This is good advice. It's almost impossible
to post effectively on hilly terrain, especially if the "hilly
terrain" is winding and single track. Trying to do so unbalances
your horse...and you... from the movement. You have
to learn to ride with your calves, knees, and thighs.
However, when you "two point", try to keep your feet under you and your body
position basically the same from the waist down.
When you go uphill, bend at the waist, grab a handful of
mane close to the neck, grip with your knees and thighs, and try to stay
centered. You can use the horse's neck to steady your position. Don't push
your feet back toward the horse's hips.
When you trot downhill, lean back slightly at the
waist, grip with your knees and thighs and again try to keep your feet under
you. Don't let your butt "bounce" on the saddle...it's a sure recipe for sore
loins.
Over the years, I have found that deep seat saddles with knee
rolls or thigh pads work best on downhills. It helps to teach your horse
early on to automatically slow his trot and get his hind quarters up
under him on downhills...AND to work on a slack rein. Pulling on his head
affects his balance and yours. Teaching a soft one rein "slow down"
cue helps a lot.
There is very little flat here in the North Georgia
Mountains. When people who live in flat country come up to ride with
me, as long as we walk, all is well. However, when we move out at
speed on the hilly terrain here for several hours, their horse usually has a
sore back by the end of the day because the riders have no experience
riding "two point" and their horses have not learned body control
on downhills.
Saddle fit becomes more important on technical rides. It
not only should fit the horse, but YOU must be comfortable. The horse's
back, the saddle, and your lower body must be as one. If you and
the saddle are moving around, it increases fatigue, reduces balance,
and can result in sore loins or withers.
Posting when you get a flat section is good because it gives
your legs a break and a chance to work the muscles in your calves and
thighs. Forget about posting on an Arabian at a full extended trot.....he
just "floats"! <grin>
Getting off and walking or running for 5 minutes every hour
will restore circulation to your feet.
It's good practice to train and attend rides in all kinds of
terrain; deep sand, hard packed dirt, and mountain
trails. It will help your horse...and
you.
*It is better for the horse if you do not
post over rough, uneven, ground and *twisting trails. The
horse must compensate for the uneven footing so he *should not have to
also figure in your changing weight distribution as
you *post. When the surface is rapidly changing just stay
quietly "over" the *center of balance. "Standing" or "two point",
whatever you want to call it. *By all means post if you like when the
fooing is better, but be sure to *change diagonals often.
*And as
Ed says, practice practice practice
Yoohoo, this is some of the best information I've seen on
ride camp in a while. Learning about how to better ride your horse
instead of the "a-hum" subject that has been raging for the past ?????????
months.
