hobby and it should be something to enjoy not feel disheartened about!!
ARGH someone tell me i am not the only one who feels like this?!!

 

[vallin]

Haha, nope, I feel exactly like this half the time! My mare is currently refusing to school to anywhere near the best of her ability (think not off the leg, not in any sort of outline let alone bending nicely) so I'm just taking it back a step and working on the real basics of getting her moving off the leg. I'm introducing more polework to keep it interesting and as my instructor frequently reminds me 'you have to ride the horse you pull out of the stable, not the one you were riding two weeks ago'. It's frustrating but I'll get there eventually as will you!

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Go back to basics and I will say this but please don't get offended.

If you finish a session more tired than your horse your horse isn't working properly.
With regards to you supporting him with.your legs yes that's true to a degree but they have to support themselves too so maybe you need to think about your horses muscle tone, balance, rhythm.....can you walk, trot and canter with a loose rein and your horse not fall in and wobble all over the place? If the answer is yes then you need to take a few steps back.

 

[Drea16]

Haha, nope, I feel exactly like this half the time! My mare is currently refusing to school to anywhere near the best of her ability (think not off the leg, not in any sort of outline let alone bending nicely) so I'm just taking it back a step and working on the real basics of getting her moving off the leg. I'm introducing more polework to keep it interesting and as my instructor frequently reminds me 'you have to ride the horse you pull out of the stable, not the one you were riding two weeks ago'. It's frustrating but I'll get there eventually as will you!

My trainer will get on and he goes like a dream!! its so fustrating!!

Go back to basics and I will say this but please don't get offended.

If you finish a session more tired than your horse your horse isn't working properly.
With regards to you supporting him with.your legs yes that's true to a degree but they have to support themselves too so maybe you need to think about your horses muscle tone, balance, rhythm.....can you walk, trot and canter with a loose rein and your horse not fall in and wobble all over the place? If the answer is yes then you need to take a few steps back.

Yes your right. After our lesson the other day we where both tired and worked up a sweat! Horse is 6yrs old and he is green still, hes building up muscle now and is really starting to fill out, hes been back in work 6 months as he had a good 8 months turned away due to me having a baby. Hes getting better but i am finding it hard work!! I am planning on having him ridden for me for a good week when i go away and upping the lessons to 1 a week

 

[Sukistokes2]

Of course your trainer rides better then you, it's her/ his job!!

Seriously if, he is like you say, developing all the time and muscling up its quite likely the saddle will need checking and altering more regularly then normal. It might not be your poor , elderly, aging legs at all.

 

[Pigeon]

First, chin up and smile!!! I bet it's not all that bad... We are our own worst critics!

So with the inside rein, you're wanting to encourage bend by softening, rather than literally bringing his head around. The bend comes from your inside leg, but you don't need to be that strong with it, just tuck it into his side and keep it there.

Try this -

Go on a spiral from a 20m circle - make progressively smaller circles until you are on 10m.

1) Put your inside leg on - not necessarily with much pressure, just so it is there.
2) Take up a good contact with your outside rein and keep it consistent. Doesn't have to be a strong contact but has to be there. Remember to keep elbows etc relaxed.
3) Open your inside rein, be quite light.
4) Now use your inside leg as if you're trying to leg yield out, but contain it with your outside rein and leg, to keep making your circles smaller.

I find repeating that a few times gets them to soften? Don't really do much, keep your leg the same and contact the same, hands quiet, and he should soften... Try that in your warmup tomorrow?

 

[Drea16]

Of course your trainer rides better then you, it's her/ his job!!

Seriously if, he is like you say, developing all the time and muscling up its quite likely the saddle will need checking and altering more regularly then normal. It might not be your poor , elderly, aging legs at all.

lol yes your right, he had his saddle last checked beginning of June and hoping to have it looked at again early september Love watching my trainer ride him he looks so good! proper shows me up haha

 

[Drea16]

First, chin up and smile!!! I bet it's not all that bad... We are our own worst critics!

So with the inside rein, you're wanting to encourage bend by softening, rather than literally bringing his head around. The bend comes from your inside leg, but you don't need to be that strong with it, just tuck it into his side and keep it there.

Try this -

Go on a spiral from a 20m circle - make progressively smaller circles until you are on 10m.

1) Put your inside leg on - not necessarily with much pressure, just so it is there.
2) Take up a good contact with your outside rein and keep it consistent. Doesn't have to be a strong contact but has to be there. Remember to keep elbows etc relaxed.
3) Open your inside rein, be quite light.
4) Now use your inside leg as if you're trying to leg yield out, but contain it with your outside rein and leg, to keep making your circles smaller.

I find repeating that a few times gets them to soften? Don't really do much, keep your leg the same and contact the same, hands quiet, and he should soften... Try that in your warmup tomorrow?

Thank you, i will do!
Will let you know how we get on

 

[Bernster]

Interesting, I have similar issues feeling like my left leg is non existent and has no strength to it. Can't get him to bend around it on the left rein. Will try pigeon's exercise next time I school.

I'd be trying different things in your lessons and speak to your ins about it but if you're getting really disheartened I'd change it around a bit. Maybe back off the pure schooling, and do some other fun stuff until you get your mojo back. You could have your instructor school him in the meantime which would help if he needs to build strength and suppleness etc.

I know I need to do more of this,p too, but it might also be something about your position, straightness or flexibility so have a go at Pilates or yoga if you don't already?

 

[Slightlyconfused]

My trainer will get on and he goes like a dream!! its so fustrating!!





Yes your right. After our lesson the other day we where both tired and worked up a sweat! Horse is 6yrs old and he is green still, hes building up muscle now and is really starting to fill out, hes been back in work 6 months as he had a good 8 months turned away due to me having a baby. Hes getting better but i am finding it hard work!! I am planning on having him ridden for me for a good week when i go away and upping the lessons to 1 a week

If he has only been back in work 6months then no wonder he cant do that easily.

It takes a good year for muscle mass and strength to build up.
My youngster was doing wobbly couple of strides of leg yield at six months of being backed and his canter transitions were just about getting to the point he could control all four feet nicely.

Lots of straight line hacking, up hills if possible, will help a lot.

 

[Squeak]

To put it bluntly you shouldn't need strength to ride your horse let alone more strength than you have by that stage you're losing any harmony, partnership and self carriage. It's easy for a man to get on a horse and use brute strength to hold a horse together but strength shouldn't replace good schooling and it doesn't sound like your instructor is appreciating this or making you feel good about yourself by getting on your horse and showing you what he can do and it doesn't sound like you or your horse feel ready for serious lateral work and your instructor should know this. I'd look for another instructor.

 

[Cortez]

To put it bluntly you shouldn't need strength to ride your horse let alone more strength than you have by that stage you're losing any harmony, partnership and self carriage. It's easy for a man to get on a horse and use brute strength to hold a horse together but strength shouldn't replace good schooling and it doesn't sound like your instructor is appreciating this or making you feel good about yourself by getting on your horse and showing you what he can do and it doesn't sound like you or your horse feel ready for serious lateral work and your instructor should know this. I'd look for another instructor.

OFGS; an instructor's job is not to "make you feel good about yourself"! His job is to show you how it's done (by riding the horse if necessary). If the instructor is riding the horse easily in leg yield then the only reason it's not doing it for you is because you are not asking properly. Both strength and effort are required to ride, brute strength doesn't work, which is why there are is a level playing field between men and women in horse sports. Don't change your instructor, ask him to explain more clearly what it is you need to do to ride your horse as well as he does (which is, after all, his job).

 

[Squeak]

OFGS; an instructor's job is not to "make you feel good about yourself"! His job is to show you how it's done (by riding the horse if necessary). If the instructor is riding the horse easily in leg yield then the only reason it's not doing it for you is because you are not asking properly. Both strength and effort are required to ride, brute strength doesn't work, which is why there are is a level playing field between men and women in horse sports. Don't change your instructor, ask him to explain more clearly what it is you need to do to ride your horse as well as he does (which is, after all, his job).

Could not agree more that an instructors job isn't to make you feel good about yourself and I agree that you do need some strength to ride. Tbh I don't think I wrote my last post very well, it came across far harsher than I meant it to be and I am far from good at explaining riding which is why I shy away from teaching! All I was trying to say was that if you're worrying about not being strong enough to ride your horse then you need to rebuild some fundamentals so that the horse finds lateral work easier and it's easier for both of you. It just sounds like it's a bit of a battle at the moment and the horse is struggling with the movement but it sounds like your instructor isn't appreciating that and that would be why I would try a new instructor.

 

[Drea16]

Could not agree more that an instructors job isn't to make you feel good about yourself and I agree that you do need some strength to ride. Tbh I don't think I wrote my last post very well, it came across far harsher than I meant it to be and I am far from good at explaining riding which is why I shy away from teaching! All I was trying to say was that if you're worrying about not being strong enough to ride your horse then you need to rebuild some fundamentals so that the horse finds lateral work easier and it's easier for both of you. It just sounds like it's a bit of a battle at the moment and the horse is struggling with the movement but it sounds like your instructor isn't appreciating that and that would be why I would try a new instructor.

My instructor is fab and i really like him, i have known him a few years and he has always helped me with all my horses including helping me back my current one a few years back

Dressage went well on Saturday and he felt a whole lot better than the day before. We won our intro with 68% and also got a decent 66% in the prelim. Had positive comments from the judge and lots to work on.
I have another dressage evening this week and this will be our last intro now and time to crack on with the prelims!

 

[nato]

Get yourself and your horse looked at by an Osteo/Chiro/Physio.

Myself and my horse have been arguing for weeks on the right rein, he will not get off my right leg or right hand and it was driving me demented. I coudn't get my leg on him and whether I dropped the contact or not he just hung off my hand and wouldn't bend.

Went to an osteo and found my pelvis was completely misaligned, a significant difference in the hip bone height either side which is clearly where the issue stems from! I am automatically higher on one side and therefore not balanced. All along I thought my horse was being disagreeable when it was me hindering him. So I am getting sorted by the Osteo and I had the physio out who found he was tighter on one side (when he was fine a few weeks ago) - so getting him sorted as well as me will hopefully make a difference.

 

[Goldenstar]

To put it bluntly you shouldn't need strength to ride your horse let alone more strength than you have by that stage you're losing any harmony, partnership and self carriage. It's easy for a man to get on a horse and use brute strength to hold a horse together but strength shouldn't replace good schooling and it doesn't sound like your instructor is appreciating this or making you feel good about yourself by getting on your horse and showing you what he can do and it doesn't sound like you or your horse feel ready for serious lateral work and your instructor should know this. I'd look for another instructor.

Where did OP say the trainer was riding the horse roughly ?
It's pretty usual for your trainer to ride better than you do in fact it's desirable to be trained by someone better than you are .
It's is true that some people like to go to trainers who give them a warm feeling but it's rarely as contuctive as more realistic help .
OP , it's pretty normal to feel you are c**p sometimes sometimes you can try to hard and kind of lose your way .
Miss the comp if you feel like it ,go for some hacks be Kind to yourself and then regroup and start again .

 

[Lanky Loll]

OP we struggle with inside bend especially when spooking or when a bit fresh - Mike likes to either motorbike round the corner if I hold him out (banana style) or if I use inside flexion will do a turn a quarter horse would be proud of - neither of which is what I'm looking for. The answer for us has been to work him in outside flexion. So without moving the inside hand/leg steer with the outside - bring the outside hand across to the mane, and put the outside leg forward and kick him round the bend - this way the inside rein keeps him up and the outside pushes him round. We work on serpentines, loops and tear drops like this in walk and trot (so for instance if working on left rein, up the long side, at K 5m tear drop back to track between K+E, at E circle, at H 5m tear drop back to track between H+E, then circles / spirals in canter. It's made him straighten up and improved his way of going. Once he's working nicely we then bring in the inside flexion and work him "normally".

 

[puppystitch]

Get yourself and your horse looked at by an Osteo/Chiro/Physio.

Myself and my horse have been arguing for weeks on the right rein, he will not get off my right leg or right hand and it was driving me demented. I coudn't get my leg on him and whether I dropped the contact or not he just hung off my hand and wouldn't bend.

Went to an osteo and found my pelvis was completely misaligned, a significant difference in the hip bone height either side which is clearly where the issue stems from! I am automatically higher on one side and therefore not balanced. All along I thought my horse was being disagreeable when it was me hindering him. So I am getting sorted by the Osteo and I had the physio out who found he was tighter on one side (when he was fine a few weeks ago) - so getting him sorted as well as me will hopefully make a difference.

This! If it's working on one rein and not the other either one or both of you might be a bit wonky, and you might just be using yourself less effectively on one side. After a fair few crashes and injuries I am decidedly wonky! Yoga and pilates will help, but a professional assessment would at least let you know if there's an issue and what you need to work on. It could just be a case of even-ing out some muscles. Lessons on the lunge can help with this too.

I also had trouble recently with shoulder-in on one rein. Foot perfect on the right rein, arguments on the left. Once I had started to anticipate the argument I found I was bracing myself against it and hence blocking her shoulder, preventing her from doing what I was asking for. Once I'd figured it out and relaxed it was suddenly all sorted! Best of luck, these things are so frustrating, but when it twigs you'll wonder what all the fuss was about!

 

[Wimbles]

I have recently been feeling the same, don't seem to be progressing as I think I should with my youngster. Had a bit of a lightbulb moment on Sunday evening though. I decided to do some work without stirrups (something that is not always a good idea with Dangerous Brian) but I literally could not believe the difference in him. What it highlighted was that I was actually trying too hard and getting in the way of him working properly. When I took my stirrups back and just relaxed into just guiding the horse everything felt so much better. I am now aiming to do a bit of work without stirrups on more of my flatwork sessions to keep reminding me of how it should feel! That said I'm anticipating writing a post to say that I have been splatted soon!