posting

Janet Evans (JEvans@linotype.co.uk)
Mon, 23 Dec 1996 18:24:56 +0000


Linda,

I've been guilty of all the posting problems going, and am only now
beginning to get the correct feel. My major break through came
after reading/completing a weeks course with Mary Wanless, that and
owning my youngster, he gives me such good feed back as to whether
I'm doing things right. If I start to lean forward, he runs
forward to try and keep under me, I get myself back where I should
be, he comes light and balanced. I've also had to improve,
otherwise I'm just tanked off with!!! A really good reason for
bucking up your ideas, when you've gotten away with riding badly on
a forgiving "old faithful", this comes as a shock!

As to the posting issue, what Mary Wanless says is to imagine a
long rod strapped along your thigh, it follows the angle of your
thigh, at the end of that rod is a 40lb weight pulling your leg
forward and down. Try and keep that image in your mind, it should
help to fix your leg, so that your weight is aloud to drop down
into your legs. This will allow you to rise from your knees, with
out having to move the leg below. That lower leg should be your
platform from which you are rising. When you stand up from a chair,
you don't push down into your feet to get up, you shouldn't have to
when posting. Its amazing how many ways there are for us all to
distort our bodies, so that you are doing what you believe you are
being told to do, but not achieving the feel which will make the
right things happen, good riders take this for granted as being
natural. The other image which may help is (now don't laugh guys!)
is to clench your buttock muscles, what happens? the muscle on the
top of your thigh tightens, and your abdomen is pushed forward.
Remember that angle, between the thigh and your abdomen, if you
keep that, it then puts you in the correct position to be able to
control your rise gently out of the saddle.

Have a go, see if this helps, I'm a bad rider who has been
searching for the right answers for many years, and am just
beginning to find some answers, glad to share anything I can.

Regards

Jan

Jan, or anyone on the list that may be able to help me, concerning
the above I'm guilty of. I have trouble with posting in that I
raise out of the saddle too high. I look like I'm being shot out
of a cannon. My horse isn't the smoothest to ride and I know it is
probably due to the way I ride but I would like to know first, if
saddles style can influence this and how I can develop a small
light rise to my post.
Can someone suggest some exerises that will help my or have advice
about what I may be doing wrong in the way I ride to cause high
posting. I ride centered with, I feel, good heel hip alignment. I
have an OF patriot but am riding now in a SS which I find I don't
rise quite as high in.
Guys, you can critize and say what ever about what I may be doing
wrong. I won't mind as I want to learn how better to improve my
riding. Linda

Here's lookin back atya.......()()
Linda Eisele & Sareei and ('')\
hubby, Allen and the General (* *)\\_______~~~~~~~
linda@ghostridr.reno.nv.us ( )
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