| To sit the trot is THE most difficult pace to ride on a | | | | OK... Analysis how I feel when I am in the saddle: |
| horse and still maintain the rhythm and your dignity. | | | | · I get tired easily because I am using muscles that I |
| When I started riding many years ago and for such a | | | | should not be using, so do I need to be more relaxed? |
| long time, I would bounce in the saddle, flop around and | | | | · If I am relaxed, am I going to be able to apply the |
| have a tendency to lean forward trying to keep my | | | | aids and still maintain my seat in the saddle? |
| balance. I had to concentrate so much just to keep my | | | | · Maybe I need to be fitter so I can apply the aids |
| seat in the saddle. I was not confident in myself as a | | | | more easily. If my leg muscles are stronger, then I am |
| rider. But I would practice and practice and did not | | | | not tiring out as quickly. |
| improve much. So many riders have this same | | | | · If my muscles are stronger, my posture will be |
| tendency to not stay upright through the trot and | | | | better and I will not be slouching over either. |
| canter. I would look down at what I was doing instead | | | | I needed to do horse riding exercises concentrating |
| of looking forward to where I was going. Little did I | | | | more on the muscles that I would use for riding rather |
| know that if I kept my head up, I would not slouch over | | | | than just the everyday ones. I started using a Pilates |
| which threw my balance out and lost my seat in the | | | | ball and doing exercises that would develop the |
| saddle. My heels would also rise up, my back would | | | | muscles that I used when I was riding a horse. I could |
| stiffen - all adding to my loss of balance. These actions | | | | do these at home or during the day and after a time |
| did not just affect me but also my horse. He would | | | | of practice, I got stronger and noticed the improvement |
| become unbalance, his shoulder would drop, his head | | | | in my general posture. This led to giving me more |
| would fly up and he would become tense and tight | | | | confidence and I was sitting deeper in the saddle and |
| and harder to control. That was all because of me. I | | | | looking ahead. I strengthened muscles in my neck, |
| was not RELAXED enough, not CONFIDENT enough, | | | | shoulders, lower back and legs and most importantly, I |
| and also not FIT enough. So I was not FIT. I was not | | | | took the stiffness out of my pelvis so I could sit |
| using the right muscles to keep myself upright and in | | | | deeper and use my legs more independently from my |
| the saddle. It was not a pleasant ride for either myself | | | | body. This all took time like anything good and the |
| or my horse. So I took inventory of what I needed to | | | | improvement and how I felt was worth all the effort. |
| do. It was never too late to start something new. | | | | Not only was I noticing improvement in my riding but |
| CONFIDENCE - that was my main concern. So how | | | | other people were too. And that does give the |
| do I improve that if I am still going to be doing the same | | | | CONFIDENCE a big boost. |
| things? | | | | |