Little Rider Large Horse...how to keep up with the movement

[Cheryl]

Hi All!

Firstly, Happy New Year (nearly!)

I am looking for any tips or advice about riding a bigger moving horse and ‘keeping’ up with the movement, so to speak.  I am only little (5 foot 1) and the horse I am riding is big by comparison (16.3hh).  If you watch the attached video, you will see that he is a beautiful mover  (I think he looks so light on his feet considering his size!) but I look like I am making great efforts to keep up with him and am probably behind the movement .  I am guessing that I need to use my abs more to control/minimise how high I rise from the saddle? I do have fairly good core stability and balance (do quite a bit of core training with an instructor as well as spinning at the gym!)…I started core work initially as I have a slight lordosis and tended to hollow my back when riding-hopefully this has improved some.  However, I wonder if I am still not using this stability or engaging these muscles enough and whether this is putting me behind his big movement.  I also struggle with my lower legs moving around too much (although in the vid I think I am trying to get more impulsion and appear to be nagging –but he is not in-front of my leg?) and wonder is this is related at all to me riding a bigger horse - I’m not looking for excuses tho  –just want advice on how to fix this! 

Basically, I love riding him but feel that I look (and feel) a little ‘over-horsed’ especially in trot (walk and canter not as much as a prob) and am looking for tips to be able to a) keep up with his movement, b) stop my lower legs moving, c) any other advice to improve our ‘little and large’ riding partnership!!!  His owner is selling him in Spring and am contemplating on whether we would be a good long-term match (see earlier post: (http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/ee/boards/index.php/topic,42793.msg554574/topicseen.html#msg554574)
 but either way want to be a good enough rider to ride any horse big or small!

Video of out recent dressage test (my first one!)

Cheryl and Barnum Dressage

Cheryl x

[Freedom]

Hello

Happy New Year!

I just wanted to say I am 5ft ish, one of my horses is a 17hh Appaloosa x Cob, I ride and handle him no problem at all. Some do comment how little I look, esp if he is bouncing down the road at a scary brown leaf, lol. The only issue I used to have when I first bought him (nearly 5 yrs ago) was gaining his respect on the ground, he would try to walk through me, as if he was pretending he could not see me down there. This problem was sorted very quickly (and kindly) and we have never looked back.

There will be better, more experienced and knowledgable replies for you later I should imagine, they will be able to offer more advice than me.

In the meantime, if you were to purchase the big man, could I suggest you consider getting one of Heathers saddles? I myself loved my first Vogue so much I saved and bought another one, (from ebay as I knew what would fit/work), now when I hack in company there are no arguements over who rides in the nice saddle. I can honestly say I can 'feel' more through this saddle too.

As a 'little on big' rider I personally think my saddle helped me with my leg position and movement, my leg now stays really still unless I am asking for an aid.

Before I could afford an extra Vogue, I rode the big man (and still do for jumping and dirty hacks) in a Wintec Wide, the great thing with a sythenic saddle you can velcro Heather type knee blocks underneath which really do offer more support, I had no leg movement with this arrangement either.

I hope I helped in a small way.

[Bradders]

Sorry, was not able to watch video as my broadband is terrible!

I am 5'4" and used to ride my friend's 17.3 ex dressage horse. I was very novice at the time, but I suspect that that was the very reason I was not that bothered by the huge movement - I didn't know enough to be worried about position etc

I just used to relax (yes, I was able to relax on horseback once ) and go with the movement - but I did struggle with sitting trot.

Would agree that the Vogue has helped me, but tbh I think the biggest help has been Heather's stirrups - they just stop you poking your toes out.

Think you will get much better advice from the others!

[Freedom]

 Bradders I could not agree more, I forgot to mention the irons, I have those too. The wide tread also stops my mother losing her stirrup on her 'bad' side. 
 


Another great item to help the rider.
 

[crdodgeon]

Looking at you reminded me of some footage of me in terms of similar issues  I'm taller (5'7) but my height's in my back so I do struggle with the tendency to hollow my back at rising trot and then have errant legs, esp lower legs. It did strike me that you were doing a lot of fighting against the saddle, so if you can tackle that, that would be good. 

Couple of things that I'm working on; one is the idea of 'headlights dipped' because in that way it helps to stop me pushing my shoulders back and thus hollowing my back, it also ties in with engaging the core. Have you read Heather's articles on the trot? There's also YouTube footage (plus on DVD) that illustrates the movement in rising trot - a forward arc with the hips, rather than up and down.

Others will have much more useful things to say - but really just agreeing that if you do take him on (and he looks like a nice boy  ) then if you're able to sort the saddle and stirrups that'll be a big help, and that engaging the core is definitely key.

[Wendy]

I would suggest finding a really good instructor with good lunge horses and have an intensive couple of weeks of lunging. And if she/he has a horse with big movement to move onto being lunged on that horse. That way you will get the feel of it without having to worry about steering.

[Emma]

Sorry - a very quick reply just to add to what has already been said - but I don't think you look particularly over horsed and there's a lot of potential there. There is a lot of horse behind the saddle which is more of the issue to me than his height in my opinion ! 

Agree that some work on your position would help (try putting both legs over the front of saddle, getting your bottom under you and then letting your legs hang back down to open up your hips although you may find your hip flexors are not then ready to let the leg hang perpendicular) and also I agree that he is not as in front of the leg as you would like and it's slightly deceptive because he does look long but with work you could encourage sit and length of stride.  In his favour he looks nice and relaxed and like he wants to 'swing' it's just not as forward as it could be, thus why you are working so hard and he is not ! LOL! This also then creates this very upward rather than forward motion in the trot.  With some correct training in developing 'sit' (i.e. lift in the shoulder) and forward motion I think you would find him a nice riding horse with a some good potential esp in lateral work. 

Not read your other post, sorry, but compared to a lotof what I see these days he looks a pretty decent honest and trainable horse - but obviously that's just a video snapshot and a random personal opinion !!!!

Best advice given above to me would be to get a decent classical instructor, maybe to help assess and also to help you train him to get the best you can out of him !

Best of luck

Emma

[crdodgeon]

I'd agree with the exercise Emma suggests as being good for working out where you should be sitting - all I'd add is that you may find it's helpful at first if you have someone who can help you lift your legs back into the 'hanging' position, as I have to admit I struggle with it, but that's because of my tight hip flexors. (Ok, I'm stiff as a board... )