How do I bring my leg backwards as it's alway going forwards and in front of the girth!?!?

Question

Yeah that is pretty much it, it's harder also as my cousins pony is VERY responsive(litraly you can put your hand on her side and she'll go in to a trot!) and I'm used to riding school ponies/horses that take alot of work to get into trots and canters, so when I nudged her when i first got on her she started cantering and since Wednesday I have had the problem of leaning back and doing the "couch" or "sofa" position! It's annoying because the instructor and I are fully aware of it happening it's just a case that I've got into the habit!

Answer 1

Are you riding English or Western?  I will return to see your answer.

EDIT*****When you first get on, check your irons for correct length by sitting up straight and let your legs hand straight down...the irons should strike you at the ankle bone...then stand straight up in the irons, pushing your feet BACK, yes, BACK as far as you can get them while you are standing up.  Now, sit straight down on your "riding bone"...not your girl part and not your hip pocket, but straight down, still holding your feet back, it will feel awkward.  Once you are sitting, drop your heels...for you to be able to do this, your feet will come forward just enough for you to be balances, in other words, the heels will be straight down from your ears and your shoulders.  Look forward through your horses ears and beyond, sit up straight but don't hollow your back.  Now, when you walk, or post or canter, keep your feet in that balanced position.  Keep equal weight in your seat as you do in your irons.  If you are riding hunt you want to lean forward at the waist, almost unnoticeable.

Answer 2

One exercise to try with someone else in the ring is riding with no stirrups to learn balance. You can also use baling twine to tie your stirrups to the girth to help train your muscles to keep your leg at the girth.

It's usually hard to sit up straight when you are in chair seat, so roll forward onto your pelvis a bit more so your inner thigh lies against the saddle, all the way down to your knee - with the inside flat against the saddle flap. Try and check your body alignment all the time too- ears, hips, and heels all in line. Another trick is to put a crop in each of your riding boots so you can SEE when your leg goes forward, the crop leans too. Every time you see it you can adjust your leg.

Good luck, this is part of learning to ride properly!

Answer 3

Make sure the saddle fits you and that your stirrups are the correct length.

Once they are correct do lots of two point and no stirrup work.  You also could do a bit of bareback work as well.

Answer 4

It just one of those things you have to remember.

Answer 5

Drop your leathers one or two notches, that should help get you out of the "chair" position along with doing a LOT of 2 point position. Which is, raising up in your saddle using your lower thighs NOT your legs, lean on the pony's neck if you have to.  Do several laps of this until your legs are tired.  Then sit back down.  Look down, see if you can see the toes of your boots, if you can, move them BACK, so you can't.

Work on your two point EVERY time you saddle up to work the pony, then do your flat work.

Answer 6

The best way to fix your position is a lunge lesson. This is where you take the stirrups of the saddle, and don't use the reins.  You can tie them so they are not flopping around, or you just take them off the bit.  The horse is on a lunge line so you don't have to worry about steering.  This will improve your balance and your seat.  When i took college equitation classes they had us do this quite often.  my seat improve so much.  I would not suggest doing it on you cousins pony if you think the pony will be to sensitive.  You don't wanna fall off. Good luck  

Answer 7

Your balance is off.  Make sure you are not jamming your foot up to the heel of the boot in the stirrup.  Center of your foot should line up with your hip.

Don't push 'back' in the saddle.  You should arch your back slightly and that will change pelvis to tilt forward and brace you so you won't need to push forward.  Use your thigh and leg grip more.  

You will have to work at it as this is probably a habit you picked from riding the school horses.  Watch your shadow - that used to help me a lot.  :)  Good luck!

Answer 8

its like anything new that u learn wen riding u have to thanks about it all the time until it become habit...lol thts how i learned =]]

Answer 9

The way you describe what's happening, it's clear you've got too much weight on your butt and are sitting too far back in the saddle.

Stand straight up in your stirrups with your heels down. Be sure your heel is in line with your hips, and keep your weight in your feet. Sit down with your pelvis tilted forward.

Answer 10

Here are some exercises to try:

Stand in the stirrups at walk and trot - not posting just standing. See how long you can stand in the stirrups without sitting down. Rest your hands on the horse's neck if you have to to keep from catching his mouth, but try not to use his neck for balance.

Try doing posting trot, but stay up for two beats instead of one - down up up down up up. This will help you to stay in balance at the trot and keep your leg underneath.

Also work in two point jumping position a lot. Can you stay in two point for a circle or a circuit of the arena? Can you do it without using your hands for balance?

Finally, there is the three seats exercise. Do 10 strides sitting trot, 10 strides posting trot, and 10 strides jumping position and rotate between the three seats constantly. As you master that, shorten your time in each seat to 5 strides. For more challenge, reverse the order.

All these exercises will help you to get in balance, get your lower leg back underneath you, and get weight on it so your legs become stable.

Answer 11

Your upper body is probably too far back, try tipping it forward just a bit

Answer 12

Keep standing up in the saddle to get a proper seat.  This is a basic, beginner exercise that we all need to brush up on from time to time.

Answer 13

it sounds like youre sitting too far back. Try riding with no stirrups. Pull your legs back behind the girth and when you feel them slipping foward, slide them back again.

OR...you could stand up in the saddle and pull your legs and stirrups back. This is especially good to do if your saddle is new. It "breaks it in". hold the pommel and like my first suggestion, slide your legs back.