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Re: [RC] Crooked riding - Jim Hollandrides2far@xxxxxxxx wrote: I need some suggestions for helping my daughter ride better. Ieven sweat pattern EXCEPT> round dry spot on the left wither. Looksto me like she's putting > moreweight on the right foot than the left. It sometimes helps for me to hold my reins in both hands instead of one. If she can be conscious of that left side closing up on her and lower that hip it may help. If anyone else has any advice for *me* in this area I welcome it! Angie The "Centered Riding" books identify the problem, but are not "distance" oriented....and I found the "suggestions", while probably appropriate for practicing in a ring or arena, didn't really help me much. When I first started riding distance, it seemed that my right food would always "go to sleep" and I seemed to be riding with more weight on the right. After fiddling around with why it occurred and looking for ways to "fix" it, I discovered that, being strongly right handed, I always held the reins loosely in my right hand during all that LSD trotting on a loose rein. When going up hills, I tended to "grab mane" with my left hand. This created a twist in my upper body, resulting in more weight on my right foot. Over time, it also affected the strength of my leg and back muscles, making it harder to correct. Over time, I have trained myself to ride with both hands as Angie suggested, and/or to alternate my "rein hand" and to use BOTH hands on the mane when climbing....but I still have lapses when I don't concentrate, especially when tired. It's kind of a subtle thing that sneaks up on you. Here's the thing that helped me most: Teach your horse to sidepass while stopped and practice it often. If you are "leaning", you will find that it's harder to sidepass one way than the other. Then, anytime you're riding on a road that's wide enough, move your horse from one side of the road to the other using only leg pressure and weight shifts while holding a rein in each hand in your lap. Steer around mud puddles nand rocks or any other thing on the ground. This "exercise" will make you concentrate. When you can do it comfortably with the same amount of pressure/weight shifts from either side, you're riding centered. As an added benefit of teaching this to your horse and practicing it constantly, you will be amazed at how fast you can negotiate single track thru the trees...just like riding a bicycle and no more knee knocks! <grin> Jim, Sun of Dimanche+, and Mahada Magic =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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