Symmetry (or lack thereof) of the seat etc.

[Naiad]

It is always something. Now I have picked up on a subtle (at least to others looking at me, it really is not that obvious) asymmetry of my seat bones. I noticed I tend to sit more on one or the other at the computer, in the car - and this just makes it more difficult overall to have good control of balance between the two seat bones when riding or instances when I want might want slightly more weight on one seatbone than the other.

I read that there are other riders out there with such issues, but sometimes I just feel so deformed and like the only one with these issues. I have nice posture if you look at me in real life and in the saddle. I guess if I were a kick and pull rider, despite my slight lack of seat balance, I could force the horse to do what I wanted. But I aspire to subtle aids, so it is back to working on this last fine detail of my posture. I cannot expect Amigo to do circles equally well both ways if I can't get my seat sorted out to help him do his thing.

So frustrating as I can feel this slight asymmetry in the saddle but it is tough to correct it (hence, lots of targetted stretching and exercises out of the saddle now). Who else has asymmetry in any aspect of your posture, and did you finally fix things up or is it nearly mission impossible to make big improvements when the muscle memory is so longstanding??

[crdodgeon]

LOL, well you're not alone. Tbh,  I suspect that there are very few people who have got perfect symmetry, most of us are stronger on one side than another/ tighter on one side than another and that's just on the muscle side of thing, before you get to the more skeletal issues (eg legs a different length etc).

Lee often notices that in a 'neutral' position my right hip tends to be in advance of my left, even if I think that it's level. I have various stretches etc that I do (er, actually, if I'm honest, need to do more frequently) to work on that as it's partly due to tight hip flexors on that side. My back is generally much better than it was, but I was fortunate not to break my neck when I was in my teens, which has had a knock on effect on my back as a whole, and then I stepped off a rock awkwardly also in my teens, which affected my lower back, so I've got a lot of muscle memory and compensation that I'm still unlearning, even over 20 years later. They certainly affect my riding, but I'm getting there... 

[Naiad]

Thanks for sharing - good to read other people's stories.

Anyone else care to share their story? We cannot be the only two crooked people on this entire board! (or maybe we are  ) And without IW around right now, we all need to get more active posting or we shall have too many lonely threads on here!!! 

[Casey76]

Right, let's see... my left leg is shorter than my right leg, but my right hip is permanently tighter than my left due to an accident I had years ago.

This means that I can drop through my heft hip more and have a "longer" left leg than I can right.

Also due to a conformationfault I inherited from my dad (thanks dad!) when my knees point straight forward my feet turn out.  the only way I can get my toes to point forward in the saddle is to do a Mary Wanless, which clamps my thigh on so much I completely block any forward movement

[Naiad]

Interesting. See my right hip is tighter, and my pelvis has a slight rotation to the left. This leads to the strange seatbone balance I was mentioning. So the left hip/seatbone ends up farther back than my right hip/seatbone. But despite the tightness in my right hip, I actually think my leg is in the better position and I am really struggling to bring the left leg more forwards. The geometry with this issue is so confusing that I almost cannot figure it ou!!!  

Casey, do you think these "position flaws" are obvious to most people watching you, or are they things that only you can notice yourself? Are you still trying to fix them, or have you had to accept these issues as something that you cannot really change too much?

[Casey76]

Well if I change saddles, I always have to think about the stirrups and are they even.  I usually start with my right stirrup a hole shorter than my left until I get warmed up properly, but I consciously have to think "weight in the middle" otherwise I weight my right hip constantly (to the extent that my Fhoenix shifts to the right - even with a suber pad!)

When I first get on you can see I'm pretty crooked, I collapse to the tight, then I have to be careful of not over compensating and lean to the left.  My toes are the worst though!  I ride with penguin feet all the time, and it is something I've never been able to change.

[Nettie]

We cannot be the only two crooked people on this entire board!
(

Definately not I'm afraid .  I tend to tense my right shoulder, hip and lower leg. My horse is stiffer on the right rein and I am not unconvinced that I don't contribute to that. I have no idea how that came about

Watching videos of myself riding I can see that my right lower leg tends to be drawn back with a raised heel, wereas my left tends to sit in a better position. My right should also tends to be slightly dropped and twisted forward which blocks my right hip.

Being aware of the problem is the first step. I've brought myself some Yoga DVD's cheaply from Amazon, working with them seems to help with body awareness - but early days yet

[Naiad]

Watching videos of myself riding I can see that my right lower leg tends to be drawn back with a raised heel, wereas my left tends to sit in a better position. My right should also tends to be slightly dropped and twisted forward which blocks my right hip.

I am the same with my riding position issues except opposite sides. Do you think you might have a slight pelvic twist/rotation like me. So if you are standing, one leg is more forwards and the belly button is not pointing center? It is subtle, but I think it is enough to affect Amigo. Blah. 

[Erin's mum]

well i thought i was quite even but have noticed that when i drive i always have my right hand higher than my left. Maybe its just habit but I wonder if its more deep seated and even if its not, whether I do the same on a horse lol! Aside from that I was told by a vet  that i have a very long body and short legs  not ideal for achieving a deep seat or for dresses   

[crdodgeon]

i have a very long body and short legs  not ideal for achieving a deep seat or for dresses   

Ah, someone else with the same issue! I certainly can't wear shift dresses as the waist's in completely the wrong place. And it doesn't greatly help with getting my legs nicely round a horse, either! 

[Diane Smith]

I'm wonky, my chrio strives to put me back in place, my pelvis almost always having a sideways twist, apart from the last visit where he said I'd managed to put my pelvis out by tipping it forwards, on his suggestion I've just bought a gym ball.

I can't sit straight to drive, I sit in a twisted posistion with my right shoulder leading 

[paintpony]

Another wonky one here. 

It annoys me a lot and i know what the problems are mostly but i struggle to fix it. Where feels 'central' to me - is really not. I'm also tighter down one side than the other and struggle to go right (right rein). 

[Heather]

Hi Paintpony and welcome!

This is where I so wish I had access to one of the Pliance computerised pressure testing systems. When we hired it to test the saddles it was absolutely fascinating, but at close on £20,000 short of winning the lottery, I will have to dream!

[janehon]

I have a permeant wonkyness in all of me and really struggle to correct it. I have found playing about with the instruction I need to give myself while driving or at my desk to make myself square has helped me find a way to correct myself but sometimes I just can't make my body do it. 

Last night I was doing an extra special line in wonkyness - it so was bad you could really see but neither I nor my instructor could get to the bottom of it all.

Most of the time my wonkyness feels worse than it looks. I have made myself so attuned to it I know the minute I go - that does not mean I can correct it - yet.......

[Erin's mum]

well that's great that you're at least so aware of your wonkyness, Jane  jealous of that for a start lol!

I was just watching some videos from Jon Pitts on horsehero today that was quite relevant to this thread. He did some work with an exercise ball to show how it could reveal any onesidedness and then did some exercises that can bring the weaker side up to the same level. Also did some mounted exercises that I was doing this evening on Erin...oh my goodness my hip flexors are seriously feeling it which is definitely a good thing as I know its where I really need to loosen off  . If you have a horsehero account, definitely reccomend them;

exercise ball stuff; http://www.horsehero.com/3481

mounted; http://www.horsehero.com/9400

another person i'm hoping may come to scotland!