Balance

I would strongly suggest try riding on the lunge line as well, without reins. This really really forces you to think about your seat, and push that tush down into the saddle.

Balance is more than just not flopping around in the saddle. It involves your ENTIRE position, not just your seat. A good rider will have good balance, which means relaxed shoulders, quiet hands and quiet seat, firm, quiet legs (not gripping, but relaxed and not moving around), eyes up, good posture, etc. Balance is about being in tune with your horse, moving with his movements, completely in sync with him. Now obviously this is something that takes work to achieve and I don't think that any rider can ever have perfect "balance," all the time since every horse you ride is different.

So yeah, lots of time and practice, riding different horses and riding on the lunge without reins should definitely help.

Would love to see some videos as well! Good luck, and I'm sure you're doing great!

It may not be the most dignified thing in the whole world but that's how my ten year old and her middle aged mother started out. Yeah, I may have looked a bit goofy sitting bareback on a horse with my arms stretched out at my side but it really helps with balancing and separating body from arms and helping you not to use the reins and horn to balance. My daughter and I also did the around the world thing. That's hard work!

Thanks everyone for the great posts!!!

I just got back from my lesson and silly me forgot my camera, but I am happy to report that I have made HUGE progress, and well I highly doubt my balance is as bad as my instructor lead me to believe before.

I will be doing bareback this winter, and I did ride a good 15 mins without stirrups. Even with that, I started holding my reins with one hand, and that seemed to help with security, and balance.

With all of the work that I did today, I can't see how my balance would be off. But everyone's tips are fantastic, and I will keep them all in mind if needed in the future. I will be posting a riding lesson here soon next week to be critiqued.

I need to go ice my butt now.

I agree it does help alot!
Also bareback work will greatly help!!! I had HORRIBLE balance before I started riding bareback. I went out and bought a simple bareback pad (I got the Tacky Too bareback pad) and it did wonders with my balance.

Take your feet out of the stirrups...?

What my friends and I used to do for balance is put a barrel on a trampoline and everyone bounce while you're on the barrel so it's like riding a bucking horse. It was great.

glad we could help.

HI,

Two things I did to overcome this problem is firstly get onto youtube and watch people doing it correctly and having no problems whatsoever, even on a subliminal level this can help. Secondly at night visualize yourself doing it perfectly and being completely balanced and I promise it works not just for this but lots of other things in horse riding also, it is very powerful

Danny

HI,

Two things I did to overcome this problem is firstly get onto youtube and watch people doing it correctly and having no problems whatsoever, even on a subliminal level this can help. Secondly at night visualize yourself doing it perfectly and being completely balanced and I promise it works not just for this but lots of other things in horse riding also, it is very powerful

Danny

Read more: Balance

There ya go.

If you are putting a lot of weight into your stirrups, without realizing it, you are starting to lean left to avoid the pressure on the right ankle.

What did your instructor suggest you do to help with the balance issue?