When you ride in a forward position do you feel like you are falling forward? Does your horse speed up or slow down? Does your horse have trouble going up hill? Does he stop at a cross-rail or log on the ground when you attempt to take your weight off his back? The answer may be that you are not folding at your hips when you incline your body forward into your light or jumping seat. Here’s a quick tip to improve your balance and your horse’s performance when you are forward in the saddle.
Murdoch Minutes
Murdoch Minute No. 17 Shorten your reins without pulling on your horse’s mouth
Do you ever find yourself scrambling to shorten your reins? Does your horse throw his head up as a result? Do you pitch forward when you shorten the reins? Or maybe the only way you know how to shorten them is what I call the ‘creepy crawly’ method. Here is a three-step process to shortening your reins quickly, efficiently and without pulling on your horse’s mouth.
Murdoch Minute No. 18 Level your stirrups for a solid foundation
Do your feet curl in the stirrups? Do you have trouble keeping them flat on the stirrup tread? Do you feel unstable through your legs and feet? Do you have ankle and foot pain during or after your ride? Does your boot jam against the outside branch of the stirrup in an attempt to find support? Whether you ride Western or English, the answer to these problems may be your saddle or your conformation. Here’s a quick tip on how to check if either of these are the cause of your foot issues and what you can do solve it.
Murdoch Minute No. 19: Find your hips for a solid forward position
Do your hips feel stiff? Do you have difficulty folding at the hips when in light seat or two-point? Do you have trouble absorbing the motion at the sitting trot? Whether you ride western or English having the ability to move at hips (not the waist) is important to an effective seat and a solid position. Here’s a quick tip you can do off and on your horse to improve your awareness of your hips.
Murdoch Minute No. 01: Your Wrist Connection
Do you have trouble keeping you shoulders back or staying in balance when working on the flat? Have you had trouble keeping your position when you jump? Do you use a crest release (hands on the horse’s neck) and yet still pitch forward on landing? Here’s a quick tip to improve your hand position and overall balance which you can practice while working in the arena or over fences.
Comparable Parts – You are more like your horse than you think!
Did you know that the horse is human skeleton is actually quite similar? Well it is. Yes, there are some major differences; the size of horse’s bones are much larger than yours, the proportions are different and we each have a few that are unique. But overall our skeleton and the horse’s skeleton are a […]
