Monday, June 24, 2013

Lesson #36: Confidence Reality Check

Sunday's weather is sweltering... even early in the morning. I intended to head into the city to go to the Toronto Islands for the 2013 Toronto International Dragon Boat Race Festival and visit friends who are racing this weekend after my lesson but I'll get to that later. The drive in is always great early Sunday mornings. As usual, the weather is clear and the traffic is equally obliging.

I've got a private lesson today because nobody else is scheduled to be in so it's just me, Nikki and Lenka. After the lesson on Friday, and knowing that I'm going to be riding Nikki, I ask Lenka if I can work on my seat for this lesson. Since it's a private, it's going to be only about 30 minutes so I need to focus and keep at it. Lenka has me working on the transitions of canter to walk or trot. Lots of seated trot and transitions. The frustrating thing is that I haven't had to grab onto the saddle to keep balance in several lessons now. But, this little Connemara X always manages to put me back in my place and tell me that I know squat. This isn't a bad thing... it's just... frustrating.

Lenka asks me if I have some issues with my lower back and I tell her that I've been told it's tight and that I have some soreness sometimes. She tells me that my back is interfering with the riding because when I do manage to get into a canter, my back is just not absorbing the movement so I'm bouncing around and that's why I feel so discombobulated. In addition (or perhaps as a result of?), my weight is not in my heels and I tend to draw my leg up until I lose the stirrup. So, I work on trying to keep my weight down in my heels and back a bit and also the loosening up of the hips. She tells me that the aim is: contact with my lower leg and inner thigh (not the back of the thigh), weight into my heels, loose hips and firm upper body. I know. I had the same reaction.

But, I do know that when those things come together, everything is where it is supposed to be. I just need to work more at it so that it comes together broadly and not only on the horses that I haven't had any issues with. Which only means... lots more unpleasant and frustrating lessons where I'm bouncing about and taken a few steps back.

6 comments:

  1. back problems are very common with hunter jumper riders! and the saddle definately makes a difference. i found some stretches I do before riding. I also get sheri to stretch me when Im on my horse! :) you should try it. I'll send you the link to the stretches! <3

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    1. lol. i think in my case, it's a common problem with desk jockeys :P
      thanks! :)

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  2. taking it slowly to do it right is better than not doing it right at all!

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    1. yes but it feels like a crawling pace some days :( but i will persist! this mare will be my bestie before we know it!

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  3. As a fellow desk jockey, I can totally relate to this problem. From what I understand, sitting leads to tight/short hip flexors and can lead to back pain. But it also prevents mobility in the hips, which is what is needed to be able to absorb the motion of the canter which could be why you are sometimes finding yourself bracing or bouncing. Once you brace, heels come up and legs fall backwards which causes even more imbalance and more bracing. The story of my riding life, basically! ;-)

    I second the suggestion re: stretching hips/hamstrings before lessons and a few times a week if possible. I wish I had listened to my instructor and started doing this ages ago. But either way, I think it is also something you will find easier and easier with enough hours of practice. I have definitely experienced some "aha moments" with my canter seat recently seemingly out of nowhere. Good luck!

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    1. ah, i see. i didn't know that! looks like lots of warrior poses in yoga would help with this situation. i'll be sure to incorporate more stretching during the week, even if it is for a few minutes. like when i find myself in the bathroom alone, at work, i can fit in a hip flexor stretch!

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