Yeah, I'm still getting used to 'being watched' too but am getting better about it. I swear I'm only complete crap with my horse when other people are watching!
Awesome Beej is making some more consistent progress with you...dare I suggest he is finally settling in and seeing you as 'home'? It takes time I think, esp. for horses that have been through multiple owners...
For finding your balance, you might really enjoy Linda's DVD on fluidity riding, even though you're not 'officially' doing Parelli at all. (Its neat in a way that you're doing Parelli without having ever observed the Parellis themselves...maybe it proves their ideas work in that their goal was to create a system that was replicable and would continue on after them...at the same time I find it strange that you do so much Parelli with Beej and haven't ever 'officially' checked them out...what an odd conundrum huh?)
Anyways, just to pass on one thing Linda says about fluidity riding, ok 2 things...
- Most problems in riding result from bracing. Instead of bracing there needs to be movement. So practice doing in your body everything your horse does in his body. If he's arching his back and being hollow, then arch your back...if his head is up, hold your head up, as he bends his ribcage, bend yours. As his feet move, pedal yours too.
This helps people around bracing and makes them much more aware of body patterns they have. I haven't gotten to play around with it much yet, but did notice that I hold my shoulders stiff once I tried to move them when Sage moved his...
- The second thing is something I've probably told you before...sit up in your desk chair, feet on the floor, bum closer to the edge of the chair...then take your hands and push on the desk in front of you and let your back relax. You should feel your seatbones roll back. English riders were taught to ride ON their seatbones, which arches their back too much. This exercise helps you find your 'balance point' which is somewhere between english posture and western posture in the saddle. Once you get off your seatbones, imagine you are one of those big sandfilled plastic blowup dolls that kids punch...all your weight is in your bum but your still nice and tall and go with the punches...
If you get a chance to practice any of this, let me know...some of us are still living vicariously when it comes to riding... :-(
Awesome Beej is making some more consistent progress with you...dare I suggest he is finally settling in and seeing you as 'home'? It takes time I think, esp. for horses that have been through multiple owners...
For finding your balance, you might really enjoy Linda's DVD on fluidity riding, even though you're not 'officially' doing Parelli at all. (Its neat in a way that you're doing Parelli without having ever observed the Parellis themselves...maybe it proves their ideas work in that their goal was to create a system that was replicable and would continue on after them...at the same time I find it strange that you do so much Parelli with Beej and haven't ever 'officially' checked them out...what an odd conundrum huh?)
Anyways, just to pass on one thing Linda says about fluidity riding, ok 2 things...
- Most problems in riding result from bracing. Instead of bracing there needs to be movement. So practice doing in your body everything your horse does in his body. If he's arching his back and being hollow, then arch your back...if his head is up, hold your head up, as he bends his ribcage, bend yours. As his feet move, pedal yours too.
This helps people around bracing and makes them much more aware of body patterns they have. I haven't gotten to play around with it much yet, but did notice that I hold my shoulders stiff once I tried to move them when Sage moved his...
- The second thing is something I've probably told you before...sit up in your desk chair, feet on the floor, bum closer to the edge of the chair...then take your hands and push on the desk in front of you and let your back relax. You should feel your seatbones roll back. English riders were taught to ride ON their seatbones, which arches their back too much. This exercise helps you find your 'balance point' which is somewhere between english posture and western posture in the saddle. Once you get off your seatbones, imagine you are one of those big sandfilled plastic blowup dolls that kids punch...all your weight is in your bum but your still nice and tall and go with the punches...
If you get a chance to practice any of this, let me know...some of us are still living vicariously when it comes to riding...
:-(
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