Monday, February 25, 2008

and more


2 comments:

Jean said...

Don't beat yourself up. There is a lot of good stuff going on here. For one, you are sitting up nice and tall. The left stirrup looks longer than the right, but that might be because your right leg tends to drift back. I suspect that your right hip is back as well, making your right side shorter than your left.

If Molly is difficult on the right rein, your position is contributing. As well, her stiffness is probably helping cause yours, so since you are the one with the brain about this, you need to get yourself straight.

This is a case of consciously pushing your right heel down and forward and "dropping" your knee on the right side. You can also think of stepping down into the right stirrup, especially when you are going to the right. This is tricky as Molly will want to "throw" you back to your left seat bone, but you need to do the opposite. Make your thigh long (drop the knee) and sit into the right. You will find, with some work, that Molly will eventually round around your right leg.

For some reason, my right leg wants to do the same thing, so I am very concious of this. Fortunately, for me, when my leg goes, my seat doesn't so most of the time it doesn't effect my horse too much. Still, it's a bad habit as the lower leg really does anchor your seat.

The puffy jacket and lighter color on top are giving the illusion of larger size you talk about. You could drop your stirrups a hole, but if that makes you feel the least less secure, don't do it. You do not need to be struggling to keep yourself in the saddle. Better to work with a shorter, more secure leg than end up flopping all over trying to stay balanced.

I like too that even though your eyes are down looking at Molly, you have not dropped your head. That allows you to use your back much more effectively.

And, I can already see that Molly is starting to think "round" herself! Good job! You are on your way to success at last.

Claire said...

kind, Jean -

odd about the right/left thing. generally speaking, i feel as though I'm not putting the weight i should in the left foot (because of it being broken) but at the same time, it is true, i have always had a problem with my right leg. at the same time, it's the right seat bone i feel most of the time and the left i have to find, so you're right, i do have a balance issue myself!


I wonder also if I need to be a shade further forward in the saddle and change the position of the knee blocks...