Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I hear you!  I've ridden for several decades :) but yesterdays dressage lesson was in trying to learn how to sit the canter so that I didn't smack my horses' back.   I was so proud of Caisson - my instructor said that she usually doesn't try to "fix" this in a regular lesson, but rather on the lunge with a trained lesson horse.  Still, Caisson did a pretty good imitation.  He stayed on the circle and in a fairly even tempo - never trying to rush off - so I was able to really concentrate on following directions.  Sigh - all these years, and I still have basic problems.

On Nov 17, 2008, at 11:08 AM, Ann Blankenship wrote:

<snip> And I would have to respectively disagree with you.  If the rider is out of balance, not centered and not comfortable, the horse cannot move correctly.  Fit and comfort for both horse and rider are equally important, IMHOs

 

And I would take this one step further by saying that you can have the perfect saddle that fits both you and your horse… but if you don’t sit correctly, the horse cannot move correctly and his back (and actually his whole body) will suffer.  I am FAR from a perfect rider... really, really far, and I know I interfere with my horse’s ability to do her best.  I’m trying to fix that a little bit by taking dressage lessons and am finding out that, after 60 years of riding, I have a LOT to learn.  What a challenge!

 

ann