Shoulder in?

[winnieandben]

So is this enough angle for SI or is it more shoulder fore?

[issywizz]

I would call it a shallow angle SI
You are crooked though 

[winnieandben]

So we are on the right lines, with regards to what the horse is doing  ignore the crooked rider for now    (and yes I realise that the horse will get it easier if the rider wasnt crooked) but I am straighter than I used to be 
Things like this I really need eyes on the ground for    she can do 4 or 5 steps at that sort of angle now and 1 or 2 at a time a bit deeper.

Any tips for me not turning into a pretzel?

[issywizz]

Well what you are doing is collapsing your waist on the outside and leaning in.
Cant remember now what Heather said to me to help stop it when I was bad a year ago  but maybe post in ask Heather?

A pair of eyes on the ground is very useful too as long as they are observant enough to notice  I had hatdancer come and shout at me for an hour  which was a great help.

[winnieandben]

 I had hatdancer come and shout at me for an hour  which was a great help.

 

Thanks, will put it in ask Heather 

[Heather]

  I think I coined a new term for riders in lateral work at the clinics at Sarah's Janet!! 'the Pretzel Twist'!!

I would agree with Sarah, shallow shoulder in. From the photos, you appear not to be turning your body into the shoulder in, but dropping your left shoulder and collapsing the left hip. I need to see a couple of photos of you from the side too, both left and right. Video would be better still!!

[winnieandben]

Thanks Heather, will get some vid 

[thecatsmother]

Not claiming to be perfect at all, but doing it bareback certainly helps you self-correct your own wonkiness   

[issywizz]

Looks pretty good to me! 

[winnieandben]

Ah, thank you very much that really helps  I am trying to stay straight which is making me twist  instead of following my horses shoulders    will have a go bareback thats a good idea 

[whisper's mum]

You look really straight, Lesha.  Hope you don't mind me asking but I can't really tell from the photo, where is your inside leg? I'm still confused by the aids and tend to let my inside leg go back but I'm then not sure if it is becoming leg yieldy. If I leave it on the girth, nothing much happens so I must be doing something wrong... perhaps I'm not turning my body? 

[issywizz]

Actually is it the angle or are you slightly collapsing the inside hip and inside leg coming up?

Still pretty good though.

[thecatsmother]

As I said, not claiming to be perfect at all  , if it was perfect I'd be able to get Chocky do consitently do it for more than about 5 strides  , and in paces other than walk  

 

n.b (I added this bit/pic at the same time as Sue was typing her post below). Chocky does have a very big belly swing/back movement, so he does sorta squish your hips up from side to side when you absorb the movement with your hips while keeping your shoulders level and tall. This is a fraction of a second later in the stride, as his inside hind starts to step under and insdie of his back drops - from this moment in time as his belly swings/back lifts towards the outside it looks like I'm collapsing the outside hip now   (but at least I am pointing the outside hip down the track   )



But yes, I am drawing the inside heel up - it's my particular quirk    

[SueC]

Lesha can have a tendency to draw her knee and heel up when applying an aid, work in progress, so I expect that's what was happening.  Inside hind should be stepping under, so you would use your inside leg at the girth to ask the inside hind to step forward.

Lesha has ridden some very nice shoulder-in and got some lovely medium strides coming out of it, in trot, but with a saddle, so she's being a little too modest.

Her body position and balance is improving immensely from the bareback riding.   

[whisper's mum]

Cool, thanks!  Lesha looks great!  If I am using my leg in the right place it must be my body that is wrong.  Thanks, Lesha and Sue.