Charlie and Vör
Charlie Beise, 15, had some bad experience in the past. According to the owner of Clemonse Diablo her last mount was an ornery Pony with a lot of forwards drive, that liked to buck. Ever since then Charlie has been nervous while riding and wanted to take a lesson with us to help with her confidence. Our trainer Heidi was happy to assist, knowing fear was a difficult matter, because it usually ran deep. Her confidence would most likely not be regained within one lesson, but our trainer would do her best to lead the student in the right direction.
Horse and Rider went into the riding hall. Heidi watched as Charlie tightened the girth and pulled down the stirrups, telling her a little about the horse she was going to ride.
"Vör is a very calm, very sweet horse, but she is over built making it difficult to collect her. So don't take it personal, it is not your riding skills it is just her conformation that is the problem. But what she lacks in collection she makes up for in subtleness."
Charlie then mounted Vör who stood patiently while her rider adjusted her seat and picked up the reins. Heidi asked her to start walking full length of the hall. As the rider explained earlier she wanted to gain confidence, so Heidi would not pin point the fine details of riding but start at the basis again, a good seat.
Heidi went on explaining that this was the perfect horse to experiment on. She encouraged the rider to move around in the saddle and test different sitting positions.
"Depending on the seat the weight shifts allowing different signals to reach the horse. Some positions make it difficult to let the leg run down properly along the side of the horse, taking away the effect of leg and weight aids. This is usually the time when the rider starts relying to heavily on rein signals and tries to "steer" the horse in the correct direction. But with the proper seat most horses automatically follow the direction the rider is looking at, because with the head the body moves accordingly, giving the horse the correct aids automatically ; weight is shifted towards the inner stirrup, the outside leg moves back, the inner leg coxes rhythmically with each step encouraging the horse to bend around the inner leg. That, of course, is just a lovely image of what the goal should be. ...Truth is there is no 100% correct way of sitting on a horse. If there was there would be only one book published and the author would be a millionaire by now. Each horse and rider have different anatomies, there are basics to follow but to really learn what a correct seat is you need practical experience, preferably on multiple horses. And by practical experience I mean you should not only learn how to sit correctly but how it feels to sit in a wrong position, and how the horse reacts differently. If you know that feeling then sitting correctly should come natural to you."
So while Charlie was sliding around in the saddle Heidi gave her the option of riding circles to also get a feel for how the horse moved differently under her depending on the riders position. She didn't expect a perfect 20 m circle she just wanted Charlie to focus on herself. The mare was rather stiff at first but obediently followed her riders commands. When Charlie leaned back the mare slowed down, almost to a halt. Heidi did not correct the rider because she wanted Charlie to process it on her own and figure out how to make the mare speed up again. Charlie kicked the mare slightly, but only when she sat up straight again did the steps become faster and the horse more engaged. Once this happened a second time Charlie quickly knew how to correct herself, earning praise from the trainer, who reflected what Charlie had done correctly.
"Now that I have thrown you out of balance...literally, let's get back to theory. What are the basics of a proper dressage position?"
Charlie started to think, her cheeks becoming red with flush when she couldn't think of a correct answer fast enough.
"I don't need a textbook answer. Just tell me what you think. Even if it's wrong, so be it. You're here to learn and that means you are allowed to make many mistakes along the way." the trainer smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
"Sit straight..." the rider started, "heels down, toes up,..." she continued naming things she had heard from one lesson or another.
"Good, let's go back to the beginning. Sit on your bum, you have three bones between your legs which should all be in contact with the saddle, most of the weight evenly divided between your seat bones. It's basically your main connection line between you and the horse. As long as that is in place you are good to go. This should also put your legs in the correct position. What's really important is that you don't "grip" with your knees or try to hold tight with your legs. This is a big mistake especially when one is afraid of loosing balance or the horse starts acting up. You keep balance with your gut" she said patting her belly, "And if you feel the need to grip something you always have the saddle or the horses mane, which is especially practical with the thick mane of Icelandics." Heidi stopped there, too much information would just overwhelm the rider.
"Ok, so your back is stretched up, belly sucked in, legs running down along the horses belly but not forcibly stretched or clutching." she repeated.
Horse and Rider went into the riding hall. Heidi watched as Charlie tightened the girth and pulled down the stirrups, telling her a little about the horse she was going to ride.
"Vör is a very calm, very sweet horse, but she is over built making it difficult to collect her. So don't take it personal, it is not your riding skills it is just her conformation that is the problem. But what she lacks in collection she makes up for in subtleness."
Charlie then mounted Vör who stood patiently while her rider adjusted her seat and picked up the reins. Heidi asked her to start walking full length of the hall. As the rider explained earlier she wanted to gain confidence, so Heidi would not pin point the fine details of riding but start at the basis again, a good seat.
Heidi went on explaining that this was the perfect horse to experiment on. She encouraged the rider to move around in the saddle and test different sitting positions.
"Depending on the seat the weight shifts allowing different signals to reach the horse. Some positions make it difficult to let the leg run down properly along the side of the horse, taking away the effect of leg and weight aids. This is usually the time when the rider starts relying to heavily on rein signals and tries to "steer" the horse in the correct direction. But with the proper seat most horses automatically follow the direction the rider is looking at, because with the head the body moves accordingly, giving the horse the correct aids automatically ; weight is shifted towards the inner stirrup, the outside leg moves back, the inner leg coxes rhythmically with each step encouraging the horse to bend around the inner leg. That, of course, is just a lovely image of what the goal should be. ...Truth is there is no 100% correct way of sitting on a horse. If there was there would be only one book published and the author would be a millionaire by now. Each horse and rider have different anatomies, there are basics to follow but to really learn what a correct seat is you need practical experience, preferably on multiple horses. And by practical experience I mean you should not only learn how to sit correctly but how it feels to sit in a wrong position, and how the horse reacts differently. If you know that feeling then sitting correctly should come natural to you."
So while Charlie was sliding around in the saddle Heidi gave her the option of riding circles to also get a feel for how the horse moved differently under her depending on the riders position. She didn't expect a perfect 20 m circle she just wanted Charlie to focus on herself. The mare was rather stiff at first but obediently followed her riders commands. When Charlie leaned back the mare slowed down, almost to a halt. Heidi did not correct the rider because she wanted Charlie to process it on her own and figure out how to make the mare speed up again. Charlie kicked the mare slightly, but only when she sat up straight again did the steps become faster and the horse more engaged. Once this happened a second time Charlie quickly knew how to correct herself, earning praise from the trainer, who reflected what Charlie had done correctly.
"Now that I have thrown you out of balance...literally, let's get back to theory. What are the basics of a proper dressage position?"
Charlie started to think, her cheeks becoming red with flush when she couldn't think of a correct answer fast enough.
"I don't need a textbook answer. Just tell me what you think. Even if it's wrong, so be it. You're here to learn and that means you are allowed to make many mistakes along the way." the trainer smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
"Sit straight..." the rider started, "heels down, toes up,..." she continued naming things she had heard from one lesson or another.
"Good, let's go back to the beginning. Sit on your bum, you have three bones between your legs which should all be in contact with the saddle, most of the weight evenly divided between your seat bones. It's basically your main connection line between you and the horse. As long as that is in place you are good to go. This should also put your legs in the correct position. What's really important is that you don't "grip" with your knees or try to hold tight with your legs. This is a big mistake especially when one is afraid of loosing balance or the horse starts acting up. You keep balance with your gut" she said patting her belly, "And if you feel the need to grip something you always have the saddle or the horses mane, which is especially practical with the thick mane of Icelandics." Heidi stopped there, too much information would just overwhelm the rider.
"Ok, so your back is stretched up, belly sucked in, legs running down along the horses belly but not forcibly stretched or clutching." she repeated.
They decided to put that to the test as Charlie was suppose to trot. Her seat was in fact so aligned Vör jumped into a tölt, confusing her rider for second, before falling into a trot. Charlie focused on her posture which was excellent until Vör started speeding up a bit which was the mares usual speed. Charlie having suffered bad experiences tensed up, grabbed the reins shorter and for a moment forgot all they had previously worked on. Vör being a horse that was not easily stirred stayed calm and trotted on. Heidi did not say anything, giving Charlie a moment to realize nothing bad was going to happen.
"Drop the reins." Heidi recommended, figuring there were too many elements for the rider to concentrate on. The reins were lowered bit by bit and the mare kept a steady pace.
"She's not going anywhere, so don't worry" Heidi advised knowing it was easier said then done, "if you ever have a horse act up it's better to just take a second to breath and gather yourself before you tend to the horse. In most cases you have the time, especially if you're riding in a hall or arena. If the horse starts running let it, where is the horse suppose to go? So give yourself the time to calm down , then you are able to think straight and react accordingly. With more experience you will be able to stop a fit before it happens but until then give yourself time to learn."
Charlie sat back upright and tried to sit properly, Vör's hard trot did not make it easy, though, so she started to post sitting up with every second step. A nice rhythm between horse and rider started forming and she quickly found her balance receiving lots of praise from the trainer.
After a quick break and letting the grey mare catch her breath they continued, this time with rein contact. She coaxed her horse into a trot, only tensing up a second, when Vör sped up again. "Try posting intentionally slower, as if the horse had a slower beat." This odd recommendation started to work on the mare as Charlie began to consciously sit deeper and stay a split second longer in the saddle. The mare automatically paced herself bringing a smile to the rider. Vör started chewing on the bit and snorted contently. They rode 20 m circles, crossed the diagonal and even a volte. The rider quickly picking up ques when to speed the mare up and when to slow her down.
At one point Charlie's legs became too stretched knocking her out of the saddle rather roughly. Her legs weren't absorbing the shock any longer making it impossible to sit through a trot. Heidi calmly suggested angling her knees slightly and the problem quickly took care of itself.
By the end of the lesson Heidi only had to say cue points "leg", "slow her down", "reins" and Charlie knew exactly what she had to do. Heidi was very impressed and hoped Charlie was as well.
Vör was slowed down to a walk, the reins were dropped allowing the mare the stretch and cool down while Heidi wrapped up the session.
"That was great, especially by the end you were on fire. The knowledge is there and you do have good posture, you just need to get out of your head a little. You still easily tense up and I think that's because of your experience. You are expecting something bad to happen. So at the moment you are getting in the way of ...yourself. I'd recommend you continue with a different horse. Talk to your trainer and ask for a calmer horse to ride. You need many positive experiences now to overcome your fear. Remember your seat, don't push your legs forward, you know now how counter productive that can be and how much effect a proper seat can have on a horse. With some horses sitting properly and taking a deep breath is all they need to be settled down. And just know it will take time. With each lesson you will get more routine, which will help guide your horse better and give your security, with that security confidence follows."
"Drop the reins." Heidi recommended, figuring there were too many elements for the rider to concentrate on. The reins were lowered bit by bit and the mare kept a steady pace.
"She's not going anywhere, so don't worry" Heidi advised knowing it was easier said then done, "if you ever have a horse act up it's better to just take a second to breath and gather yourself before you tend to the horse. In most cases you have the time, especially if you're riding in a hall or arena. If the horse starts running let it, where is the horse suppose to go? So give yourself the time to calm down , then you are able to think straight and react accordingly. With more experience you will be able to stop a fit before it happens but until then give yourself time to learn."
Charlie sat back upright and tried to sit properly, Vör's hard trot did not make it easy, though, so she started to post sitting up with every second step. A nice rhythm between horse and rider started forming and she quickly found her balance receiving lots of praise from the trainer.
After a quick break and letting the grey mare catch her breath they continued, this time with rein contact. She coaxed her horse into a trot, only tensing up a second, when Vör sped up again. "Try posting intentionally slower, as if the horse had a slower beat." This odd recommendation started to work on the mare as Charlie began to consciously sit deeper and stay a split second longer in the saddle. The mare automatically paced herself bringing a smile to the rider. Vör started chewing on the bit and snorted contently. They rode 20 m circles, crossed the diagonal and even a volte. The rider quickly picking up ques when to speed the mare up and when to slow her down.
At one point Charlie's legs became too stretched knocking her out of the saddle rather roughly. Her legs weren't absorbing the shock any longer making it impossible to sit through a trot. Heidi calmly suggested angling her knees slightly and the problem quickly took care of itself.
By the end of the lesson Heidi only had to say cue points "leg", "slow her down", "reins" and Charlie knew exactly what she had to do. Heidi was very impressed and hoped Charlie was as well.
Vör was slowed down to a walk, the reins were dropped allowing the mare the stretch and cool down while Heidi wrapped up the session.
"That was great, especially by the end you were on fire. The knowledge is there and you do have good posture, you just need to get out of your head a little. You still easily tense up and I think that's because of your experience. You are expecting something bad to happen. So at the moment you are getting in the way of ...yourself. I'd recommend you continue with a different horse. Talk to your trainer and ask for a calmer horse to ride. You need many positive experiences now to overcome your fear. Remember your seat, don't push your legs forward, you know now how counter productive that can be and how much effect a proper seat can have on a horse. With some horses sitting properly and taking a deep breath is all they need to be settled down. And just know it will take time. With each lesson you will get more routine, which will help guide your horse better and give your security, with that security confidence follows."