Tips for Relaxing

[amabelscott]

After a few confidence-knocking experiences, i have found myself much more apprehensive now when i ride. At the moment im having lessons on a horse that i really like but i am finding that even when he speeds up a little in trot or canter, i have a tendency to go against everything that i have been taught and lean right forward, put my heels back and clamp hold of the reins even though i know what i should be doing is sitting back and putting my heels down! does anyone have any tips on how i can learn to relax because i am finding myself more-often-than-not in a paralysed forward position which just makes the horse go faster!

 

[inkratlet]

I have just recently started doing pilates and there is a relaxation technique that involves standing straight and lengthening your back, dropping your shoulders and raising your neck but keeping your chin at a 90 degree angle. It creates the most incredible warm feeling coupled with a slight pressure as if someone is lightly pushing down on my back and it quite surprised me how much better my body feels when it is allowed to relax and put into the right posture.

My riding has improved loads, I just have to remember to lengthen rather than bunch up into foetal as I had been doing previously. Maybe exercises like these on the ground would help.

I still have a tendency to lean forward and my bum comes out of the saddle in canter which happens mostly when it's a fast canter and I'm out of balance. IMHO I'm ten times better off in balance by leaning forward a little than crashing around on my horses back. I'm sure it'll come in time if I keep working on my balance.

 

[badgerdog]

Sing out loud. I've been doing this a lot lately with my new horse because I don't know how he's going to react to things. So if I'm not sure how he's going to react to say a tractor approaching, I sing out loud to stop myself thinking negative thoughts and getting tense. It really does help you relax, passers by might think you're nuts but it's helped me!

 

[amandathepanda]

Concentrate on your breathing as if you keep breathing it helps you to relax. Sunnymane's suggestion of singing might sound mad, but actually if you are singing it makes you breathe properly and therefore relaxes you.

 

[Tiffany]

Why not have a lunge lesson on a schoolmaster? Then you only have to think about yourself and if you do exercises like turning from the waist, swinging legs and riding without stirrups it really makes you sit up straight and is excellent for your balance.

Might be worth a try?

 

[amabelscott]

thanks for all the tips guys, definitely going to try singing as i think it will take my mind of being nervous! my mum does pilates so she's gonna give me a lesson too! and lungeing on a schoolmaster also sounds fab! cant wait to try them all out!