Re: Up Hill or Down

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/11/00 1:02:46 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
hn.heather@wanadoo.fr writes:

<< When I go downhill at speed (with my eyes closed!) I don't lean forward but
 I don't sit down either, I just balance in my stirrups.  If I feel I need
 help balancing then I use one hand to hold onto the cantle of my saddle.
 It seems to work for me but perhaps its all wrong. >>

As long as you are balanced, at least you are not hindering.  But the reason 
for sitting down and deep is to be able to use your seat and legs to help 
drive the rear legs further underneath the horse, hence helping him to 
balance better.  You don't really change whether your weight is forward or 
back by standing or sitting--only by moving yourself forward or back of 
vertical.  But if you are down, you are less "top-heavy" and more able to 
assist the horse.  A horse whose rear end is properly engaged is quite smooth 
to ride at the trot downhill (another reason why it isn't logical that 
concussion is a big deal here) so you can easily sit the trot without banging 
the horse's back.

Heidi


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=