What type of saddle do you use!

Great exercise suggestions! My instructor also told me to stand on the edge of the stairs and let my heels drop over the stair, then raise myself up again. I've got lots of work to do. Glad it's winter so that I've got less distractions outside, and more time inside to practice.

I'm also thinking about getting one of those huge exercise balls so that I can balance on it and do leg exercises.

Those exercise balls are great! I had a few. One in the barn so I could torment the horses. It's terrible fun to kick it around the arena and let the horses free longe themselves. We also play horse ball with it, you push it with your horse and use jump standards as a goal post.

I'd love to get an Equi-Spirit ball for Fanny. There was an old small stall ball in the field and I started to kick it around. Fanny chased after it like a dog.

I would enjoy being in an environment where there were a bunch of people who could play horse soccer and other games.

Cyndi - check out these exercises:
http://www.easyvigour.net.nz/fitness/h_Free_Pilates_Exercises.htm
also the Essentials video here
http://www.videojug.com/tag/pilates

If you can get the idea of sitting tall and 'toned' (not tense) and in neutral alignment then it will help enormously. Some people have naturally good posture and with us - as with horses - sometimes there are 'conformation' issues! Also, we get into bad habits as time goes on, then our bodies start to 'set' in the wrong position and it takes physical effort to sit or stand right. Trying to do this while we are riding involves thought and effort, meanwhile there are lots of other things going on!

Once your upper body is aligned and toned and following the movement, really your legs can take care of themselves... I try to think SOFT from the hips downwards as the legs must be elastic and mobile - any gripping will block the horses movement. The masters say 'cling like a wet cloth'. Think of little springs in the knees and ankles. When posting, allow the horses movement to pop you forward and up rather than making an effort to rise.

I agree with Sydney that you can learn a hell of a lot on your own. Even when you have an instructor who is good enough to correct you in the right way (and not many know enough about anatomy, biomechanics and posture to help... ) the important thing is that you can FEEL when it is right - and you will and as I mentioned, the horse will tell you!

So I'd try:
- Some exercises at home to start retraining your muscles and get into good habits
- Have a look at some reading material - I'll post some below. Sometimes one particular instructors way of explaining things can ring a bell.
- Experiment on your own! If its safe to do so, try shutting your eyes when you ride. Switch off your legs from the hips downwards and feel your four legs walking along instead... it's a revelation.
- Do exercises on horseback - again if it's safe - do some upper body shoulder shrugs, circles, arms circles. Practice finding neutral spine in the saddle. Try 'pedalling' with your legs - lift the knees alternately in time with the walk (or trot if you are brave!) Feel the sit bones sinking deeper while the leg joints remain mobile.

Hope we aren't baffling you with too much information For me riding is a lifetimes work and I'm sure the others would agree... I'm always trying to improve and so are even the most brilliant horsepeople.

http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/ - useful E Book
http://www.mary-wanless.com/pysio.htm Ball exercises
http://www.mary-wanless.com/ Rider analysis and advice

I think this might merit a new thread you know ...

Thanks!

I know my posture needs work. Having low self-esteem all my life has made it hard for me to hold my head up rather than slouching and trying to disappear. I'm slowly making progress, thanks to my wonderful family and certainly Fanny, but posture still has a way to go.

I've seen a couple of those websites before, the Mary Wanless ones in particular. I think you may have suggested them to me one other time. I'll try to read what's on the other sites, but these days I barely have time to come check this forum.

It is a lot of info to take in and can be a bit overwhelming, but I'll "get it" eventually.

I'm really enjoying Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling's book. He's got a few simple exercises in there that look very helpful too. I don't know if I'll get to finish it before it has to go back to the library, so I hope my husband buys it for me for Christmas I still have a Kelly Marks book from the library that I have to browse too. Both the books are on loan from another library, so I can't have them as long as I normally would. I should've timed it better so that I got Kelly's book after I finished Klaus's.

A new thread for exercises? Go for it!!

This came in the weekly parelli e-mail

When you lose your balance in the rising
trot it's usually because your stomach muscles are loose and your back
is tight. If you use the Pushing Position it will quickly remedy this:
Place both your hands at the base of your horse's neck and as you go
into a trot begin your rising trot like this. As you come down into the
saddle, tuck your tail under you and push with your hands. This will
exert your abdominal muscles and round your back, and as you come down
into the saddle the effect will be a bit like a massage on your horse's
back (vs trying to avoid landing in the saddle). I would only trot like
this until you can use only one hand and still feel balanced. Then make
your hands lighter and lighter until pretty soon you don't need them
unless you lose your balance. And then soon you can sit up and
everything is fine. It might take a few weeks to get there because you
have to build your core muscles and learn the feeling of stabi lity so
your upper body doesn't flail around.

May make some more sense.

Yes, I got this too. I enjoy reading the question and answer part of their newsletter. When I saw what this lady was asking about, I certainly sympathized with her. I found it rather encouraging that this 50-year-old lady only recently decided to get into horses...and she's doing great!! Well...except for the balance thing, but she sounds like she's having a great time with her horse.

What Linda said seems a lot like what others in here have said, about moving with the horse and tucking my bum under me, but she adds the hands on the neck thing too.

I haven't seen Fanny in a week, because of our busy schedules. The demands of life are sometimes just too much for my liking Some people thrive on being busy, while I like things simple. I keep reading about how important it is to be well rested, focused and on top of things when you are with your horse, but if I don't know if I'll ever be like that. I'm sure that's where most of my training issues stem from. Sorry to vent. Just feeling really frustrated these days.

I don't think it's important how you feel when you go to see your horse. What is important is that you leave it all behind when you are with her. I find this really hard to do - Dancing, Kitty and I went out today and I should have been concentrating on my time with them, but I kept drifting off into shopping lists and 'phone calls I have to make. Although I HAVE stopped making 'phone calls while riding after someone pointed out it's rude to your horse, just like ignoring a friend who is with you and 'phoning someone else!

I have to totally agree. Some days I feel like garbage or really tired when I go out to see the horses. It's all better when I call Indigo's name and she neighs and comes wandering over to the gate and practically jams her head into the halter, always happy to see me no matter what I feel like or look like that day.

I dont tend to ride if I am really distracted - or feeling a bit stiff because I find that if I cant give Trelawny all my attention I am better off just taking him out for a walk - he really enjoys the ground work interaction anyway and its gives me a chance to chill out too!

Whew, what a relief! I do find that when life gets stressful, just being with Fanny makes me feel so much better.

I finally got to see Fanny this afternoon. After eight days, she remembered me!! She is such a doll, I just love her to pieces.

By the way, my husband came with me to riding lessons today, and when he saw my instructor, he said, "Wow, he does look like Matt Damon!". I'll get a pic of him for you yet, but probably not till June, so you'll have to keep waiting.

Okay, okay, my DENTIST looks like George Clooney, but my dentist is better looking, so nyah, nyah (except I only get to see him once every six months...)

FlorayG wrote:Okay, okay, my DENTIST looks like George Clooney, but my dentist is better looking, so nyah, nyah (except I only get to see him once every six months...)

^^ haha you should check if he's single or not

I have a very beautiful Hilason treeless saddle. Its really comfortable. The leather is strong and durable. i went through 6 other types of saddles before i finally stumbled across Hilason saddles and fell inlove with them I couldnt believe how many variety of saddles they have and for such a low price. I only buy hilasons now.

I'd start eating more sweets Florayg

Hi Burt13 - welcome to the forum - pop onto the intro pages and tell us about yourself if you can

George Clooney, eh? I think I have a cavity

I've really been enjoying reading everyone's advice in here as well as in the other topics. There is such a wealth of knowledge in this group, I never grow weary of reading the posts!

Hi BUrt 13 you must be in the US. I nearly bought and imported a Hilason 2 years ago, then discovered the dollar exchange rate was so good at the time I could easily afford a Bob Marshall so I got one of those instead - yes both these are great saddles, much better fitting than any other treeless I've seen
the exchange rate was so good, the Bob Marshall was cheaper than a UK saddle would have been (or would have been, if I hadn't gone for all the showoff tooling)

I've got a Hilason pad and it's great. Same as you Florayg, I found even with the shipping to UK it was cheaper than anything I could get here.

They are doing 10% off now until 21st Dec if you spend more than $100. Also free shipping, but I imagine that's probably only in the US. Shame the exchange rate is so dire now

besides their pretty saddles, i love their jackets on their website! has anyone seen them? they are gorgeous. ever since i've discovered all the things they sell, i've gone crazy buying things from them just recently i both cow hide rugs from them

Boho, I was just rereading the posts on what pads people are using with their Barefoot saddles, and noticed that you are using the Hilason memory foam one. Are you still happy with it? What are your horse's withers like?

Fanny has no withers, so slippage is an issue...or can be an issue. I currently have a Grandeur physio pad, but the "attachment" for the inserts that is under the smooth pad is leaving a mark on her, where the edge 'cuts' into her. I don't think she's terribly comfortable with that. To me it's like having a bra with extra padding in the band, but a seam in there that digs into me.

I checked out the Hilason pads just now, and they do look interesting. I like that they breathe, and they are 'sticky' all over...with no seams in there! The air-filled ones are neat, but probably out of my price range. Do you suppose that a Hilason would give enough spinal clearance for my non-withered horse?

Cyndi, if you are having trouble with slippage and worried about spine clearance try using reinsman's tacky too padshttp://store.reinsman.com/products/pads . They are wonderful and offer great spine clearance. I always have a big dry patch all the way down my horses back from the airflow that goes there. I have harness pads made out of the same thing, only they are a different brand. Wonderful material.

Hi Sydney!

I remember you mentioning that pad before. It doesn't cover the whole underside of the saddle, does it? My 'problem' is that the attachment to my pad cuts into Fanny, so I'm wanting to try a different pad that is totally smooth underneath.

No not the whole thing, it depends on the pad you have to look at them but they are generally like this http://www.kyhorse.com/store/tack/pads/tackytoo.jpg

I use treeless saddles.

I have a couple of tackytoo pads and they are really nice pads. Made of inch thick wool felt which is really good for shock absorption.

I ride in an older universal Kieffer saddle (English) with a sheepskin pad.

I am thinking about treeless saddle, but I would actually prefer a hybrid - something with either a partial tree or flexible tree, because the treeless saddles have their weight range for the rider at about 65-70kg, and since I'm exactly at that range, I'm really doubting the treeless.