Tips for improving seat and position?

[Pigeon]

Okay, there's so much I need to work on, would love advice for anything I sort of know what I'm doing right or wrong, some things I have a vague idea of how to fix, others I'm completely stuck!

Will try and get a video.

Mainly stillness/independence of my hands, I feel like I'm giving accidental aids all the time, which with my others it doesn't matter, I'm not sure they even notice, but Pip's grumpy when he's confused! I think I can keep a pretty still hand when I'm doing sitting trot, and when I'm rising it's not awful, I just don't feel like I'm communicating as clearly as I would like

Also any tips for a good relaxed sitting trot, again I can do a moderate sitting trot on Piper if I keep it fairly steady, but he's really bouncy compared to my others, and in medium I give up one stride in and go to rising. Been practising with other horses, and again, Piper is the main issue because he trots like a jackhammer. He's better when he's lifting through his back properly but this is not constant at this stage. His saddle is quite hard and shallow (it's a gp but geared towards jumping) and I have got a dressage saddle piggy bank with a year's worth of pennies, so hopefully will be investing in a proper saddle in the next month or two Which I hope will help, but I'm sure it's wishful thinking that a dressage saddle will solve my position issues :wink3:

Thanks guys! I know it's not helpful not having a video but I'll see if I can get one

 

[Tobiano]

hi Pigeon - you are doubtless a million times more expert than me, but just a tiny thought - as my instructor often tells me that my horse, who is learning to work over his back, is not strong enough for sitting trot. So maybe if you get the working over the back thing consistent, then the sitting trot will come. Sorry if that is bilge but intended as helpful!

 

[Pigeon]

Thanks

That's a good point!! He's better in sitting trot (he get's a bit rushy if I rise, but I think that's my problem rather than his) but I think this is because I have a more consistent contact? Is there a way to have hands as still as you would in sitting trot, in rising? Would love to see some videos of someone who has really still hands when they rise, because I'm struggling with this, I can't seem to grasp it without creating tension in my arms!

 

[YorksG]

Can you get someone to lunge you? That way you can ride without reins, concentrating on keeping your hands still. Another way to improve sitting trot is to rise without irons, making sure you don't grip with your knees, best to have someone on the ground checking your lower leg position for you.

 

[Tiffany]

Lunge lessons are great for improving your position, getting your arms,legs and seat working independently, improving your suppleness and they can be great fun

 

[Pinkvboots]

If you think of your rise not being a rise more of a forward movement from your hip and seat it should help your hands as your body is not moving upwards so in turn your hands will not rise either, practice your trot hardly rising at all just go with the movement with your seat dont use your knees to lift up.

 

[Pigeon]

Thanks

Managed to rope/bribe my friend in to lunge me on baby pony tomorrow. He's easier than Pip in terms of smoothness so perhaps cheating a bit, but it's a start haha!

 

[mandwhy]

I think it is getting the rising motion right that helps. I am pretty bad at rising trot to be honest but on some hacks recently when I've been able to relax and just power on for a while without having to think about much else, it has improved a lot. More of an arc/forward and back motion than up and down, and I like to experiment with tension in my legs e.g. 'I'm tensing my knees... It's all going wrong'! Sometimes it helps to do the wrong thing on purpose and compare, if your horse doesn't mind too much that is.

I like straight lines for this sort of thing! We have some pretty long stoney tracks that we can't canter on so I need something to think about