View single post by slipslider
 Posted: Fri Apr 6th, 2012 04:35 am
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slipslider



Joined: Sun Jan 20th, 2008
Location: Guthrie, Kentucky USA
Posts: 2120
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 Most of all Jane, just have fun. I sometimes think instructors give too much for one to think about at once. Instead you should concentrate on one thing at a time. Most of all relax and breathe.

IF you are having a hard time concentrating on too many things at once and it is making you tense, let your instructor know this. Ask her to allow you to just relax and concentrate on the horse first and get to know it. Then you can start concentrating on hands, seat, legs, ect.

I have a student that is a timid rider, she gets scared and tense as soon as the horse goes faster then a walk. So i allow her to just ride and get to know the horse. I showed her what to do when the horses goes faster and then told her to just ride around the pasture with me. when she was ready she could ask for a faster gait and then bring the horse back down to a walk, to practice going from walk to gait and back down to walk again. I told her once she did this a few times she would get more relaxed and comfortable and would stop worrying that the horse was going to run away with her. Sure enough after riding a short while she was smiling and said it was much easier. She was tensing up so much it was throwing her forward in the saddle and actually causing the horse to go faster. Once she learned to relax and trust the horse, they were both doing fine.



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LaVonne Summertime Stables, LLC Life's journey is not to arrive safely in a grave in a well preserved body But rather to slide in sideways, Totally worn out, Yelling......What a Ride !