whip through elbows to sit up straight?

[horsegirl]

I am trying to teach someone to ride and he is finding it very difficult not to rise leaning forward. I am sure I have seen a whip used through the elbows and round the back to make the rider aware of the way they are sitting. Have a remembered this right?

 

[Damnation]

I have seen this used but have never done it myself.

 

[jenbleep]

have seen it on Pippa Funnells dvd..............you need a very safe horse to do this as i think control is limited lol!!

 

[horsegirl]

this would be on the lunge and I never let people have reins until they have established some "seat"

 

[horsegirl]

[ QUOTE ]
have seen it on Pippa Funnells dvd..............you need a very safe horse to do this as i think control is limited lol!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Does is help with slumping and leaning forward?

 

[lexiedhb]

Yes it does, as it forces the shoulderblades backwards.... could still lean from the hip though....

 

[sloulou]

Years ago I was made to do this... personally I found it a bit rubbish. I think it makes you sit in a very artifical and not soft way... and am not convinced it helped me at the time... although it was a long time ago...

 

[FestiveFuzz]

I can't for the life of me remember what it was called, but when I had lessons as a child my instructor used to use a plastic device that went over the top of each arm and behind my back. It worked in the same way as a whip through the elbows however because it fit above the elbows it gave you more flexibility and control, whilst still helping to maintain the correct posture. I personally found it really useful even if it was a tad uncomfy! lol

Hope this helps

 

[tommytilly]

I wouldn't use that method as it looks like a first class way of encouraging someone to ride with a 'hollow' back.

 

[Zebedee]

[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't use that method as it looks like a first class way of encouraging someone to ride with a 'hollow' back.

[/ QUOTE ]

I couldn't agree more, & also agree with Lex that even if this method was used the rider could still tip forward through the pelvis. The way to teach someone to sit up straight is to get them to take their weight fully onto their seatbones by aligning the shoulder with the hip, & allowing the shoulder to relax down & back. If the persons upper body is really that unsteady I am unsure whether trying to teach them to rise to the trot is a good idea anyway - perhaps they should stay in walk until the upper body position is more under their control.

 

[Cop-Pop]

My ex instructor made me do this for a whole session which was one and a half hours long. By then end of the session my arms were bleeding, I had chronic back pain for two weeks and was no better at riding - in fact it made me so miserable I stopped riding for several weeks before finding a new instructor.

 

[JenHunt]

IMO it forces them to sit in a forced way, and can encourage a hollowed back.

a lot of riders think that rising trot is just an up down movement, but if you ever notice when you ride it's actually a forward and up then down movement. people lean forward to keep their balance if they are only going up and down.

i teach a lot of kids that lean forward in trot. my technique is to get them to imagine making their belly button meet their hands (without moving hose either - but that's what a neckstrap is for!) and that there is an imaginary string pulling them up from the top of their hat.

this seems to get them sitting up taller and moving forward with the horse so they don't lean forward to keep the balance.