The elusive American forward seat..

[Belmont]

Thanks everyone. Please keep any tips coming. Today was a disaster. :sadsmile: I think I tried too much stuff today, and horse was really hot and excitable, and it was so freaking hot out. I feel so defeated. We just had an awful day, and I must have been doing stuff wrong, because my back was killing me half the ride. I think I would up perching like an -in-heat bird rather than just gently tilting forward. Let’s not even talk about my leg today.

Maybe I should change the thread title back to illusive rather than elusive, because at this point it seems like my body doesn’t this this position exists!

Trainer comes back from Katy this week, and I’m going to try to squeeze in a lesson before I head on a little mini vacation. Hoping to talk to her about my struggles. It’s so hard working with a horse that needs a lot of work, and a rider that needs a lot of work.

[Carol_Ames]

Kudos to all drivers who got horses out of NYC the other night; with Pope Francis, the redskins and the horse show that night.; I’m sure it was not easy negotiating the streets of NYC that night; ?Thank you!

[misssarahannie]

Main thing I noticed was leaning with your inside shoulder and collapsing your inside hip. Your horse is adorable though.

[boosma47]

Belmont, sorry your ride was unsatisfactory! So frustrating when we try to make it good and it is worse! That said, it is often the trying really hard that gets in the way of a good ride, because we tend to push ourselves at the horse and stop feel ing the horse. Often, less is more.
You mention tilting forward, and this kinda points to what might be happening, or not. Ultimately, the horse’s forward motion is what inclines the rider’s body forward, not a conscious determination to lean forward by the rider. Those soft flowing open hips I mentioned in my previous post allow the horse to move the rider along with him. Then the two are really moving as one, as we should all aspire to.
Think of it another way…we humans are control freaks to one degree or another, horses are the power, the movement, the brilliance. We, being the brains, need to let go enough to allow the horse to do what we are asking, by being flexible and soft. Otherwise, we get in the way.

[BigBlackDog]

I’m sorry you had a rough go of it! We’ve all been there but try not to beat yourself up too much! I can’t really tell you how to ride your horse, but I do relate to the stiff hips, tilting shoulders, and collapsing core.
One thing I do during my warm ups to get my body straight and tall is riding with one or no hands, with no hands just at the walk. I raise my arms straight up above my head and stretch really tall. This draws my body upright and puts my shoulder in the proper position, even after I have dropped my arms. At the trot and canter, I ride with one hand, usually my inside hand, on my hip. I don’t know why, but it encourages my back to relax and creates a soft hollow in the small of my back as well as creating a looseness in my hips. My trainer has us do this from time to time on the flat or through a gymnastic.
It’s a simple warmup that doesn’t interfere and if you do it wrong at first, I doubt the results will be disastrous and it’s sooooo relaxing. Here’s to hoping you next ride is one that makes you happy!

[phoenixrises]

[QUOTE=Belmont;8333031]
MVP, thank you! You are extremely helpful. I think are correct about me on all your points, especially the rolling to the right. I get yelled about that often, but I just can’t seem to straighten up. I am hacking him today, so I will try to do some of the two point and sit the cater, along with other exercises you all have given me.[/QUOTE]

Can I suggest you work on this off the horse. Pilates and yoga have been a GREAT help to me, not only building up my core strength, but helping me learn how to move my body independently and realize when I am not in alignment.

[Belmont]

[QUOTE=phoenixrises;8334929]
Can I suggest you work on this off the horse. Pilates and yoga have been a GREAT help to me, not only building up my core strength, but helping me learn how to move my body independently and realize when I am not in alignment.[/QUOTE]

Are there any good home DVDs or books that I could read? I had to cancel my previous workout class due to time constraints. My schedule just never lined up with theirs. However, I do have a regular gym. It’s just been a stretch to get there as well. I would be much easier if I could replace my 30 min nap with 30 mins of yoga or something at home before school.

I do have a balance board and exercise ball I mess with!

[Ambitious_Kate]

I haven’t read the other responses. If you don’t have your lower leg pulled back under you, you can’t get up and off your seat correctly. If you are sitting on your back pockets, your leg is out in front of you.

Either you are forcing your heels down and feet forward, or your saddle is making you ride in a chair seat. Either way, you won’t be able to get a nice, forward light seat until you can get your leg pulled back - way back it will feel like.

Good luck.

[Ambitious_Kate]

I read abou the rolling to the right, In my experience, when someone is doing this, their weight is much too much in their stirrups, with one stirrup weighted more than the other. If you have your weight and balance in the stirrups, it would explain why your legs are too far in front of you, also.

[Mac123]

Until you find the correct muscles to hold with, I think you’ll find this to be a difficult battle. The trick is that the body really must be soft and fluid feeling, with positive tension and alignment. If you try to hold yourself in place, you will only add to the tension, particularly on a sensitive horse.

I would highly recommend doing yoga or Qi Jong to find the idea of being centered, elongated, aligned and strong while simultaneously being soft. Thing of yourself as a dancer rather than a gymnast. Riding is about feel - raw power and strength often works against us.

What I see in your riding is that you are too strong in the wrong places, and all the tension in the wrong places is causing you to give in the wrong places. The core and back should be strong, whereas yours give. The hips and ankles should be soft so that the leg can cling, but yours are tight.

I would first work on just relaxing, feeling, riding, softening, get a bit messy, let that leg soften up, and then as you’re doing that well, begin to start thinking about drawing the upper body up toward the sky, pushing the bottom back in saddle, so that the hip can softly fold.

A specific exercise for your upper body issue is to take a whip - a jumper bat works best - and tuck it into the front of your breeches so that at rest it taps your nose or chin (a short crop will not be as effective, or at least as motivating, and you won’t want it so long that it will poke your eyes out). When you are centered, aligned and have the correct muscles engaged, the whip will point forward and out over your horse’s ears. But when you give and collapse in the middle, it will come back and whap you in the face. You want to think about relaxing and simultaneously pushing the whip away from you. Try this on the ground first and then do it mounted. This is one of my favorites from Greg Best.

[Gumby80]

You look a bit jammed into your saddle, it looks like it might be a bit small for you given your short stirrups.

Also, pony is cute, but stiff behind and twisting as he canters, forcing you to absorb that motion through your back. Ouch.

I like the dog though

[phoenixrises]

[QUOTE=Belmont;8337092]
Are there any good home DVDs or books that I could read? I had to cancel my previous workout class due to time constraints. My schedule just never lined up with theirs. However, I do have a regular gym. It’s just been a stretch to get there as well. I would be much easier if I could replace my 30 min nap with 30 mins of yoga or something at home before school.

I do have a balance board and exercise ball I mess with![/QUOTE]

I use the exercise program PIYO mostly, which does mean I’m missing the hands on that a teacher might help more with, but I’ve still noticed a huge different. The Pigeon yoga move is particularly good for hip flexors!