Exercises for equitation

[jonem004]

I am looking for some exercises to sharpen up my Eq skills. I’m recently back in the show ring (37 yo re-rider) and doing the 3ft AA Hunters on a game but slightly green little mare. First outing went exceptionally well, so I’m looking to add in the Adult Eq division st the same height.

The things I think I need to work on-
I have a bit of a green horse hunch and tend to look down. I could be better at seeing a distance further out (working on adjustability in the canter to help with this). I think eye/shoulder hunch/distance thing is all related.

Any suggestions for exercises to help with these “opportunities” and or build the super tight lower leg that I’m sure is still necessary to equitate well? Any other suggestions for success in Eq will also be welcome.

[greysfordays]

There’s a lady who is absolutely dominating the adult eq near me. I don’t think she has the world’s tightest lower leg, (she’s taller so it’s sometimes harder to manage that) BUT she is unbelievably accurate and rides in a bold and confident style.

So I think you can do the two up’s one down posting, and no stirrups to your heart’s content, but I think even more important is to practice poles. Bending lines and half loops over poles, focusing on how smooth you can be. Riding with a slightly more deliberate pace to be able to handle more complex courses. The circle of death with poles is a great exercise for your eyes, your steering, gauging how smoothly you are riding.

[tatertots]

Out of the tack, general cardio conditioning and core work will help you! And lot of stretching of those calf muscles.

A lot of the time, the Adult Eq is won by the smoothest round. Equitation (obviously) matters, but smooth rounds and confidence stand out!

[SolarFlare]

I found the hunch did tend to throw my eye off too. In my case, I had to fix my entire base of support to get my shoulders back though - just trying to pull my shoulders back didn’t work at all.

I ended up switching over to eventing (and thus dressage lessons) but even now in my jump saddle my position is much different than it was when I was doing hunters. For me, I need to tuck my pelvis under me more (think sucking your bellybutton in), and ride a bit more in the tack. I used to be able to half-seat around all day, in balance, but then I couldn’t get my shoulders back, which then caused my head to be out in front, which is what I think throws off your eye. I’ve also got a long torso that needs to be controlled

I could do no stirrups, had a tight leg, etc but nothing fixed the shoulders/hunch until I addressed my seat and base of support.

[jonem004]

@greysfordays

The circle of death with poles is a great exercise for your eyes, your steering, gauging how smoothly you are riding.

Tell me about this circle!?! What’s the setup?

[streamline]

Ooh when I first became a working student for someone who won the Maclay finals (he rode with GM for a ton of years) he had me post for two sit for three with stirrups until I was competent enough to ride without stirrups. I even had a lease horse that I strictly rode without stirrups.

Cavalettis in circles, lots of bending lines. I’ve never been an eq rider, I also can’t keep my heels down even after years of riding stirrup-less and jumping almost daily. Every photo I have over fences I’m pressing on my toes (no matter saddle/stirrup/iron configurations!)

Core strength will help with the shoulder hunching and I found core strength was the hardest thing to get, even with soild legs and a strong upper body. I think core needs to be worked in both in and out of the saddle.

[greysfordays]

@jonem004

Tell me about this circle!?! What’s the setup?

You put a pole or cavaletti at 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00. They should be about 5-6 strides apart center to center.

Look here…

https://www.noellefloyd.com/blogs/sport/videos

…for Missy Clark’s gymnastic for adjustability. I think these videos are now accessible to everyone.

[alternate_universe]

Hunched shoulders can be corrected with exercises that engage your shoulders/traps/general upper back that do NOT involve you pushing forward. Think like the rowing machine, lat pull downs, flies, etc. These kinds of exercises can be done with equipment or with free weights. Anything that strengthens your upper back muscles will help you keep your shoulders and back un-hunched. As others have said, core exercises are necessary to because you need your core to keep your torso upright and controlled. But if you’re really slouchy you should consider specifically targeting your shoulders and traps.

[AppaloosaDressage]

@jonem004

I am looking for some exercises to sharpen up my Eq skills. I’m recently back in the show ring (37 yo re-rider) and doing the 3ft AA Hunters on a game but slightly green little mare. First outing went exceptionally well, so I’m looking to add in the Adult Eq division st the same height.

The things I think I need to work on-
I have a bit of a green horse hunch and tend to look down. I could be better at seeing a distance further out (working on adjustability in the canter to help with this). I think eye/shoulder hunch/distance thing is all related.

Any suggestions for exercises to help with these “opportunities” and or build the super tight lower leg that I’m sure is still necessary to equitate well? Any other suggestions for success in Eq will also be welcome.

How long is your hair? A funny/weird BUT effective tool my trainer has used on a few of her young riders with the same issue is, if their hair is long enough, she has them wear a braid in their hair and ties the braid off with a big scrunchie or two. As soon as they’re on, they feed the braid under their shirt and sports bra, so the scrunchie falls just below the bra band. If they want to tip or look down during their ride, they feel the resistance on the scrunchie and the self correct before position is compromised. Upper body stays tall and chin stays up, though I still hear remind them to keep their shoulders back a few times during a lesson, it’s much less often than when their ear/hip/heel alignment is out of wack. After a few weeks of this their muscle memory is really improved and they look like totally different riders. If your hair isn’t long enough maybe theres a way to pin or clip your scrunchie to a shirt collar or something similar?

[AppaloosaDressage]

My trainer does this funny but effective trick with some of her students who have the same issue. Their hair is long enough to wear in a braid that reaches about 1/3 - 1/2 down their back. As soon as they get on they tuck the braid under the back of their shirt and sports bra and pull it to right under the back of the bra so the scrunchie lands just under the back of their bra band. The braid is secured by a large scrunchie and adjusted so that when the rider is in proper alignment with shoulders back and chin up, it works as a gentle reminder to keep their position there and correct. If the rider gets the urge to look down or tip forward, they feel the gentle resistance from the scrunchie and self correct their position before it’s compromised. Of course if they do need to look down the braid is simply pulled through but it offers enough guidance that they maintain a proper position and build muscle memory. Having watched this implemented a few times there is definitely impressive improvement immediately, and the riders develop muscle memory to maintain the proper position without this crutch after a few weeks. I still hear “shoulders back!” A few times during their lessons, but far less frequently with this funny tool in place.
I come from dressage land so I have no idea if this would translate over fences, but could be worth a shot on the flat.
If your hair isn’t long enough to feed through the back of a sports bra, maybe there’s a way you could secure the scrunchie to back of shirt collar?

[IPEsq]

What is with all the blank posts I’m seeing today?

Anyway, poles and cavaletti exercises will go a long way. BTW, greysfordays’ exercise is HARD for you and a green horse. Start with just 12:00 and 6:00 (and 10-11 strides). I also like bending lines of poles working on different numbers of strides between. This will help you canter adjustability and your eye without doing a lot of jumping. Gaining confidence in your ride and eye should help with the hunch, but of course you could always do some 2 point or even longe lessons. Your leg should be stable, but it does not need to be super tight–it should be effective. A too tight leg will get you clamping and stiff. For adult eq, improving your overall posture and your accuracy and the mare’s rideability is what I’d focus on more than your lower leg. Now if your hunch is because you are in a chair seat, look into why you are doing that. Might be your leg, might be your saddle fit for your body.

I agree that a very accurate round will go a long way in the adult eq, though for the flat classes of course you will not want to have a hunched back.

[limptoad]

Also a re-rider, most of my skill came back quickly, but my eye and quiet hands used to be two strong points for me, and they became my challenges.

Good call on the eye/hunch being related. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was definitely my hunch that threw my eye and hands off. I wasn’t focusing on it because I don’t really care how I look as long as I’m effective, so it took me literal years to make it a priority.

Yoga fixed the physical aspects of the hunch, and focusing on lifting my diaphram (rather than trying to pull my shoulders back) allowed my arms to move freely and brought my head and neck back into alignment. Miraculously, my eye immediately came back and my hands became softer.

It’s almost like people who know more than me have been passing down this knowledge for thousands of years for a reason, and proper equitation has a function, who’d have thunk it?

(I need to pay my trainer more for tolerating me.)

[jonem004]

@IPEsq

What is with all the blank posts I’m seeing today?

Anyway, poles and cavaletti exercises will go a long way. BTW, greysfordays’ exercise is HARD for you and a green horse. Start with just 12:00 and 6:00 (and 10-11 strides). I also like bending lines of poles working on different numbers of strides between. This will help you canter adjustability and your eye without doing a lot of jumping. Gaining confidence in your ride and eye should help with the hunch, but of course you could always do some 2 point or even longe lessons. Your leg should be stable, but it does not need to be super tight–it should be effective. A too tight leg will get you clamping and stiff. For adult eq, improving your overall posture and your accuracy and the mare’s rideability is what I’d focus on more than your lower leg. Now if your hunch is because you are in a chair seat, look into why you are doing that. Might be your leg, might be your saddle fit for your body.

I agree that a very accurate round will go a long way in the adult eq, though for the flat classes of course you will not want to have a hunched back.

The forums were down last night for some kind of maintenance, I assume the blanked out posts are related to that. My post from last night got blanked out, but it was up for a couple of hours before. Long enough to be responded to anyway.

I’ve done the pole exercise! Circle of Death is a great thing to call it! I actually set it up a couple of months ago and was able to accomplish different numbers of strides consistently. That was when I decided we were ready to go show.

I’ve been doing a lot of cavelitti and lateral work lately to strengthen little mares hind end. Last night we were trying to trot through slightly elevated poles and she was having a hard time grasping that we should actually keep trotting. Then I had a lightbulb and stopped staring at the dang poles and sat up, and LOOKED ahead, and didn’t she trot right through!

Y’all are telling me exactly what I need to hear. I think focusing on my eye/back/shoulder will get me closer to that confident ride. Then I can start working on that automatic release!!

[Another-Bay]

Have you done the “count down” for number of strides out loud before a pole? Start with 3 strides out and work your way up until you can count out from 6, 7, or 8 strides out…

For the hunch, it always helps me to think “lift the chest” rather than “don’t hunch”. Try some no stirrups as well, that should get you nice and balanced.

[jonem004]

@Another-Bay

Have you done the “count down” for number of strides out loud before a pole? Start with 3 strides out and work your way up until you can count out from 6, 7, or 8 strides out…

For the hunch, it always helps me to think “lift the chest” rather than “don’t hunch”. Try some no stirrups as well, that should get you nice and balanced.

That’s a great idea!