Slowing down with your seat

[Juliaa_Faith]

I recently had a lesson with a new RI, but i think she was in a bad mood since there was a lot of yelling going on and in the end I didn't accomplish what she wanted me too.

I had to drop my reigns completely and only hold the buckle but my hands still had to be in the same position and had to slow down the horse using my seat.

I'm used to slowly down by sitting heavier and using my half halt, but since I didn't have my reigns I had to rely on my seat.

But whatever I tried didn't work and it'd just result in her yelling at me. I was told to sit heavy and relax, but instead as soon as I relaxed my hips just seemed to automatically drive the horse forward and speed him up.

What's the best way to slow down a horse without using reigns but your seat?

 

[TTK]

I think a good start would be to get a riding instructor who doesn’t yell at you. That way there might be some communication to them of your issues to be answered with their expertise, honestly, I can’t stand instructors who yell, I can’t learn that way. Good luck.

 

[tallyho!]

Why have you just paid someone to yell at you?

Start again. Find a decent proper classical instructor.

 

[Shay]

Yes - find someone who doesn't yell. But in the meantime....

When you dropped your weight down into your seat you probably also curved your back somewhat which alters the tilt of your pelvis and has the effect of sending the horse forward. Think about sitting very straight still and keeping your pelvis at the same angle -some say think of a glass of water inside yourself that you don't want to spill. Then - without altering that angle, relax the straight muscles and let your weight drown down into your seat at the same time closing your knees on the saddle. I had an instructor once who suggested thinking about holding in a big.... (doubt word is suitable for a forum). As long as that doesn't result in you being all squinched upward in the saddle instead that might be a helpful mental image. Also you should really be working on this early stage of halting with seat aids whilst on the lunge. Quite understandably riders can be nervous about not being able to stop at first which makes their body tight also conveying "go faster" to the horse. On the lunge you can relax and let go a bit more. If it all goes pear shaped someone else will stop the horse!

Like many things in riding trying to explain to someone what particular movement should feel like in their body is quite difficult. English is a rich language but not always a precise one and the feeling that one word might describe to me will be different to you so sometimes its about finding a set of words which conveys the correct meaning to the listener.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Years ago I went to a demo and the trainer talked about rhythm - and changing gaits just being a rhythm change. From a no beat (halt) to a 4 beat (walk) to a 2 beat (trot) or 3 beat (canter). So to go from walk to halt you feel the rhythm as you walk - count it in your head - and then slow the rhythm (your counting) then stop all your own movement as if the horse is already stationary. Tighten your seat muscles so they aren't going with the movement anymore. To go to trot shift to a 2 beat rhythm inn your own body/mind. It sounded weird but as above poster said - some things are hard to explain in words - imagining the feel and rhythm you want changes your body somehow. I have used this idea with every horse I have ever ridden since, and they almost all respond immediately to it. Duller RS horses can take a little longer to tune in as they are used to ignoring 'noise' from riders but even they get there. Walk to halt seems to be the easiest - just stop ALL movement in your own body and seat as if you are already still. Walk to trot seems pretty easy for horses to get too. Years later I was in a lesson and the RI said 'put your body into canter and your horse will follow'. I did and she did. I have no idea what I am doing when I 'put my body in canter' but all I did was imagine the feel of canter and start counting 3 beats and she knew what I wanted. And def ditch the RI. Or politely say 'I don't know what you mean by that'.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

Years ago I went to a demo and the trainer talked about rhythm - and changing gaits just being a rhythm change. From a no beat (halt) to a 4 beat (walk) to a 2 beat (trot) or 3 beat (canter). So to go from walk to halt you feel the rhythm as you walk - count it in your head - and then slow the rhythm (your counting) then stop all your own movement as if the horse is already stationary. Tighten your seat muscles so they aren't going with the movement anymore. To go to trot shift to a 2 beat rhythm inn your own body/mind. It sounded weird but as above poster said - some things are hard to explain in words - imagining the feel and rhythm you want changes your body somehow. I have used this idea with every horse I have ever ridden since, and they almost all respond immediately to it. Duller RS horses can take a little longer to tune in as they are used to ignoring 'noise' from riders but even they get there. Walk to halt seems to be the easiest - just stop ALL movement in your own body and seat as if you are already still. Walk to trot seems pretty easy for horses to get too. Years later I was in a lesson and the RI said 'put your body into canter and your horse will follow'. I did and she did. I have no idea what I am doing when I 'put my body in canter' but all I did was imagine the feel of canter and start counting 3 beats and she knew what I wanted. And def ditch the RI. Or politely say 'I don't know what you mean by that'.

Next time you ride (if your horse is safe and you are in an enclosed environment) try shutting your eyes and asking your horse to halt from walk. Just thinking about halting is often enough and you are giving subliminal messages through your hands, and seat that you don't even realise. Once you have that mastered you will get the drift and can progress to other paces, with your eyes open preferably . Like you say you image the feel of canter and then hey presto you have a good canter. Its amazing how much thinking in our brains is actually transferred down the reins, this doesn't always have to be negative things like clamping your horses side because you may be nervous or holding back with your hands whilst wanting your horse to jump because you are scared it might stop. You probably don't know you are doing it, but it happens such a lot.

 

[honetpot]

The best explanation I have seen of this, I apologise if I do not translate it well.
Imagine you are on a swing, if you want to go higher you follow the movement, when you want to come down you stop your movement and stiffen your body.
On horse for the horse to move well you follow the movement of the horse, to make it more difficult for the horse we stop allowing our body to move. Some horses get really good at ignoring people bobbling about and just ignore any movement. That why its so hard to ride a trained horse well as every movement, or not , is a instruction.
Our top and bottom of our torso is connected but can move independently. A dancer on last night Strictly Take Two showed this really well. While her shoulders and arms work or hold, like our shoulders, arms and hands only should move in relation to the horses head, her abdomen and hips could move independently, so we would stop by tensing our abdominals muscles, shift seat bones, or adjust our legs.
Easy exercises are, a spot halt. Pick a stop in the school with your eyes, and in walk by slowing your movement allow the horse to slow and try to stop on the spot you have picked. Think of the swing. Do not worry if you just get a slow down, if you are going to over shoot pick up the reins to stop. Give the horse a pat and try again, eventually you will click.
You then try turns by turning your head and shoulders with no reins. walk down the long side of the school and turn you head and shoulders in, if the horse starts to come off the track follow the movement, and increase the weight on your inside seat bone but keep your shoulders level. Your horse and you will learn together.
I would change instructor to some one who knows how to communicate properly. I would recommend Mary Wanless, Ride with you mind, it may be out of print. I read it a 32, and learnt more in two hours than I had from the age of 12.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ride-Your-...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KHG8H48FR6WWEJP2G82G

 

[tallyho!]

The best explanation I have seen of this, I apologise if I do not translate it well.
Imagine you are on a swing, if you want to go higher you follow the movement, when you want to come down you stop your movement and stiffen your body.
On horse for the horse to move well you follow the movement of the horse, to make it more difficult for the horse we stop allowing our body to move. Some horses get really good at ignoring people bobbling about and just ignore any movement. That why its so hard to ride a trained horse well as every movement, or not , is a instruction.
Our top and bottom of our torso is connected but can move independently. A dancer on last night Strictly Take Two showed this really well. While her shoulders and arms work or hold, like our shoulders, arms and hands only should move in relation to the horses head, her abdomen and hips could move independently, so we would stop by tensing our abdominals muscles, shift seat bones, or adjust our legs.
Easy exercises are, a spot halt. Pick a stop in the school with your eyes, and in walk by slowing your movement allow the horse to slow and try to stop on the spot you have picked. Think of the swing. Do not worry if you just get a slow down, if you are going to over shoot pick up the reins to stop. Give the horse a pat and try again, eventually you will click.
You then try turns by turning your head and shoulders with no reins. walk down the long side of the school and turn you head and shoulders in, if the horse starts to come off the track follow the movement, and increase the weight on your inside seat bone but keep your shoulders level. Your horse and you will learn together.
I would change instructor to some one who knows how to communicate properly. I would recommend Mary Wanless, Ride with you mind, it may be out of print. I read it a 32, and learnt more in two hours than I had from the age of 12.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ride-Your-...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KHG8H48FR6WWEJP2G82G

Another recommendation for Mary Wanless here.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Years ago I went to a demo and the trainer talked about rhythm - and changing gaits just being a rhythm change. From a no beat (halt) to a 4 beat (walk) to a 2 beat (trot) or 3 beat (canter). So to go from walk to halt you feel the rhythm as you walk - count it in your head - and then slow the rhythm (your counting) then stop all your own movement as if the horse is already stationary. Tighten your seat muscles so they aren't going with the movement anymore. To go to trot shift to a 2 beat rhythm inn your own body/mind. It sounded weird but as above poster said - some things are hard to explain in words - imagining the feel and rhythm you want changes your body somehow. I have used this idea with every horse I have ever ridden since, and they almost all respond immediately to it. Duller RS horses can take a little longer to tune in as they are used to ignoring 'noise' from riders but even they get there. Walk to halt seems to be the easiest - just stop ALL movement in your own body and seat as if you are already still. Walk to trot seems pretty easy for horses to get too. Years later I was in a lesson and the RI said 'put your body into canter and your horse will follow'. I did and she did. I have no idea what I am doing when I 'put my body in canter' but all I did was imagine the feel of canter and start counting 3 beats and she knew what I wanted. And def ditch the RI. Or politely say 'I don't know what you mean by that'.

That's a really good explanation of what I was going to say, "Think stop".

I also think, find a different instructor.

 

[YorksG]

If this is the OP's own horse that she is having a lesson on, then I would suggest going to a repuable riding school and having lessons with an instructor who can explain how to "ride with your mind" as in Mary Wanlass method, then see if the same instructor can come out toyou and see you riding your own horse.

 

[Juliaa_Faith]

Thank you so much everyone! All of these where really amazing explanations and I've gotten the gist of it on my loan horse!

I did change my instructor, it was my first time having a lesson with her, I don't mind instructors being critical of my riding as it makes me stop being lazy. But one thing I hate more is leaving the lesson having accomplish absolutely nothing and a bad mood.

Once again many thanks!

 

[Juliaa_Faith]

I like the idea of creating that mental image. I also love to do sitting trot, so I feel like when I was told to 'relax' I probably thought of becoming supple but sit heavy and stiff, which got me a bit confused as I felt like I was just doing a really bad sitting trot and my just hips weren't listening to me.

 

[Juliaa_Faith]

Thank you! I think mental image is key. I usually count the beat when I'm in trot when I'm working on rhythm, for some reason it seems to flow much nicer and the horse just becomes 'floaty' when we've found that perfect rhythm.

And yeah did end up ditching the instructor and riding school as I had a talk about the place with the owner of my loan horse and she mentioned that the RS is ran by a family and no one is actually a qualified instructor.

 

[Juliaa_Faith]

Thank you very much for the advic, you translated it perfectly! I understood everything, and thank you for the recommendation of the the book, will definetely check it out!