# Balance



## Moxie (May 28, 2008)

I've been riding now for a few months, and aside from being timid, I feel like I am doing well. 

One thing my instructor has said that I need to work on my balance. WHAT?! I don't _feel_ lopsided while up in the saddle, and I don't _feel_ unbalanced, but apparently I am? I don't know?

So, how can I first determine whether or not I am lopsided in the saddle (I thought I knew), how can I correct myself right away, and how can I work on balance out of the saddle.

I do have a balance board that I should use more.. :roll: lol Maybe that would help?


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Well.. I'm not that good but... Do you bounce in saddle at all when you ride trot or/and canter? If you do than you have a balance problem.  I know trotting without irons really help to build the balance, but I'd recommend that if you feel VERY comfortable to ride (as it may not be safe). 

Frankly, I remember the video you posted (I'm pretty sure it was your video) and you didn't look out of balance (but you were riding slow too).


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## Moxie (May 28, 2008)

I'll have my husband take some video of me riding today, and see what everyone thinks. Thanks Val!


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

One sure way to tell if you are balanced and have your "seat" is to take you feet out of the stirrups. 
I do it occasionally on rides when I start to feel lopesided. It will get you squared up pretty quick. 
I think everyone should do some bareback lessons for this reason. Its a great way to learn balance.


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## xkatex (Oct 7, 2007)

Vidaloco said:


> One sure way to tell if you are balanced and have your "seat" is to take you feet out of the stirrups.


I was always taught this as well. I find it best to have your horse on a lunge line (if they know how to lunge), cross your stirrups up over the pommel and start with trotting. If you can balance yourself well with no stirrups you are quite balanced. Its good practice! Also for balancing exercises, once you feel comfortable of course, let go of the reins and put your arms straight out. My instructor had me take my feet out of the stirrups and hold my arms out and do circles or hold them over my head. 

Just some ideas C=


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

xkatex said:


> cross your stirrups up over the pommel and start with trotting.


Everyone beat me to it!! xkatex, I'm pretty sure Moxie rides Western so it would be difficult to cross her stirrups over the pommel (LOL).


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## Moxie (May 28, 2008)

Yep, Imma western kinda gal. lol

I do ride a lot at the end of my lessons without stirrups, by the time my lesson is over, my right ankle is killing me, and it just feels better to have it out of the stirrup. 

I have always felt that I have pretty good balance. Like I said earlier, I'll have my husband take some vid's of me tonight for everyone to see.


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

Our instructor has us ride bareback before getting into a saddle. Then he has us do "airplane arms." Basically you sit bareback and hold your arms out at the side. It's much more difficult to balance this way. Starting this way has really helped us to have good balance. My daughter has mild CP and we have some trunk weakness and are still able to maintain good balance.


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## Arrow (Jul 21, 2008)

Yep--even a little bareback at a walk will help.


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

This is something I've seen instructors doing with little kids, but it helps them get the hang of their body and balance. They have to ride in rising trot without holding onto the reins - it helps stop them from leaning on the reins, but it's also really good for their balance. Once they get the hang of that (the horse is led, obviously), they play Simon Says: touch your nose, put your hands out like an aeroplane, wave your left hand. All in rising trot.

It'd probably be a bit undignified for us grown-ups to do 'around the world', though xD For those who have never encountered it, it's when you have to turn around on your saddle and end up facing back where you started - so yes, you've got to swing your legs over the horse's neck and bum!


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

I would strongly suggest try riding on the lunge line as well, without reins. This really really forces you to think about your seat, and push that tush down into the saddle. :razz:

Balance is more than just not flopping around in the saddle. It involves your ENTIRE position, not just your seat. A good rider will have good balance, which means relaxed shoulders, quiet hands and quiet seat, firm, quiet legs (not gripping, but relaxed and not moving around), eyes up, good posture, etc. Balance is about being in tune with your horse, moving with his movements, completely in sync with him. Now obviously this is something that takes work to achieve and I don't think that any rider can ever have perfect "balance," all the time since every horse you ride is different. 

So yeah, lots of time and practice, riding different horses and riding on the lunge without reins should definitely help.

Would love to see some videos as well! Good luck, and I'm sure you're doing great!


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

claireauriga said:


> It'd probably be a bit undignified for us grown-ups to do 'around the world', though xD For those who have never encountered it, it's when you have to turn around on your saddle and end up facing back where you started - so yes, you've got to swing your legs over the horse's neck and bum!


It may not be the most dignified thing in the whole world but that's how my ten year old and her middle aged mother started out. Yeah, I may have looked a bit goofy sitting bareback on a horse with my arms stretched out at my side but it really helps with balancing and separating body from arms and helping you not to use the reins and horn to balance. My daughter and I also did the around the world thing. That's hard work!


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## Moxie (May 28, 2008)

Thanks everyone for the great posts!!! 

I just got back from my lesson and silly me forgot my camera, but I am happy to report that I have made HUGE progress, and well I highly doubt my balance is as bad as my instructor lead me to believe before.

I will be doing bareback this winter, and I did ride a good 15 mins without stirrups. Even with that, I started holding my reins with one hand, and that seemed to help with security, and balance. 

With all of the work that I did today, I cant see how my balance would be off. But everyone's tips are fantastic, and I will keep them all in mind if needed in the future. I will be posting a riding lesson here soon next week to be critiqued. 

I need to go ice my butt now.


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## SonnyWimps (Feb 22, 2008)

Joshie said:


> It may not be the most dignified thing in the whole world but that's how my ten year old and her middle aged mother started out. Yeah, I may have looked a bit goofy sitting bareback on a horse with my arms stretched out at my side but it really helps with balancing and separating body from arms and helping you not to use the reins and horn to balance. My daughter and I also did the around the world thing. That's hard work!


I agree it does help alot!
Also bareback work will greatly help!!! I had HORRIBLE balance before I started riding bareback. I went out and bought a simple bareback pad (I got the Tacky Too bareback pad) and it did wonders with my balance.


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## Harlee rides horses (Jan 13, 2008)

Take your feet out of the stirrups...?

What my friends and I used to do for balance is put a barrel on a trampoline and everyone bounce while you're on the barrel so it's like riding a bucking horse. It was great.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Moxie said:


> Thanks everyone for the great posts!!!
> 
> I just got back from my lesson and silly me forgot my camera, but I am happy to report that I have made HUGE progress, and well I highly doubt my balance is as bad as my instructor lead me to believe before.
> 
> ...


:lol: :lol: glad we could help.


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## danmur (Feb 22, 2011)

HI,

Two things i did to overcome this problem is firstly get onto youtube and watch people doing it correctly and having no problems whatsoever, even on a subliminal level this can help. Secondly at night visualize yourself doing it perfectly and being completely balanced and i promise it works not just for this but lots of other things in horse riding also, it is very powerful

Danny


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## danmur (Feb 22, 2011)

HI,

Two things i did to overcome this problem is firstly get onto youtube and watch people doing it correctly and having no problems whatsoever, even on a subliminal level this can help. Secondly at night visualize yourself doing it perfectly and being completely balanced and i promise it works not just for this but lots of other things in horse riding also, it is very powerful

Danny

Read more: http://www.horseforum.com/horse-riding/balance-16335/page2/#ixzz1EiVPpwd8


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Moxie said:


> I do ride a lot at the end of my lessons without stirrups, by the time my lesson is over, *my right ankle is killing me*, and it just feels better to have it out of the stirrup.


There ya go. 

If you are putting a lot of weight into your stirrups, without realizing it, you are starting to lean left to avoid the pressure on the right ankle.

What did your instructor suggest you do to help with the balance issue?


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