# ~ Let It All Out! -- Confess All Of Your Riding Errors Here



## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

Where to start. My worst habit is when I ride with long stirrups I tend to let my calves grip too strong and my feet inch there way out of the stirrups. So long story shot is I end up losing one stirrup. So I always put my stirrups a few holes shorter when my trainer isn't looking and she always yells saying "WHY DO YOU HAVE THOSE JOCKEY LEGS".


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

Mine is HEELS!!! And hands over jumps, and lately Iv found it hard to sit to Love Story's canter


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## HorseOfCourse (Jul 20, 2009)

My worst habit is that for some reason I only curl my finger tips around the reins. I should have my whole finger around them. I end up not having as great of contact with the bit as I should. I tink I built up this bad habit when I was working on softness and suppleness because my horse was kind of hard-mouthed when she started training.


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## flamingauburnmustang (Dec 25, 2008)

LOL. I also have a problem with keeping my feet in the stirrups...simply because I don't put enough weight in them. :mrgreen:

Okay...let me get started on mine....

- when I jump, my lower legs slide back
- I hold my hands a little too low
- I work too much with my hands and not enough with my seat
- when going into a canter, I look down to see if my horse is striking off onto the correct lead
- sometimes when I'm expecting a big jump, I rise too much out of the saddle
- when trying to slow Night Heat down when jumping, I don't always give the correct release

I can't think of any more right now, but when they come to my head, I will post them. LOL

If you want, you are welcome to post any of your horse's faults as well. (face it, even though we love our horses so much and think they are perfect already, there is always some kind of fault with them) LOL


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## flamingauburnmustang (Dec 25, 2008)

Oh yes! Another one is that I don't hold my reins securely in my hands. Instead I hold them very loosely, and that caught up with me the other day by resulting in a blister... :lol:


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

Another one of mine is that my feet slip deeper into the stirrups, and when I try to fix them, I end up jabbing the horses sides, resulting in a VERY fast canter haha


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

i have horrible position. every time i ride i realize that if i just ride perfectly my mare will go perfectly, i dont know why its so hard =P


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

My problem is that I fart alot when I ride. I try to let it out when Nelson rips one, but sometimes it doesn't always work out.

I wonder why people never want to ride with me, but the pieces are now starting to fit together as to why.


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

oh boy where to start:

- I have puppy dog/piano hands
- My hands tend to be too hard
- My release needs major work at times
- My lower leg needs to be under me
- I need to stop pulling back before jumps. Ginisee and Uma are angels about it and never fuss about it but Demi throws a conniption fit
- Stop jumping ahead!!!!
- Sit up, back straight!


those are just some of them


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## flamingauburnmustang (Dec 25, 2008)

MIEventer: LOL. That must have taken a huge amount of courage to admit that one! Well done! :lol:


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

ROFL!

You know, it sucks when I let one rip and it scares the bajeebers out of Nelson! I am surprised that my saddle is still strong and hearty from all the air force.

I'm just joking around!

Seriously -

I have issues, my biggest right now is that I am out of shape and condition from Nelson being on stall rest since the beginning of Jan.

Now that we are back to work - I have many flaws. 

- drop my shoulders
- don't use my core
- look down and stare at Nelson's head for some unknown reason

I have no leg muscles, no nothing.


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## Maverick101 (Nov 8, 2009)

MIEventer said:


> ROFL!
> - drop my shoulders
> 
> - look down and stare at Nelson's head for some unknown reason


These are my two biggest flaws. My biggest looking down at my horse.....drives me nuts. I think it comes from years of breaking horses....I always felt I needed to look down to see what they were doing/going to do. Instead of relaying on feel.

I have gotten better, but still catch myslef every once and awhile:evil:


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

It is due to me not being in the saddle in a months time due to the medical issues my horse went through.

When our lessons pick up, and I sure I'll be whipped back into shape - I hopa.

It does suck though doesn't it!

This is the most recent video of me riding Nelson after coming back from his injury.





http://www.youtube.com/user/RoxyRoo01#p/a/u/0/jL0BAADA5EY


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## Gillian (Aug 2, 2008)

My biggest one is learning to influence my horse with my seat. Some days it's awesome, and we click so well, and other days I can't seem to get it right. The other is starting to use my core more when riding. I'd also like to learn to finesse my cues, and cue exactly when I need to, not before or after. Basically I just need to tighten up loose ends. The basics are there, now it's nitpicking time. 

I guess right now I need to keep working on myself, finding out how what I do influences how my horse is going, etc.


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## englishrider (Feb 4, 2010)

i have 2 problems.. i use the reins more than the seat and my feet always slip when I trot lol


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## Silversun (Feb 5, 2010)

One thing that is impossible for me to fix is my stiff arms/elbows, and my hands bounce around :[ any suggestions?


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## Silversun (Feb 5, 2010)

MIEventer said:


> It is due to me not being in the saddle in a months time due to the medical issues my horse went through.
> 
> When our lessons pick up, and I sure I'll be whipped back into shape - I hopa.
> 
> ...


MIEventer, What a long beautiful neck and body your horse has!


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## IheartPheobe (Feb 15, 2009)

Let's see...
I overjump
I get left behind
Sometimes I pull on Roger too hard
I let Roger get into dangerous situations 
I ride in the wet parts of the ring I really shouldn't ride in
I get too nervous and let Buster take advantage of me
I give up on my horses
I don't take behavioral problems seriously enough
I lean forward
My leg slips back when I jump
I get nervous too easily
...the list goes on.


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## flamingauburnmustang (Dec 25, 2008)

Gillian said:


> My biggest one is learning to influence my horse with my seat. Some days it's awesome, and we click so well, and other days I can't seem to get it right. The other is starting to use my core more when riding. I'd also like to learn to finesse my cues, and cue exactly when I need to, not before or after. Basically I just need to tighten up loose ends. The basics are there, now it's nitpicking time.
> 
> I guess right now I need to keep working on myself, finding out how what I do influences how my horse is going, etc.


That's exactly what I'd also like to do. Well said. :grin:


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## Sissimut-icehestar (Jan 20, 2008)

Stiff/straight elbows x(
my hands should be less "leaning", the thumbs aren't quite on top but not really piano hands either.
Heels a bit back I think.. I'm not sure though..


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## Maire995 (Jan 23, 2010)

HaHa well were do i begin?
My faults are:
with the horse i have now he barges at the jumps and i tense up and sit back before the jump which your suppossed to do but then i stay back when i go over the jump and makes my position terrible and jabs my horse in the mouth and starts him throwing his head!
My heels all ways go up when i give the aids and my canter aids are really failing i always try to get it from arising trot even though i now i shouldnt i just cant keep down in my seat and then he goes into a really fast trot then canter and then i have to use all my strength to keep him in canter because its so unbalanced!:Llol


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## nirvana (Sep 14, 2009)

I have the stupidist habbit of tightining the reins a few strides from the first jump (it drives my instructor NUTS. lol) I think its because Trooper hates jumping length reins so its easier to tighten them up last minute than to deal with him trying to pull them out of my hands.

I also have problems loosining my hips during to the canter. My instrucor says I have a "true equestrian" sitting trot but I cant to it at the canter!:?


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## flamingauburnmustang (Dec 25, 2008)

Maire995: That's strange that you lean back before a jump. I know most people lean forward before a jump, but not back. :wink:

With me, sometimes I have to lean back ALOT to try and keep Night Heat slow through a jumping course... :mrgreen:

Thanks to nirvana, I just remembered another fault of mine: I tend to ride with fairly short reins, because I am all too used to riding very forward horses. :lol:


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

> MIEventer, What a long beautiful neck and body your horse has!


Silversun, thank you so much  I appreciate that! I will let Nelson know what you said, I am sure it'll make him beam


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## nirvana (Sep 14, 2009)

MIE do you wear moutain horse winter riding boots. cause I swear I have the same pair. lol! (random I know)


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## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

New habits:
- My calves squeeze and end up pushing my heels up and toes down xP
- straight arms
- tense back
- looking down
- toes out rather than in


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## megannnn (Jul 26, 2009)

oh where to begin!

-i ride with really short stirrups...because im really tall.
-i love to just ride in this wierd like halfseat/2pointish position.its wierd and people are always like WTF what are you doing....its comfortable
-i have to constantly think heels down heels down!
-sometimes when i ask my horse for a canter. i lean forward!
- and you will all hate me for this one. one time...only one time i got really ****ed off and jacked my horse in the face...because he kept rooting on me  im really ashamed of that one!! and i felt really bad after it (((((((


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## flamingauburnmustang (Dec 25, 2008)

Don't worry megannnn, that's what this thread is for, to confess riding errors. But I'm mighty glad you don't do that no more! :wink:


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## nirvana (Sep 14, 2009)

^Ya we all have our moments! The important part is that you learnt from it.


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

My problems,
-my patience could be a lot better
- I don't always use my seat properly
-I can be a pushover with him
- My correction timing is off, some times I just let the bad stuff go beacuse i didn't catch it in time
- I get a bit stiff throughout my whole body
-I don't keep my feet level, sometimes I get toes down, sometimes they get really pointed out.

At least we are not afraid of admitting our riding faults.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

> MIE do you wear moutain horse winter riding boots. cause I swear I have the same pair. lol! (random I know)


YEP! LOL! I love Mountain Horse Boots very much. I have 4 pairs. 2 winter and two summer - one being schooling and one for showing.


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## nirvana (Sep 14, 2009)

^haha! thats awesome. I just have the one pair and I love them. Kepp my feet warm and dry in snow knee deep!


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## roro (Aug 14, 2009)

-my lower leg slides back and I start to lose my stirrup
-I tip forward
-I'm not assertive enough with my horse ie I give too much time for transitions and turns
-my arms can be stiff
-I look down at the horse more than I look straight ahead
-my left side is stronger than my right, same with my horse (what a wonderful combination!)

I have quite a bit don't I? When I ride most of these problems aren't too bad, except when I stop focusing then they can come back.


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## OdinsOwn (Dec 30, 2009)

I have too many problems to list! 
But my main one I would say is bracing against my horse with my hands/upper body (which in turn can cause me to tip forward also). He's always been very strong and used to be unpredictable so its been really tough for me to break this habit! However when I can manage to relax my core and give with my hands and be soft when he's having a moment instead of clamming up he softens back...
And the list would surely go on from there if my brain was in thinking mode and I had all night to type


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## tealamutt (Aug 21, 2009)

I just had a lesson tonight so my flaws are excruciatingly fresh in my mind.
elbows drift away from my body resulting in the amazing chicken lady position, I look down at his ears and watch the pony go round, way too much inside rein, not nearly enough outside, and I lose my left stirrup a lot due to lack of weighting that heel enough. Oh yes there are many more, but those are the ones I am constantly trying to fix.


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## nirvana (Sep 14, 2009)

^hehe!


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## cmassam (Oct 3, 2009)

Hmm...lets begin...

1. I'm weaker on my right side than the left side..
2. I need to put my heels down more!! Grrr....this can be so irritating at the sitting trot!!
3. Totally guilty of letting myself and my horse collapse from downward transitions!

There are many more!!

Wow this whole confessing your riding sins is wonderful!!


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## justsambam08 (Sep 26, 2009)

Well, to start off with, I tend to lean slightly to the left, or at least I think I do....I'm also left handed, and so is my horse! We make a bad pair, lol.

-I tend to let my heels come up when we're going from a trot to a walk.....this made me lose both my stirrups when he took off on me! But on the bright side, if I ever ask for a trot and he takes off on me, I know I can keep my seat....I did it with one foot once!
-I don't use my core as much as I should for posting. This is really bad because I have a bad knee.
- I'm a little bit of a nervous rider. It really only applies when I'm trying something new, because I have NO IDEA how Ice will react. Once we've done it a few times, I have no problems.
-I also look at him rather than in front of me a LOT. But he really is just so picturesque....ears forward, happily plodding along....lol. But I notice when I do look ahead he feels a little lighter under me.


Just to even up things though, I thought I would list some of my attributes!

-I have light hands. I know when I'm being too hard, because Ice gets ****y and does things too fast or too hard. Its kind of hard to describe with words but its something that you know.

-I'm very patient with him. I've had numerous comments on this from anyone who's seen me ride him during our early days. He was very gate sour, and I've backed him in circles and all the way across the arena because that was the only way he would go.

-I'm very confident in my abilities. If I don't know how to do something, show me how to do it twice, let me read the mechanics of it, and I can pull it off pretty well. 

-I'm a quick learner!


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## CaptainLiecy (Sep 29, 2009)

Wow, where to begin? 
- I lean inwards on corners and circles, my instuctor calls me Eileen! ahhaha
- I get frustrated really easily at my old horse, but I have tons of patience with my new one. It's terrible, I think it's because I know my old one so much better, and I can tell when he's faking 
- To put my legs on, I sometimes pull my heel up and use my heel and not so much my calf. Urgh annoying.
- I'm constantly looking down! Which doesn't help my horse who is very heavy on the forehand.
- And again, with my old horse I expect him to learn things so much quicker because I had already taught him (he's coming back form a year's rest now). I need to be mroe patient!
- Both of my horses have had ligament injuries. On the same leg. I can't help thinking that it's all my fault, and I'm afraid to ride other people's horses incase I make them lame too. 

Phew, that was great to get that all out! I'm going to go and ride my old horse now, and I have a funny feeling that I will be able to be a bit more patient with him 


Note - when I say "my old horse" he's actually not that old (eighteen), but he's my first horse and so I refer to him as my "old horse". My second horse is my "new horse" but he's not that new


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## kmdstar (Nov 17, 2009)

Used to ride heavy handed which was my worst habit but I've overcome it!

Anyway, what I do know of is..
* relying on my hands too much and not my seat
* don't use enough leg
* I get really tense/stiff in the cold so my horse doesn't move as well :-(

Hmm, can't think of more right now but I assure you there IS more!


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## flamingauburnmustang (Dec 25, 2008)

Wow. When I read other people's posts, it helps me to remember some of mine that I may have forgotten! :lol:

I also tend to look at my horse's neck and head while riding...

When going down a gait I don't use myself properly so my horse sort of just dies into that lower gait... :lol:

And I used to get frustrated when I couldn't get my horse or myself to do something right, but I have been cured of that now. I actually have more patience now with horses than with people... :mrgreen:

LOL. Im glad some people are finding this useful. It gets it all off your chest. :grin:


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## beckyarchie (Aug 29, 2009)

i overthink jumps with fillers under neath if they are scary!!! i can jump a huge jump which is rustic, but put me in front of a 2" brick wall filler an im pooing myself!!! s because my horse has a habit of coming in to fillers crazy strong and then dropping her shoulder and ducking out reaaaally fast at the very, very last moment. ive hit the deck a couple of times and its so frustrating! ive started working on sitting her right back on her hocks and collecting the canter so im more in control and she cant steam-train into it, but its so hard! also, i tend to not focus enough on striding around a XC course which i know is bad, but i have too much fun! oh, and i need to work on riding a half halt with my stomach and core without holding my breath!


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## Tasia (Aug 17, 2009)

I bump. Meaning I bump the reins to round my horse but I was taught that way and its really hard to stop. Drives my coach nuts!

And I brace a little with my legs probley because my horse has to much bloody energy!


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Oh, where to begin!

Probably with my hands. I am terrible about keeping my hands in the right position when I'm riding. And my stirrups are painfully long...which I know should be fixed.

And when I'm barrel racing I have a bad habit of accidentally hanging on his mouth on the turn. I never think straight when I'm running.

Working on the errors


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## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

So I am the queen of looking down at my horse ...

Also my piano hands get me when I am not thinking ...


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

I've been thinking about what my answer to this question should be. If I had to pick one thing, it would actually be listening to all the wrong people over the years. I cannot count how many lessons I've taken where the instructor told me to do something that I either thought or knew that just wasn't right. I've always been stubborn, but never became really assertive until recently. I had the fortunate chance of coming across a rider a few years ago who taught me about riding a horse back to front with proper contact. At the time, I was really ticked off about all the years I spent riding around with loose reins on a horse that was just plodding along. Since then I have been an absolute knowledge junkie. I read every book I can find, try it all out, and see what works for me and my horse. I still take lessons, but I sure as heck speak up now if I hear something that doesn't feel right.


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## flamingauburnmustang (Dec 25, 2008)

LOL. Fortunately I've had good instructors in the past, and now I have an excellent one. I can imagine how much that must have sucked for you Puck...but it is good now that you are standing up for yourself now when you feel something isn't right. That's one thing a person must learn in life. :grin:


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## spence (Nov 8, 2009)

jeesh, what to say? i know that i've been hard on mouths before (not on purpose!), and have had a habit of leaning back at times when loping, but the worst habit i have is probably just lacking the right knowledge to work with the/my horse to get 'im to do what *I* want him to do. i'm on a learning curve still, but it's hard when it's winter and with a lack of things like a round pen... *sigh*


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## Tink (Feb 15, 2009)

Piano hands
Looking down
Leaning foward (in canter)

So my lessons are like: "Thumbs up!" "Look where you are going!!", Sit back, sit back, sit back!!"


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## Lottie95 (Feb 12, 2010)

I have just about everything wrong with me! My worst is my toes sticking out instead of forward especially when I'm jumping, I know it's like the most common problem ever! hehe


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## anrz (Dec 21, 2008)

Where to start, haha. My worst habit is that I tense my forearms and use them to try and muscle Thumper in to slowing down... and obviously that isn't going to work, haha. I've been improving in that, though! I don't release enough, and when I'm asking for the canter, I lean forwards . Obviously then they don't want to canter, because I drop them and am expecting them to hold up their end of the bargain while I don't hold up mine. Ah well, at least I know some of the things I need to work on . And that's what riding is all about- improving. It's a continuous challenge, haha. You never know everything!


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## nirvana (Sep 14, 2009)

anrz said:


> Where to start, haha. My worst habit is that I tense my forearms and use them to try and muscle Thumper in to slowing down... and obviously that isn't going to work, haha. I've been improving in that, though! I don't release enough, and when I'm asking for the canter, I lean forwards . Obviously then they don't want to canter, because I drop them and am expecting them to hold up their end of the bargain while I don't hold up mine. Ah well, at least I know some of the things I need to work on . And that's what riding is all about- improving. It's a continuous challenge, haha. You never know everything!


OMG its sooo true! No matter how long you have been around horses there is so many things you dont know! Its never ending!


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