I'm very conscious of my bad position and the stiffness that makes it hard to correct. So for the last few days I've been doing everything that I can to stretch my hips and thighs while not riding. I'm trying to do these stretches as often as possible.
Also on my position I've been pondering saddles. I've got an Isabel Werth wintec with set back stirrup bars that I thought might help me sit straighter. It still fitted Xaile so I rode in it today. It definitely helped. It made it me realise quite how stiff my hips are - it let my legs hang more underneath me which made me realise that I'm perching at bit because I can't open my hips as well as I might to sit deep, I think in need to learn to do the splits!
As I'm a bit to big, especially too tall for Xaile I find myself drawing my leg up to use my spur so I dug out a longer pair of spurs which made it easier to use them without having to move my legs. Pleased with that idea.
It was a lot easier to get him to soften on the circles in walk today - the work we did on Thursday obviously paid off. So we tried it in trot. If it didn't work it was generally because I was either too strong with my right hand or losing the contact in my left. The spurs and the saddle made it much easier for my to keep my inside leg on.
As he was going well I decided to try a canter too. I remembered to allow him to move forwards into the transition and he didn't leap. Yay!!!! The canter was a bit stiff, partly because I was a little unsure of my position in the new saddle and partly because I was so pleased with the transition that I abandoned him slightly. On the second attempt the transition wasn't so good but the canter was much better. Third time lucky and I got the balance between forwards and keeping the contact much better and it worked well. The downwards transitions are improving and I've found that a small circle as soo as we trot helps. I might try a small circle in canter before the downwards transition too.
Very pleased all round.
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i've had an issue with my right hip since that fall ..... i found, weirdly, that the following winter, having to climb the gate to get into the yard (there before YO in the morning!) helped hugely .... - mind, i expect i get more stretch out of that than you would as my legs are a lot shorter, LOL. ... also, swimming, and "bar exercises" (done in swimming pool!) lift leg up to side so you can get heel on side of pool
ReplyDeleteYes. I hadn't thought about barre type exercises. Obviously much needed. Thanks.
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