Horse Riding: When I ride, I lean to the left, with my shoulders and tilt my head, how do i stop this?

Question

Hi,

When I horse-ride, especially when I canter, my instructor says I lean to the left: with my seat bones, and I turn with my shoulders to the left as well, AND tilt my head to the left, especially when i go round corners, in fact, very much when I go round corners. And, my right seat bone comes up cause I don't have any weight on it... basically I lean all to the left, especially round corners, and is this maybe because I am left-handed???

How do I stop this?

Answer 1

Fidelity is right we cant see you ride and its a question for your trainer but my tip is try  to put more wait on your right hip or try to sit up straight and have your heels down good luck

Answer 2

If you know whats wrong Correct it your self and ask your trainer

are your stirrups the same length

Put more weight in your right leg.with heels down

Answer 3

Its actually kind of a good thing that you're leaning the way your horse is moving (eg. when you go round a corner to the left, you're supposed to slightly tilt your hips to the left as well). BUT only your hips. You're not supposed to move your whole body that way so i'd suggest to concentrate on keeping your back straight, sit upright. Make sure you're not bringing your legs forward as well, if your bringing them forward then it might make you lean.  

Answer 4

I agree with everyone that your instructor would know best since we can't see you.  I know I do this when I canter in a circle.  One thing that helps is concentrating on putting more weight in my outside stirrup.  I'm not sure why you do it, but I know I do it because I am incorrectly trying to get the horse to bend to the inside.  But leaning in is just going to throw him off balance.   One thing that greatly helped me improve was having my instructor videotape one of our lessons.  I never could even feel myself leaning in, but once I saw it on te video it was very clear and it helped me really focus on it.  Ask your instructor and try to put extra weight on your outside stirrup.  You don't really want to have much more weight on the outside than the inside, but if you're used to riding and leaning in, then when you have equal weight in both stirrups, it will feel to you at first like you have more weight in the outside stirrup.  Good Luck!

Answer 5

This is my suggestion to you, and I can't believe that your trainer hasn't had you do this yet, loose the stirrups!!! Without them you will not be able to shift your body that way with out falling off. It is the best way to correct seat problems! If you aren't comfortable with loosing both of them, I would at least get rid of the left one. That way it will help retrain you to go to the right. It would be best though to loose both of them. If you are cantering you should already have a good enough seat to ride without them! I would suggest doing this for the next few weeks or longer to retrain your body!!!

Hope this helps!

Answer 6

Ask your trainer ,,

WE can not, see you ride

this is really a question for your trainer,, I would like to help you

But, no one can really tell you with out seeing you ride

And no its not because your left handed,,

Hey your paying your trainer have her tell you ..

Good luck