Me 'n Boomer King, 1975, at a horse show. I am wearing a frilly western shirt, yup. I liked it!! Boomer was a little ex-barrel racer, I re-made him into a jumper, he taught me just how bloody smart quarter horses can be. My stirrups are too long, and my lower leg is stuck out in front of me. I had the affectation of keeping my tippy toe on the stirrup, not the ball of my foot. Bad, berry bad.
I had this mini-epiphany, or maybe maxi-guilt, not sure, reading NicelyDun's blog. I realized my brain still has some relatively useful information. It's true. If you look down (quick) as you are posting trot, and you see your toe in front of your knee-cap, your lower leg is too far forward..
Hey, I knew that! Then I felt guilty. See, I don't like to advocate looking down, at all.
I like to think of it as "keeping my leg underneath me". In any sitting position on the horse, you "should" be able to raise yourself, off of his back. With the strength of your upper legs, yup. Sorry. Fitness again. Two-point, again. Can't be done, if your lower leg is too far forward. Period. Try it, I dare ya:)
We've chatted here before about "proper" leg position, and how it is really determined by your horse's and your conformation, and how the two of you "fit". That's not very helpful to a beginner. And each horse you get on is a new beginning.
Any horse you climb onto, should be climbed on gently. Only practice will allow the non-requirement of a mounting block. Only. Fitness is your friend, y'know. We were given legs for a reason. Ask me, if you're interested. I know, from reading out there, in bloggle land, that there are many with questions. Good grief, it must be so confusing. I don't need a mounting block, or at least, I never used to. You can have a right leg that will "power" you upward, using just the stirrup's placement, NOT it's attachment to your horse. Yes, really. Yes, it's easier if the two of you are not ridiculously opposite. A short person can do it. Ya poor things;) No, I don't mean you & Buck, CCC!
It's a good skill to have, is all I'm saying. Done improperly, it IS hard on the saddle bars, the horse's back of course, and the stirrup leathers..
So, at risk of being truly boring/redundant/obvious, I will some day describe (again) how anybody can find their "ideal" leg position, on any horse they may ride, except for maybe Shetlands. Or if you are 6 foot tall, and your horse is 13.3. Ve haff problems with that.. That's for you all to figure out. It can be done, obviously. Even then, the leg position must really remain the same. Shoulder, hip, heel. The knee angle determines what type of riding you wish to do, and what conformation your horse has.
Saddle fitting, yes, now that I look, improper fitting is happening in western riding too. "Tenting" isn't happening. Always "Tent" your saddle pad, so that it lines the gullet of your saddle, at the pommel. Do it right now, if you haven't done it before. Apologies if you already do it.
If you do not do it, you are creating discomfort for your horse. Never a good thing, right before you get on. Make sure everything fits comfortably. If your horse is already tacked up for you, lucky you. I'd still check everything. Check your girth. It may be too tight, too. Check all fittings, all of them!
Oh, I am droning. Or am I?
Seems like there's an echo in here tonight..
hello???
Helllooo??
Yup, did ya hear that?? People are having summers, somewhere. I can almost smell the barbeque...Lucky buggahs.
That IS how ya spell Barbeque, Blogger!
To all of my readers enjoying sunshine, heat and dry air. Humid air, too. That I got. Just no HEAT. Thpftgh, or pffffffpht. Pah. Piffle. It's almost the end of July, Environment Canada. Could we get it together, shortly? Turning into mushrooms, here..
22 comments:
Hey GL!
nice post!
My coach gave me the firth degree when I first came to the barn. WHY? BECAUSE MY PAD WAS NOT TENTED ENOUGH! (on my WESTERN SADDLE)
:D
So now it is a second nature.
Much more comfort to da horse.
:)
You are a wealth of knowledge , my friend ! never quit sharing please! I only have a couple Thelwell books , but I have a lovely group of the pony figurines , from my Grandad. Its hot out here coach ... just sayin
You want heat and humidity? When I go outside, my glasses fog up! My horses are drenched with sweat before the sun comes up! HAVE IT!!!
(Hates being cold)
So anyway, I used to be a manager at a fairly well-known British Horse Society riding school. (They would hate to be called riding school, but that's what it was.)
I am a retail goddess, so I fixed up the tack shop and ordered in Thelwell. Then an employee and I went to work photocopying the best cartoons and decorating the riding school with them.
I was called on the carpet for TAUNTING THE RIDING INSTRUCTORS by implying that it was alright for the children to shoot arrows at them during lessons.
Yes really!
Had you not pointed that out to me... I'd have blissfully ignorantly continued to not tent. I had no idea. :)
Please share, even if he didn't protest, I know he's more comfy now and that makes me smile, and think of you whenever I put on his saddle pad. Probably always will. :)
I tend to, once on, do a lap or so or so of two point... brings my leg right where it needs to be under me.
I had a friend who had ridden for YEARS that was shocked I rarely used a mounting block. I dunno... couldn't find it most of the time at his last place. Though I wish I was a smidge taller but I heave me butt up there. :) I never thought it was that hard.
Arrows at the instructor...who knew!!!
Great article on legs. I have long legs, but a long thigh and shorter calf. It makes it really interesting to look for saddles that fit me. Flaps are almost always too short.
Western saddles have gone downhill since the advent of rawlite trees, IMO. One size does NOT fit all horses. I've got some old wood and rawhide treed western saddles that are way more versatile, and have a wide variety of widths. And, what marketing genius decided a 6 inch deep pad was a good thing? Shoulder room, where'd it go?
Aaarg, 94 degrees and 94% humidity is a little much!
I'm the same Kestrel. Longer thigh than calf. I just buy saddles for 'long' legged people. If I don't get them for a taller person, the flap is too short.
Good options dressage wise, are Stubben Romanus. Passier GG. Windsor Greenline. I always check the flap length. It can be an 18" saddle, and have a flap for a short legged person with a 28 inseam. lol
On the leg position, it is very true. I'll ask my students to stand. If the struggle, they know they're out of position. You have to keep your foot under your center of gravity. Well, unless you want to lever your butt out of the saddle on your horse's face.
GL:
You scared me about being able to mount from the ground. I was planning on how I was going to train myself to scale MT Buck. LOL!
I do use a mounting block but it isn't because I can't mount from the ground. Since I have one, I will use it, easier on the horse and stirrup leathers.
Whinnie has a sensitive back, so I try to do whatever I can to make things more comfy for her.
You see??
I knew the short one would take umbrage.
CCC, no, not talking about you.
Goopy.
Hah! It's a skill, and it just comes in real handy;)
I knew YOU could do it, CCC!
Buck exempted, Whinnie, too. she's a delicate flower puss.
Smarmy goddess.
I am a retail failure.
Wanna sell signs in Canada, US?
;)
Seriously laughing at BHSI's taking Thelwell to heart..
Good grief.
hey, it's warm today, whining PAYS!
Oooh, I haz relatively long legs, mostly equal thigh/calf. I was always getting the top of my show boot stuck, underneath my too short saddle flap. Never noticed it when I rode the saddle out in paddock boots 'n chaps;)
Gotta ride in what you show in...
Otherwise, it's too new an experience..
Passier. That was a good saddle, back IMHT.
Hey, kestrel!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Scritch Draco & Moonlight, I haven't even whined about more pictures, how good am I?
Whining about the weather takes ALL my time:)
Hugs an armload of puppies for me!
GL:
I knew you didn't mean me, couldn't resist the opportunity to make a funny. You know about 10 years ago, I probably could have gotten on Buck from the ground, was VERY fit and flexible. Damn my lazy ass.
You can find lots of Thelwell through Amazon used books. He did more than horse stuff, dogs and anglers too. He even did one on Western riding (Thelwell go West.)
A few weeks ago I fell (NOT thrown, fell) of my horse, and for the life of me I could not mount from the ground. No way, no how. I was so embarrassed. The instructor sent a little kid [who probably bounced like a Super Ball(any one else remember Super Balls? How about Wizzers? Got their long hair tangled up in the Wizzer because they tried to make it spin on their head like the kid with the crew cut on the TV ads?)] up to the barn to get the mounting block. I'm gonna buy another mounting block and keep it by the big outdoor ring.
Long legs here, both thigh and calf. I use the mounting block pretty much always, easier on my back and avoids plopping down too hard on Redi's back. I SHOULD be working on mounting from the ground as when trail riding, there is not always a log to hop up off.
My clever little riding friend never uses a block- she grabs a 5 gallon bucket. But she weighs about 98 pounds too.
Tent the saddle pad, put your noseband on properly. Two pet peeves.
BHSI's are like delicate flowers in Florida, they must be coddled and fed Gatorade regularly or they shrivel up. And they can't exercise horses for free, oh NOOOOES!!! LOL
I know of a few exceptions, to be fair.
So glad my night job doesn't involve horses anymore.
Another of my pet peeves, other than not 'tenting' the pad for air flow and comfort, is many people put their saddles way too far forward. I teach my students to feel for the end of the shoulder right away, so they don't sit the saddle too forward.
Okay, fixed it. Wasn't sure if you were still on. Did want anything bad to happen.
I'm appalled I never knew about tenting! Either my instructors fixed it previously and just didn't tell me and now my instructors just thought I knew... I dunno. No one ever mentioned and I hang my head in shame. Gator, as usual, forgives me.
Leg position always came pretty natural for me. Never had a problem in any saddle I've been in either... my lower leg is slightly longer than my thigh/femur so I guess that makes it easier. Plus, despite not riding until of 'adult' age, my achilles/calf is very stretchy so I have deep heels. However, I still like to think about it when I get on... to be sure and pop up in 2 point to 'sink' in.
I use the mounting block when available... lazy? eh... whatever easier on his back.
On the note of nose band...
I remember the first time I rode Gator and Mary had me have this young trainer who'd worked him some recently (she really had wanted to work him so she coudl have one of her students lease him... and *I* swooped in... muHAHAHAH!) come out to 'assess' my ability etc.
She said, the tighter the nose band the better he'll listen... I couldn't get a FINGER in there. Not even my pinky. Crazy tight!
He gets 2 fingers from me. Yeah he noms on his bit a little when standing which I doubt he could do if the nose band was CRAZY tight but good lord...
However, I will say in her defense other than that she was really good. Considering her trainer (my area big name A Arabian trainer), she'd come a long way in being considerate for the horses. A looong way.
AB, so if you lower leg is longer, is your forearm longer than your upper arm? If so, does that make it tougher to have a soft connection, and keep your hands low?
Good grief..
"She said, the tighter the nose band the better he'll listen..."
Oh, my, gawd.
It's for the day you need it, NOT EVERY DAY!!
If you need it, go back a few hundred steps. Yourself. NOT YOUR Horse. Loosen that thang!
Gosh.
Why am I yelling??
whew, thanks HP, for 14th, I would have missed it last night.
It seems the extreme aid is used first. Where have I heard THAT before???
Holly cow...
HOLY cow.
It's a disease, we gotta fix it!
Hey, not dissing people who can't mount from the ground, just saying it's handy. It can be done.
I was reeeel gud at gettin' on.
Staying on too. Depending on if my arrogance showed up or not.
Oh, please, let's remember.
Softest aid, FIRST.
Okay, so I knew Herr German Trainer wasn't good for Bonnie and I when I said, "I'm thinking of going with a figure-8 noseband to give her more room to breathe," and he replied, "But you lose all the leverage on the jaw!"
Umm.. if I want to soften her jaw, I don't think leverage is the best way to ask.. FIRST.
Yes there are levels and there are degrees to this argument, but the fact remains that wiring a horse's jaw shut as a matter of course, and not a matter of need, should be questioned.
US, you read Jim Wofford, don't you?
He had a beautiful article about this very thing..
I'll link his blog, but you probably already know about it.
Smart guy. It is useful, but as you say, not as a matter of course.
Of need, then go back to where you didn't need it, again. and try to figure out WHY you needed it? What did you, the rider, do wrong??
Jim'sBlog
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