Riding Position : Lesson 2

I have been trying to put in to practice my “new found position” out hacking, with a small degree of success – it all went a bit pear shaped when I tried to hold it in trot, or when I had to persuade Lucky to pass a lying down donkey which was obviously as ferocious as a lion and just waiting to pounce as we bounced our way past!

Anyway, my lesson today started off on my daughter’s trampoline …. Not on horse back I should add! It was in an effort to try and soften through my joints, which in my case are very fixed to try and alleviate or avoid pain.  It helped, and I felt a bit more “give” through knee, hips and ankles after just a few minutes.

We then took Lucky in the school, and worked on getting him to lunge without resisting outwards on the line, but softening through his head and neck, which in turn encouraged him to use his hind quarters more, rather than pulling through from the forehand. He is quite stiff and short striding, even when at liberty in the field, so we will be working on creating more suppleness in him over the next few months.

I then clambered aboard, and was pleased to be told I had remembered my new “correct” position properly – brownie points for me I think!!!!

I did a few circuits in walk, then attempted trot, and this is where it all unravels, my lower leg shoots forward, my rear end shoots back, my top half collapses, I get behind the movement and Lucky sees all this as a sign to drop back in to walk.

So, I was shown how to bend at the hip, almost sliding my giant derriere down and back, even though I am preparing to rise for trot – might sound a bit odd, but it actually makes sense when you are doing it! I had moments when it all came together, and that was MAGICAL, I felt balanced, light and with the movement, and Lucky obviously thought I was getting the hang of it, because he swung forward beautifully in trot without me feeling I was having to ask him – he did it beautifully because I was finally “ALLOWING” him to move forward freely.

So, my homework is to try and learn to soften through my joints, as far as the pain will allow, and to fold at the hip and give with my joints. Might sound simple and obvious to many, but sadly not for me ….. work in progress.