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[RC] Shoes for the rider/ alternative - rides2farApril, I used to have lots of pain in my left foot riding Kaboot. Most rides were a battle so I had lots of tension. Now I ride Gunner who seemed to just be a rough ride. I have changed my way of riding lately, due to the fact that Gunner is NOT an easy horse to ride smoothly. I kinda knew though that it was "doable" and he could make me a better rider if I'd just find my spot. What helped me was Josie's dressage instructor saying, When you post forward, your bellybutton should arrive first. Then I carefully went over my old Sally Swift centered riding book and just started taking inventory. I remember meeting Mary Koefod once (I think she won the ROC 3 times and she was a dressage rider). She had me put my fingers under her foot when she posted to show me how little pressure was in her stirrups.. So, here I am now going down the trail. I have moved my feet farther back under my body (pretty short stirrup) it kinda feels like my heels are up but they're not so long as they're relaxed. When I post I go more FORWARD not up if you stay low but forward you *can* stay in the air long enough with a short enough stirrup. Bellybutton first. If you relax ankles, knees, hip joints it feels like there's no weight in the stirrups. Ask yourself often, do I feel the same amount of weight in both feet? Do I feel both seat bones equally? Sally Swift said to think of your lower half as filled with sand, the upper half with helium. These statements used to just go in one ear and out the other, but now I can feel a difference when I tense up. You breath deeply, from the diaphram, not lifting your chest. You relax your eyes and kinda look at everything at once (includes your peripheral vision not focusing hard on one item). Once I've gone through the "roll call" of all those things, I kinda start over and check them all off again. Surprisingly enough, I haven't gotten dumped when he throws in a slam on the brakes shy when I'm in my "Zen" mode. >g< No more pain in the feet by the way. Same stirrups, same shoes. The different position & posting also seems to have helped on rubbing. Sally Swift book gives more details on postiion. So long as I'm not walking a lot the short stirrups don't hurt my knees (and they're bad). I am definitely not the greatest equitation rider in endurance. Nothing but self taught stuff trying to get it for free from books and watching, but this has worked for me. P.S. I love riding Gunner now. He doesn't feel rough. Angie =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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