Re: riding position

["Dave & Abby Bloxsom" <cyclone@snet.net>]

> I doubt I have
> the greatest ring riding position in the world either.

Marlene -
Sorry this took me so long to get together for you.  By the looks of the
picture, I'd say your position is pretty good.  I do have a suggestion
though, based on the fact that it looks like you're sitting a bit more on
your crotch than I like to see:

> although I'm still working on keeping
> my legs back.

> My right stirrup is slightly
> longer than my left

> I know my
> right leg is slightly further forward and swings a little.  But my
stirrups
> are the correct length for me within the range of these leathers -

> So is there anything I can change about going downhill that could
> help?

> I am putting weight on my feet and am slightly up in the saddle, just
> enough to let the horse go side to side beneath me.
>
> I'm
> really getting myself sore in the crotch.

>I'm trying to be aware and keep
> my pelvis tilted back so I'm on my butt bones better, but I just can't
seem
> to stay in that position.

I'll go from bottom to top on this:
1)  if your body won't do what you want it to, then the problem isn't where
you think it is - usually the problem is *closer to the center of your body*
than you thought
2) I recommend not being on your "butt bones" but more on the squishy part
of your seat.  You can get this to stay put better if you use your gluteal
muscles - the muscles under the seat bones that run from your seat to the
back of your thigh (if you put your fingertip on your butt bone and contract
the muscle you can sort of cover up the bone).  This also points your knee
more into the ground below your seat instead of out in front of you.
3) if you can master control over this part of your seat it will lift your
whole pelvis a bit off the saddle, forward over your knee more, and
simultaneously reduce the amount of weight you carry on your feet (see my
previous post about weight ratios for more on this).  You can also, at this
point, bring your center of gravity back by not leaning as far forward, and
get yourself more centered over your stirrups and less over your knees.
4) going downhill, this will bring your lower leg more back underneath you
so you don't have to brace against your feet so much, relieving some of the
concussion on your knees.
5) unless your right leg is ACTUALLY longer than your left, your stirrups
should be the same length.  Your right leg probably goes forward and swings
(especially at the canter?) more because your pelvis is rotated so that you
face ever so slightly to the left ... I'm guessing here, since I couldn't
see well from the pic, but that's what I usually find.  I'm also guessing
that your right seatbone doesn't make as good contact with the saddle as
your left one.  Bringing that twist back into alignment so that your pelvis
is more symmetrical usually takes care of the asymmetry in the legs.  BUT
you can't do that if your stirrups aren't the same length, you have to even
them up first.

Since you mentioned an old lopsidedness problem, it's possible that you
don't have it completely straight yet.

Have fun!
-Abby Bloxsom