On Tue, Dec 04, 2007 at 09:28:34AM -0600, Janice McDonald wrote: > i have a problem in that area! ! When Teev trots fast or canters it > scares me because i feel "wobbly". The saddle does not slip when we > are going, does not even slip when mounting now that I got a good > breast strap. But I dont seem to be > able to ever feel "part of the horse" like I do with other treed > saddles. I have never brought this up because i felt it would draw > criticism of the sensation or other treeless saddles and its not the > saddle, its ME.
a couple suggestions, not to do with saddles but exercises i've found that help with this sort of feeling: . try using a neck strap, esp. at the trot where your horse's head is stable, to stabilize your hands. sometimes that's all it takes, is a steady point of reference you can touch or hang on to :) . (this is harder but a *fantastic* exercise) go up in half seat, and starting at slow trot, let your bum move from side to side as if you had a tail to wag with each stride your horse takes. this will put you in a purposeful, controlled "wobble" just in time with the sway in your horse's stride. then try a faster trot and see if it helps -- sometimes i put myself into half seat for just a few strides to "get it" at fast trot, and can then return to posting -- i can't sit stjarni's fast trot at all :) . half-seat at canter -- again, let your seat bob (more than wobble, it's the nature of the canter to be more back-and-forth, rocking-horse style) while you rest your hands on the withers or hold a neck strap. try just a few strides at first. i found this really helps! the half-seat exercises especially will tend to set your lower leg properly and securely in the stirrups. it's not "standing up in the stirrups" -- as your front comes forward, your behind goes backwards, so your upper body's center of gravity remains directly above your heels. (there's a terrific illustration of this in "centered riding", and this is i think why what i call "half seat" is also called "two point", though i've heard other derivations for that term too.) i and my students have all tried all of these in the sensation (back when we were using the first one) and they really helped. good luck to you with yours! hope this helps, --vicka
