What do you like and dislike about your riding?

T

tigers_eye

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Inspired by Weezy's post amongst other things, including my own daily frustrations (and the fact that I'm feeling hyperactive atm) - the above.

I dislike my hands. I don't think I educate horses to have a good mouth. I worked for a dressage rider for 18 months a few years ago and my own horses went brilliantly at the time, but I seem to have lost my way a bit since which I find intensely frustrating. At the time I worked for this lady I had two advanced horses of my own, but their retirement coincided with me leaving her place, and now I have youngsters and I just don't think I'm as well equiped to ride them.

However, I do like my ability to inspire horses with confidence when it comes to jumping. I think my greatest acheivement in this was with a horse called High Homer that I rode for other poeple at 2* level. He had a reputation for dirty stops. I'm also proud of where Liberty has come from in this area since I bought him.

How about you?
 
all i can think of is sometimes i dont ride positively enough on the flat, and get a bit lazy...mainly because i find my horse hard work at times and get tired and disheartened!!
 
my arms and legs are good - the left side of me is as perfect as i wood hope. however the right side of me fails. my elbow rises far too much away from my side, and my shoulder is too forward aswel! i also sit slightly too far to the right =[
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I curl my damn wrists. I'm OK when I remember not to do it, then suddenly sneak a look without warning, and there they are, curled again. No WAY can I get a good contact with curly wrists. My horses all go OK - they are obviously better trained than I am!
 
I dislike the fact that one of my legs is longer than the other which makes my whole left side less effective than my right, gives me shoulder and back ache and makes me struggle to keep my lower leg on! t'other side is fine grr!
I like to think that i am a positive and confident rider shame about my position tho!!!
 
My worst part is the mental side I can get very frustrated in my lack of ability to get the horse going as well as I think I should. I strive for pro standards and then beat myself up about it when I cannot achieve it!

On the plus side like Tigers-eye horses always seem to jump for me and gain confidence.
 
if im not careful my wrist curl too, is so annoying, am ok when im thinking about it, its worse at competitions when ive got to many things to remember
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like my postion over fences though, always found it fairly easy to fold etc.. and judge strides
 
Tbh I saw a video of me riding Axel on wednesday at a Dressage comp and I was shocked at how crap I looked
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The judge commented on how I was restricting him and she was right. I seem to be using my hands way too much and poor Axey was desperately trying to relax into the contact and couldn't. I also seem to kick like mad practically every stride and I wasn't aware of doing that, and my legs were too far back
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Like you, I worked for a dressage rider and rode her GP schoolmasters every day and I used to be quite good then, but it was nearly 10 years ago and I've obviously forgotten everything I knew.
Plus the fact I seem to have put on about 3 stone since then
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I didn't know I looked that fat....... I have been on a very strict diet since seeing myself
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Sam x
 
well i need to relax my shoulders as i always look tense but dont feel it and it really pisses me off
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also i have a habbit of turning my left hand over.....all getting sorted with lessons though
 
I curl my hands, and therefore get tense in the back of the shoulders - I hold my right hand too hard, I dont use my leg enough

On the positives I thnk I have a good seat and my lower leg is pretty stable, I find jumping a joy and feel that I can be an almost mind-reader when it comes to jumping a horse - hence I stick to what I am good at!
 
When I was working hardest on my riding I found pilates really helped my awareness of inequalities in my body. I also worked with a personal fitness trainer who also rode to quite a high level which helped her understand, and solve, some positional issues.

Guys - a few of you are not giving me the positives! Come on, we all have our good points.
 
I lock my left arm in downwards transitions, and I have zero confidence when it comes to Show jumping, for absolutly no reason.

I like the fact that I am extremely patient; I also have a very defensive position, which can sometimes proove very useful!
 
here is a positive i think, i like how i am bod and confident and i trust the horse, my body tends to go with the horse and my new dressage seat is improving HOWEVER i dont like how my shoulder tense and my sitting trot is not all that yet!
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Am starting Pilates again this week
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You know what, my riding went downhill after the Mary Wanless course
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I think SO SO much about what my body is doing now that I think I get hung up on it!
 
I like my understanding of horses, my calming sit and ablitly to work with a horse into some thing. I also beifit from a sticky bum... I have probs come off half a dozen times.... in about 10 years... I ride bad horses so this is quite a thing!

I dislike my lower leg since i broke my ankle its every where but where i want it!!
 
I hate my feet!!!!! stick out to much, need to pull my shoulders back (think headlight on
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) and tummy in...........

Best thing i like about my riding my super glue a55 combined with tissss Hot A55!!!!!
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I have awful hands! They are to low and I fiddle far to much, also because they are to low I tip forward. I make it look like I am doing all the work. I niggle to much and flap my legs around a lots. When jumping I have a tendency to 'check' with my right hand. 3 strides before a jump i pull back with my right hand for no reason. Plus I get so nervous that I can't ride.

Good things - I think I am good with horses which are more difficult on the flat and I can be quite patient.
 
I videoed myself a few weeks ago and I was actually better than I thought I'd be which was nice. Its posted online if anyone wants to look back and comment
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I seem beat myself up about my riding and general position but it *is* getting better and has improved greatly over the last year with lessons.

My bad habits I'm working on at the moment include: tipping forward - occasionally in trot but still quite frequently in canter, needing to bend elbows more and continuing to get used to having longer stirrups. My position is quite tense but its improved alot as I've built up some trust.
I get lots of comments in DR tests like 'tactfully ridden' and I do think I have quite soft hands so that's something I like.

I wish I was a flexible and brave as I used to be when a teenager doing mounted games!
 
Hands. I've worked so hard to get them quiet and correct, but I still find myself "grabbing" if I'm not careful.
Left leg always goes too far back and I can't give leg aids with my left leg as well as with my right.
I've worked extremely hard on my seat and it is a lot better, but I still tip forward if given half a chance!
Why is it so hard???
 
[ QUOTE ]

I've worked extremely hard on my seat and it is a lot better, but I still tip forward if given half a chance!
Why is it so hard???

[/ QUOTE ]

I know! My friends and I joke that we have been riding for 10+ years and we still can't sit on the horse properly! And people say it's an easy sport...
 
I have a dodgy ankle due to breaking it years ago and its not as flexible as the other one and stiffens after a while therefore I ride a bit onesided but my mare is now onesided so we're ok
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Just shows up if I ride something else!!
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positives: I have good hands and feel and can stay on pretty much anything although am not nearly as brave as I used to be hence the collection of safe hairy types
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Positives:
Am a patient rider and am better at schooling than competing!
strive for perfection

Negatives:
after several bad falls my confidence does get dented quickly
my position needs tidying up, need to sit up taller and lean in a particular direction
getting annoyed when things are working if i'm in a bad mood
 
Good Points:
Very good hands, rarely find any horse strong or hard to settle.
Will jump any horse over any jump and usually get it right.
Fearless.
Bad Points:
Cant ride very long due to limited movement in left ankle, feel like a sack of spuds when I try (I can ride leg long, just not long long).
Have trouble sitting right handed spins.
 
I am generally frustrated with my current lack of abilty!
But my main faults are that i find it really hard to keep an even contact with my right hand, and that i tend to be too enthusiastic and 'belly flop' over a fence, which leads me on to my other frustration.... My confidence whilst jumping has all but disappeared.

On the plus side!
I think i am fairly effective whilst riding youngsters/remedial horses. My flatwork might stink, but i can feel bad behaviour coming and can nip it in the bud, and failing that i can sit through most things.
 
There's not much to like about my riding. My hands turn in and I lock my elbows, my right leg insists on swinging forwards and the heel comes up, I don't sit properly to canter but tip forwards, etc, etc
 
Negative side: I don't like that I am very biased to my right and have a tendancy to have a stronger contact to the right. I physically find it hard because I have a curve in my spine which has made me physically stronger on the right side of my body. I find it a bit more of a struggle riding movements on the left rein and have to constantly make sure i have an even contact.
Also I need to bend more at my hips when I'm jumping.

On the positive side think I am pretty ok at schooling as I ride quietly and have good balance/position and still hands. I think I have a pretty ok seat considering all the times I have stayed on when Louis has a loopy moment!
 
What I dislike are my hands, like you when I was training with my dressage instructor all the time my hands were good (its not been helped by riding hard pullers and horses that buck or piss off after fences).
My other problem is my mind, in that I want PERFECT all the time and get fed up and disheartend when it doesnt happen. Basically I dont believe in myself enough.
On the plus side most horses go for me, and normally get a good tune out of a horse on the flat.
Equally, because of the latter problem it tends to hamper the good points.
 
My riding seems to change so much on a regular basis I learn something new every week or am totally inspired by something so it seems that I have different likes/dislikes on a monthly basis!
My weakest point is somtimes a lack of security in my lower leg when jumping- which came from many years of riding a horse that pulled like a train so I completly forgot how to use my lower leg and became a passenger. Also my hands are not soft enough when jumping it is something that I have to constantly be aware off.

Flatwork is my strongest card- since having Gavin Schofield work on my back/hips/legs for the last few years, it has completly changed my ability with flatwork and I love it now whereas before I was hopelessly unbalanced but now feel a lot more balanced and central- I love the feeling of just being able to sit there and do nothing and the horse is just soft, engaged and completely 'at one' with you, and it is all just so easy... and it is thanks to Gavin that I have been able to develop a bit more of a feel with that, so I owe him a lot otherwise I would only be good at hacking!!
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