Better balance for sitting a spook?

[TheDBYC]

@DunByMistake

Hip and glute strength. You can have a core of steel but if it’s sitting on weak hips, it won’t help

The trick, in my (often controversial) opinion, is that conventional hunt seat equitation disallows for full, healthy functionality in the hips & glutes, unless the rider happens to be well educated in sports biomechanics & conditioned therein. Now, the OP doesn’t specify if she is a hunter or not; I’m guessing she is based on the nature of the problem she’s experiencing.

Stand barefoot with your feet a little wider than hip width apart. Now, take your normal light 2-point. Pay close attention to what happens to your knees & shins. In which muscles are you feeling the most effort? Staying in 2-point, arch your back - a cue I hear a lot from hunter trainers. Notice any difference in the amount of work being handled by your quads & knees versus hamstrings & glutes? Can you open & broaden across your chest & scapula? Are you able to maintain that opening?

Now, stand back up. Take your 2-point again. This time, think of your shins moving back & your butt reaching back, as if to sit in a chair that someone is pulling out from under you. Feel any difference in the levels of activation of the quads versus the hamstrings/glutes? Any difference in the buoyancy of your
upper body over your hip flexors? Next, put your finger on your sternum. As you inhale, let your sternum activate, lifting & opening against your finger.

Which feels like a stronger position in the event of the horse’s sudden lateral movement?

Now, grab a yoga sticky mat if you have one or a rolled up towel if you don’t. You just want to be able to elevate your toes about 5". Stand barefoot with your feet a little wider than hip width apart & place your roll under the balls of your feet to raise them. Try the above again, but this time with your heels down. If you have yoga blocks, try it with the block on the low side & then the medium. Observe the changes in muscular sensation all the way up the front & back of the body when the block is on the medium side especially. (This side approximates the more exaggerated heels down I see in some riders, especially those with hypermobile ankles.) What changes occur to your overall stability?

[Tini_Sea_Soldier1]

THIS. So much THIS.

Had one that was dead quiet that blew up and spooked hard. Turned out it was the Amplify in his feed. Went back to a really blah pellet and he was fine.

Also, my collarbone still hasn’t forgiven him for that… and I reminded him that I never did that after an espresso milkshake…so cut it out.

[anon510129]

The “lift your hands” advice changed my world. I changed to a completely different rider, in an instant.

[SIGU1963]

^^^ this especially if you are older. I’m going through this now. I’m pushing 60 and just not fast enough anymore to react appropriately in order to work on retraining the horse. If the horse continues to get away with it, you aren’t doing it any favours and the behaviour just becomes more and more ingrained. If you do continue to ride this horse then suggest you put a holy-f strap on your saddle or a leather grab strap around the neck so you can stay on, and some safety stirrups. Also suggest you have some video taken of your riding so you can see exactly what your position looks like. You may be going fetal because of the history of falling off. Some lunge lessons with a good coach and quiet horse would be good as well in my opinion.

[endlessclimb]

This is a zombie thread, but “hands up” saves me more times than not. I’ve ridden a lot of shenanigans that way. Hands up, body back, I tend to get my ass a little above the saddle to cruise through any “porpoising”, and when the time is right, rip their ass into a circle. Once it’s somewhat back under control, continue with whatever you were doing prior to the spook with no break - they can’t get rewarded for it (nor do I punish them for it).

If they’re being particularly stubborn about spooking at the same spot/same sound, I will growl a “that’s enough, knock it off”. That’s the extent of punishing for spooking.

On the ground, they get their ass handed to them if the spook involves running me over. Oh hell no, never ever. Spook anywhere but on top of me.