What a helpful thread! I was just about to post a similar thread because my position is also… ahem, questionable for the same reasons. Now I have something to work on!
Gorgeous horse, by the way!
Oh wow, thanks for keeping the suggestions coming!
I visited a chiropractor who told me that my left hip is tilted forward pretty significantly. So everyone who said it looked like I was riding on my crotch was on the money. I’ll be concentrating on stretches and exercise that will help fix the anterior pelvic tilt.
I’ve also had the opportunity to ride in some larger saddles, and dang, my saddle does feel too small now that I’ve had the chance to ride with some breathing room. Ugh, I reeallllly don’t want to hunt for a new saddle—it took me months to find that one! At least it fits my horse just fine and fits me well enough in the meantime.
As for my hand, it usually doesn’t drift out quite that far, though I’m still working on getting pony and myself to a place where I can keep it in one place while she works compltely off my legs. As it is now, I still have to check and balance her pretty frequently. One day!
Drop your stirrups, probably more than one hole. Where do feet fall if not in the stirrups? You want a long leg, but your’s looks cranked too high in photos. Knée is too bent, not straight. Could be pushing you out of position at times.
Longer leg might help open the hips, knee while not making feet go too forward. Those higher cantle saddles do restrict how pelvis can move while riding. I find high cantle requires a bigger seat size to allow that easy pelvis movement, changes in sitting position while riding.
