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Ahhhh progress and some posting drills

2K views 14 replies 8 participants last post by  Jan1975 
#1 ·
I started riding English/hunt seat at the end of last summer/early fall. Even though I rode 25 years ago as a kid, the trotting/posting was SO hard for me! First I couldn't get the rhythm just right and ended up with an extra bounce, then I struggled a LOT with my leg position and keeping my legs underneath me instead of forward. And controlling the horse's position throughout this? Forget it.

I'm not sure what happened, but all of the sudden, something "clicked" and I started doing a lot better a few months ago. I'm not saying I'm good, because I'm not, but I've hit a point where I feel like maybe I CAN do this after all and I'm making progress.

For example, when my instructor used to ask me to post with one stirrup, it was SO hard. I kept working at it, and while it's never been easy, I can do it without looking like a wounded chicken. Same with stirrupless posting. The first time, I did not see how that would ever be possible to do. I've even learned to post without stirrups without gripping with my knees. The first few times, I had no idea how one would avoid doing that, but something just clicked.

I'm not posting this to say that I'm an amazing rider, because I'm sooooo not. I have so much work to do. I'm posting for other newbie English riders, especially older "born-again" riders, who feel frustrated. I spent a good 6 months of frustration and feeling bad at riding before I started to feel like I might just be moving in the right direction. I still feel like a crappy rider, but now I'd label myself as a crappy rider w/ potential. :lol:

Also, if your instructor isn't asking you to try one-stirrup posting, it REALLY helped me improve. At first, I would just do three beats without a stirrup and then pick it back up (posting the whole time). Now, I'm up to 1 lap of the arena or more w/ one stirrup. I have a regular "exercise" now that I practice on my own of 1 lap w/ 1 stirrup, 1 lap w/ the other stirrup, 1 lap w/ no stirrups, 1 lap sit trotting, and then 1 lap regular posting (which feels so easy after that other stuff). When you do the 1-stirrup drills, it's important to make sure your body stays straight and you aren't leaning to the side w/ the stirrup.

Happy posting! :)
 
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#2 ·
Congrats! Isn't it so nice when a concept you've struggled with suddenly becomes clear?
I haven't heard of too many other folks who have been asked to ride with one stirrup. A clinician once had me do so because I get crooked in the hips, and lowering or dropping my right stirrup straightens me out. It feels so weird at first, but it is a very good exercise. You never know when you'll lose an iron in the middle of a class. Can't stop to reach down and grab it, so best to practice carrying on as if nothing happened.
 
#6 ·
Yes! I remember feeling so frustrated at times, thinking, "I'll never be able to do this!" hence my elation that I ended up being able to.

Our instructor is really, really good. We completely stumbled across her by accident and with out researching...we got lucky. Plus, she's really funny and really nice!
 
#7 ·
I've never heard of the one stirrup approach. @Jan1975, is your trainer's rationale similar to @karliejaye, asking you to ride like this to deal with crookedness? I'm a crooked mess (I was actually riding with my stirrups one hole different for a long time) and it's probably no surprise that my mare and I share a weak side (the right). I wonder what this would do to us...
 
#8 ·
Awesome! As you know, I'm going through an almost identical experience. The first time my coach told me to drop a stirrup and keep posting I was like "WHAAAAAAAAt?" Can't say I'm great at it, but definitely better. And the last two lessons, my coach has told me she doesn't know what I've been doing, but my leg position is much, much better than before. I keep telling her I didn't do anything - have barely had time to ride with everything that's been going on! But as you said, at one point, something just kind of clicked. Maybe it was that 3 hour trail ride on the spooky green horse that was supposed to be beginner friendly. Maybe it was the 6 other horses I test-rode when we were shopping for our second. I don't know... but now I just get on the horse and everything naturally falls where it should. I don't have to think about it as much as before. I don't feel like I'm going to fall over to the side like a cartoon when I drop a stirrup and keep posting or that I will bounce right off on the stirrupless trot.

Yay for progress!
 
#10 ·
Riding different horses definitely helps a ton! For awhile there I was switching lesson horses quite often, and I did our boot camp class on a lesson horse since my son rode Gatsby. I learn something new w/ every different horse I ride.

If my trainer had taken a video of me posting w/ one stirrup for the first time, I would have paid good $ to avoid having anyone see that. :rofl: She actually got out the lunge line and lunged the horse while I did it, like they do with the itty-bitty kid lessons! :rofl:
 
#11 ·
Congratulations! There's nothing quite like receiving positive feedback <3

I'm curious, though (respectfully so!) about what you said in post #9.
If that's their reasoning, why not take away your stirrups entirely?
I've never heard of dropping just one stirrup either.
 
#12 ·
egrogan - like Jan said, I think some do it to help you develop balance and encourage you to use your core rather than the stirrups. We do it on both sides too, then we post without any stirrups. The idea is to really work your core muscles on both sides and ideally, you don't tip over when you drop a stirrup. Not an easy thing to do! Because if you push with your foot that is still in the stirrup, it's even worse since it does make you tip over. So you have to rise and fall without using your stirrups as leverage. As Jan pointed out, after you do this a few times, regular posting is the easiest thing in the world! I remember finding it hard to post for more than one lap around, but now I feel like I could post forever. Or I did... until we moved from the soft sandy arena to my hard, bumpy, uneven outdoor riding arena. Now I have new challenges! But my coach tells me it's all good - I now have to maintain my position even when the ground goes up and down and there is less sponginess in the trot.
 
#14 ·
I'm not posting this to say that I'm an amazing rider, because I'm sooooo not. I have so much work to do. I'm posting for other newbie English riders, especially older "born-again" riders, who feel frustrated. I spent a good 6 months of frustration and feeling bad at riding before I started to feel like I might just be moving in the right direction. I still feel like a crappy rider, but now I'd label myself as a crappy rider w/ potential. :lol:.
:rofl: I so know what you mean, I have spent months wondering if I should quit lessons and just happily potter around some trails, when I had a breakthrough, I too feel I MAYBE CAN do this, isn't it great feeling?

Yippee, from another crappy rider who also seems to have potential!
 
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