> Bareback
> Cheryl Sutor
>
>
> WHY RIDE BAREBACK?
FUN EXERCISES TO GAIN SECURITY:
(All exercises should be practiced at the walk, trot
and canter in both directions, and preferably on a
lunge line if you have trouble keeping your balance)
1. If you have a tendency to grip with your lower leg
when loosing balance:
Keep a solid contact from your seat down to your
knee on your horse's back (Come on! No clenching with
your knees here!). Hold your calves and heels away
from the horse's side, about 6 inches. This will help
you gain balance by teaching you to keep your weight
evenly distributed across the horse's back without the
awful habit of gripping with your calves.
2. If you have a tendency to grip with your knees:
Keep a soft, relaxed seat while holding your knees
away from the horse's side - remember not to clench
with your lower leg while doing this. It may even be
helpful to hold your entire lower limb out away from
the horse's side. This exercise will help you to gain
stability without the aid of gripping with your knees.
This is also an excellent exercise to tone your outer
thigh and buttocks!
3. If all else fails, try this:
Keeping a soft, relaxed seat, lift your legs
slightly away from the horse's side and up towards his
withers for a couple of strides, then release them
down, relaxed and long. Repeat several times in each
gait. You will find that bringing your legs up toward
your chest creates a dependency on your seat and upper
body for balance. Releasing them down toward the
ground will teach you to recover from an unbalanced or
un-natural position.
4. And, of course you should always:
Practice circles and figure-eights, large and
small! This helps you learn to keep your body weight
directly over the horse's back (no leaning!) at all
gaits through circles and turns. Practice a posting
trot (only if you do not have trouble clenching with
your knees - many riders will use their knees slightly
to help them post). Always sit up tall and don't
slouch! (This is a very bad mistake some riders make
while riding bareback - slouching is not good riding
posture, and it could hurt your back!)
________________
Judy
http://iceryder.net
http://clickryder.com
