Search results matching tag 'riding tips'

Greg Best Clinic

kingsenglish — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Someone told me that there's a Greg Best clinic taking place the first weekend of September in Westlake, TX. I can't find anything to confirm it. It's supposed to be at a barn called Silver Oaks. I've searched the Web using that barn's name, but nothing comes up. I've tried to search for Greg Best clinics, but haven't had any luck. Can anybody send me a link or any information about the clinic? I'm interested in auditing it.

Thanks.

riding

G.M. — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

hey.

whenever i ride, the stirrup always falls to the back of my foot, then my instructor always makes me put my stirrups up very high to stop it from sliding?

does anyone have any tips on how to keep the stirrup at the ball of my foot and my heel down?

thanks.

Re: How can I improve my jumping position

eqstrn — Tue, 26 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

You've gotten a lot of really great suggestions so far! My first recommendation would be to work without stirrups on the flat at all three gaits. When you can post (no, it won't be pretty) for a whole minute or so, you'll have tons of the right muscles and balance to help keep you secure during your horse's more green moments.

Once you're comfortable without stirrups, try trot cavaletti both with and without stirrups. If possible, don't just put poles on the ground, as they can get spun around by a hoof, or get stepped on. Something a few inches off the ground would be plenty. Start with just one or two poles until your horse gets the idea that he should just trot through rather than jumping the whole lot of them! Add poles as he gets comfortable; probably not much more than 4 or 5. Don't overdo them, because they're very tiring for the horse.

THEN... Once you're comfortable with all this fun stuff, try going through canter-length cavaletti. The really fun part is putting a crop (slim and bendy if possible) under your seatbones and then go through the canter cavaletti, keeping the crop underneath you the whole time. After all this, you'll be very well attached to your horse, with legs as tight as a tick, and so well balanced that everything will be easier.

Good luck!

How to fix the 'hand rider' ??

Leita Lawrence — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 07:00:00 GMT

I have successfully coached hunter \ jumper for 25 years. I have a new student who used to galloped racehorses. He now wants to rider hunter \ jumper and some eventing. However, the way he rides seems to cause his horse to ride behind the bit. His horse pulls down on the flat and now jumps ahead of its shoulders... riding behind the bit to, over and after the fence. It is starting to get very dangerous!! I have tried to research this problem and I think it is caused by the rider balancing off his hands. I believe this may be a result of the riding style the rider used to gallop racehorses. The rider says it is because I want him to shorten his reins. When he rides with a longer rein, he gets left behind over the fence because he will not ride into a forward seat. This is the first time I have had to deal with a problem like this. I've checked the horse's bit and it fits well.

Does anyone have any ideas how to fix this ?

I would love to hear of any exercises that might work !!

Thank you.

Leita :-)

Light Seat

pw-rangers — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Last night at Power Ranger and I's lesson, another one of the riders at my stable hopped on Ranger to see if he could get him to canter completely around the (very large) arena. He was successful, and even tackled some of the jumps I wasn't able to get. He later explained that I ride too tensely, and am too heavy in the saddle for my horse, and said I need to have a 'light seat.' I know what a light seat is, and I have accomplished it before, but it's been difficult. Does anyone have any advice for making it easier? I can't seem to get it :/

Re: Strengthening My Leg

hriding — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Just today I came across your question and it happens to be my specialty to solve issues like yours. I am a PT and OMT II from Germany and do what - in my opinion - really is fun: giving riding lessons and integrating my professional knowledge and experience from working with (not only) professional athletes.

That said, I would like to give you both thumbs up for acknowledging that you have a problem. In most cases I hear the horse, the equipment or the trainer is the problem - the excuses are endless!!!

The answers you have gotten so far in this thread (and I did not read everything thoroughly) have been mostly on the right track.

The human body is very complex - you have muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, capsules, nerves, receptors and your central nervous system including your brain. This all needs to be able to function together as efficient as possible. The older you get the less adaptable your body becomes and sometimes bad stuff happens, like injuries and stress and your body starts compensating to deal with everyday situations. Eventually you don't even feel anymore that something is off or crooked. But when riding a horse symmetry and balance are absolutely necessary, it's fundamental. Then we need core strength, flexibility and coordination.

Hearing your story - typically - (your case might be different but I would need to diagnose you) I don't think your problem is not enough strength in you lower leg, since you do not even need it's muscles for riding (your calf muscles need to be well stretched and you need good proprioception in your ankle, but that's about it). You probably lack strength around your hip and spine (adductors, gluteus, inside rotators). Your hip flexor needs to be stretched and also your proprioceptors are in need to be trained. Also your better right side needs to be mobilized (made more flexible) because it took over a lot for your week side (compensating).

Then there is your spine that is eventually in need of some adjustment - mobilization and strengthening depending on the situation of the individual segment.

And last but not least your core strength needs to improve, not just through simple sit ups, this would be wrong, It's a little more complex and complicated so I am not even trying to explain a training program here.

So, you see, if there would be a golden recipe (a simple exercise) to fix a problem like yours, personal trainers and PT's would not be needed anymore.

The good news is that you don't have to go to a gym to train yourself for riding, you can do it easily at home. A good PT or personal trainer can customize an exercise program for you and your goals as long as they understand a little about that sport.

Other than that, I suggest a lot of seat exercises on the lunge line without stirrups and no reins concentrating on your weak left side not only in canter but also in trot and walk.

If you or your trainer need some help to understand certain connections feel free to contact me through my website www.HealthyRiding.com. I would love to help you!

How to get a horse to stand still while I mount

kingsenglish — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:00:00 GMT

The horse I ride has developed an annoying habit of moving when I try to mount. When I first get into the arena, I adjust my stirrups and tighten the girth and then walk over to the mounting block. Once I put the reins over his head, he will move forward or he'll move to the side - anywhere away from the block. I'll move the block and he'll move again. Tonight he even started to move backward to avoid the mounting block. I've tried to position him around the jumping standards so that he can't move away, but he's figured out how to get around them. He's starting to move right after I put the reins over his head. He used to do this last year, but then stopped for awhile. Now he's back to doing it. What can I do to get him to stand still so I can mount him?

Thanks.

Re: fear of jumping

bellamajor — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 07:00:00 GMT

It seems likeyou may have the same problem that I have. You sort of strive to meet the teachers expectations. Most teachers actually push you because they want to know when yo'll tell them you've had enough. Some others are jerks and will still push but thats another story.

I would simply explain to your coach privately that you don't feel confident in yourself enough to jump so high. Major, my lesson horse, is the laziest one in the barn. He can almost trot in place if you don't have a crop- until he sees a jump. He throws his weight into the bridle and surges forward. If I tell him to speed up just a bit hes off at a canter. If I slow him down he goes into that REALLY fast trot/steping walk. I always ask to trot over fences a bit before cantering over them because Major can get strong. Once he was going too fast, and when I tried to slow him we tripped. We were both fine but it left me a bit jarred.

Try not to freeze over jumps. I know I'm a jerk for saying so, but when you tense before take off the horse senses it. It will take his attention off of the jump and may cause him to trip. What my coach has us do is to sing a song. Trust me, you look really stupid, but it works. Or you could just laugh. Tell yourself a joke or something, what ever works for you. Trust your horse and yourself. Th hardest part about falling is only the ground. I've fallen about 3 times. Once when learning to canter (Major got strong again) and 2ce landing from a jump (Major tripped and Bella spooked). After falling I just don't seem to mind it anymore. I just hate the sore butt afterwards!

Tip for tat - sharing thread

JennyBristol — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 07:00:00 GMT

I thought is might be fun to have a thread where you can post one TOP RIDING TIP that you've discovered and also ask for help on one issue and see if we can't all learn from each other. Here is my starter for 10...

1) TIP: if your horse rushes his fences and if this makes you tense up or get tight, try jumping very small fences without stirrups. By taking your stirrups away, it is much harder to tense up, you will start to sit deeper in the saddle and have better 'feel' and control of your horse's rhythm making it more difficult for him to rush. Try also jumping with the reins in one hand when you get more confident.

2) HELP: years of reschooling naughty horses has taught me to sit well back on the canter transition anticipating a buck (!). However, it has now got to be a bit of a habit and I find it really difficult not to lean back a little as I ask for canter even when I try not to. If I do manage not to sit back, I somehow lose a bit of contact on the horse's mouth which encourages him/her to come above the bit and lose the outline. Any exercises to help?