# Can't stay in the two point!!?



## ShahzebNasir (Jul 3, 2014)

Hey everyone! I'm new to the HorseForum however I already have a question that is begging to be answered: how do I stay in the two-point position?! I am extremely new to riding, in fact I just finished my 11th, 35 minute group lesson just two hours ago! I have been riding for just under two weeks as I have 6 group lessons every week because apparently the horses don't like seeing too much of me :lol: no jokes the school is closed on Sundays! 

I am currently working at perfecting the rising trot and I can feel myself improving LOADS every time I get on the horse! The instructor is saying I'm progressing well and that I am on track with riding. He said he has seen me improve with each lesson which is great however I can't seem to stay in the two-point position. I am pretty fit and lean because I used to play loads of basketball and I am what one would call athletic however I can't seem to stay in the two-point position for long during the walk. Today my instructor asked me to stay in the two-point position during the trot and I just couldn't seem to do it! I felt awful at the end of that session about my riding abilities. 

I won't be allowed to move onto the canter unless I can keep the two-point in the trot! How do I do it well? I struggle with it in general not just in the trot. I know my weight should be in my heels but should I grip with my thighs and calves the way you do when you post to the trot or should I be standing in the stirrups? How should I keep my balance? Also when the horse turns I usually need to sit down because I can't keep standing! I really need help with this guys! I just need help with this because so far I can trot pretty well, I can walk well obviously well now hahaha but the two-point, specially doing the two-point during the trot are really killing me! 

Do you have any tips? Will I get better over time? I really want to improve and be the best rider that I can!


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

You can't stay up because you're not strong enough and your balance is still being developed. Keep at it. It takes a few weeks of dedicated training, slower if you can't ride that much.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I don't understand this pressure to have people ride in 2 point unless they're going to start jumping and when you're first learning you simply don't have enough strength or balance to do it correctly, the 'lift' in 2 point doesn't come from standing in your stirrups - it comes from your thighs
Its certainly not something that's done in English riding in the UK at the level you're at. 
You shouldn't be gripping with anything when you post to the trot, maybe ask your trainer for some lessons without stirrups to strengthen your seat and leg position


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## CowboysDream (Nov 12, 2011)

And don't forget, you can ask your coach. He will be able to see where you are going wrong  But yes like DancingArabian said keep practising, you are just developing your muscle and balance. I used to not be able to stand in my stirrups at the trot and now I can pretty much do it as long as I want. 

Something that helps is to get the horse to maintain the same speed and keep your eyes up and pick something to look at in front of you.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

If the only time you ride are during your lessons, my suggestion won't help you since they are all riding homework things. 

First, to answer your question about whether you should be gripping with your legs or standing in the stirrups, the answer is no. By that I mean neither is right. Ultimately what you need is positive friction. It's easiest to learn by riding without stirrups. Unfortunately it's a feel more than anything, so it's very hard to explain in words. It's a happy medium between sitting there with your upper body collapsed and your legs flopping around like noodles and sitting with a rigid body and legs clamped on. It's a combination of balance and using your inner core muscles to stabilize your own body to not overreact to the horse's movement. 

Now that I'm completely confused you, my suggested exercise for strengthening your position and finding your proper balance point for 2-point is, vary the amount of time your stay in the up phase when posting the trot. At first post normal. Then stay up 2 beats and down 1. When that gets easy, stay up 3 beats, down 1. When that gets easy, start mixing it up. Even sit a few beats. What this does more than anything is help you find the proper balance point over your feet. So you don't catch your horse in the mouth, grab mane when you first start doing it. You will most likely fall forward/backward the first few times until you find the sweet spot. Once you've done the exercise enough times to where you think you've got it, keep your hands on the mane as a backup, but let go of any real tension on it so you are effectively holding yourself up. Hope that helps.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

How to Ride Two Point or Half Seat





 
Two point is not about standing up in your stirrups - yes your weight should sink down into your heels but if you stand up in your stirrups your body won't be in the correct line for the half seat/2 point position


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## equitate (Dec 14, 2012)

Stay in two point (also called balance position) is about 'balance'. If the leg is too far backward, you will fall forward (this should be illustrated by the instructor showing you (i.e. pulling the leg forward, you fall back/pull leg back you fall forward). The stirrup leather should hang vertically, stirrup straight across the ball of the foot. Foot almost pointed forward, knees low. NEVER hollowing the back. Think about a kind of slightly in front of the vertical squat, close to the saddle, no locking of a joint nor pinching inward. Initially you think about reaching up and touching the ceiling, then do less and less.

You have to learn to anticipate the horse's movement. That takes a while.

If you push the heels down too much the leg will slide forward and you will fall back. You absolutely should NOT grip with the thighs or calves; the 'adhesion' there is from the feathering from an opened hip/straighter thigh/lower knee/feathering into the heel.

If you stand in the stirrup you will be up onto your toes, but you want to think you are standing on a stair step and trying to touch your heels to the next lower step w/o becoming rigid in the knees.

A good test (on a lunge line) is to put the hands straight out to the sides and anticipate movement. (It is rather like learning how to walk on a narrow balance beam, it is a learned skill.

The more you do, the better you get. When I changed from western to english I worked on this 12 hours a day for three months (and won the east coast hunter title). Two point/posting w/o stirrups,e tc.

The rider in the pix is standing too far up and hollowed in the back.  When learning it is wise to have a neck strap (an old stirrup leather) or a part of a breastplate strap so if you accidentally fall back (into the saddle) you do not fall behind the motion and onto the horse's back.


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## TXhorseman (May 29, 2014)

I think that teaching a two-point position in a rider's 11th 35-minute group lesson seems unusual. The only reason I can think of for this is to save the horse's back. But if the rider plops down because of balance problems, the theory backfires.

I initially encountered much difficultly when an instructor had me "stand in the stirrups." I never seemed to be able to achieve the balance. However, this instructor moved away, and I never tried the "two-point" position again for years. Now, it is no problem. Why? Because I have learned to relax when riding.

Tension causes stiffness. Stiffness slows reaction time. Balance requires almost instantaneous shifts in balance. As your center of gravity rises, the requirement for quick changes in balance becomes more important. 

As you learn to relax, gravity takes over and your center of gravity drops. The lower your center of gravity, the more stable you become. Such relaxation is more easily achieved when a rider is sitting. It often helps to have a rider take his feet out of the stirrups so he is not trying to "push" his weight down which is actually counter productive and tends to raise the center of gravity.


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## ShahzebNasir (Jul 3, 2014)

DancingArabian said:


> You can't stay up because you're not strong enough and your balance is still being developed. Keep at it. It takes a few weeks of dedicated training, slower if you can't ride that much.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Hmmm yeah I guess I am being a bit too ambitious hoping to canter within just two weeks of riding. I should focus more on enjoying my lessons and my horse rather than trying to learn everything all at once! So the two-point will come to me naturally?


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## ShahzebNasir (Jul 3, 2014)

jaydee said:


> I don't understand this pressure to have people ride in 2 point unless they're going to start jumping and when you're first learning you simply don't have enough strength or balance to do it correctly, the 'lift' in 2 point doesn't come from standing in your stirrups - it comes from your thighs
> Its certainly not something that's done in English riding in the UK at the level you're at.
> You shouldn't be gripping with anything when you post to the trot, maybe ask your trainer for some lessons without stirrups to strengthen your seat and leg position


Thank you for the reply! I'm sorry I wasn't clear enough, I don't grip with anything when posting, I'm pretty relaxed, but when I get pushed up I come down using my inner thighs and I squeeze with my calves to speed up the horse when he begins to slow down so that my speed stays constant. So like DancingArabian said I simply won't be able to do it because I'm a beginner? So I just need to give it time?


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## ShahzebNasir (Jul 3, 2014)

CowboysDream said:


> And don't forget, you can ask your coach. He will be able to see where you are going wrong  But yes like DancingArabian said keep practising, you are just developing your muscle and balance. I used to not be able to stand in my stirrups at the trot and now I can pretty much do it as long as I want.
> 
> Something that helps is to get the horse to maintain the same speed and keep your eyes up and pick something to look at in front of you.


Yeah! That's what my instructor told me to do too! He kept telling me in my first few lessons to look ahead and not down or at the reins... So I guess this is just a time/practice thing? hmmm I hope I do get a hang of it quick because I really do want to learn to canter soon so that I can begin intermediate riding! I'll just take it one lesson at a time then rather than looking too far into the future!


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## ShahzebNasir (Jul 3, 2014)

MyBoyPuck said:


> If the only time you ride are during your lessons, my suggestion won't help you since they are all riding homework things.
> 
> First, to answer your question about whether you should be gripping with your legs or standing in the stirrups, the answer is no. By that I mean neither is right. Ultimately what you need is positive friction. It's easiest to learn by riding without stirrups. Unfortunately it's a feel more than anything, so it's very hard to explain in words. It's a happy medium between sitting there with your upper body collapsed and your legs flopping around like noodles and sitting with a rigid body and legs clamped on. It's a combination of balance and using your inner core muscles to stabilize your own body to not overreact to the horse's movement.
> 
> Now that I'm completely confused you, my suggested exercise for strengthening your position and finding your proper balance point for 2-point is, vary the amount of time your stay in the up phase when posting the trot. At first post normal. Then stay up 2 beats and down 1. When that gets easy, stay up 3 beats, down 1. When that gets easy, start mixing it up. Even sit a few beats. What this does more than anything is help you find the proper balance point over your feet. So you don't catch your horse in the mouth, grab mane when you first start doing it. You will most likely fall forward/backward the first few times until you find the sweet spot. Once you've done the exercise enough times to where you think you've got it, keep your hands on the mane as a backup, but let go of any real tension on it so you are effectively holding yourself up. Hope that helps.


Thank you so much for the reply!! It wasn't confusing at all! I know what you mean by that 'feeling' that is hard to describe. Should I be bending at my knee when I hold the two point or should my legs be straight? Basically, should it 'look' like I'm standing in the saddle or should I look more like a jockey during a horse race? I did try the staying up for 2 beats thing but the bouncing motion made it really hard for me to stay up. I do have my last lesson for the week today so hopefully I'll have improved from yesterday!! How long on average should I be expecting to learn the two point in? Also even though I don't have my own horse (I live in a city  ) I do ride everyday so I guess that is like homework in a way :/


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## ShahzebNasir (Jul 3, 2014)

jaydee said:


> How to Ride Two Point or Half Seat
> 
> The basics of two point (half seat) - YouTube
> 
> Two point is not about standing up in your stirrups - yes your weight should sink down into your heels but if you stand up in your stirrups your body won't be in the correct line for the half seat/2 point position


She seems bent over in the upper body, is it supposed to be that way? Should I be leaning a little forward as well? I think I go more up than forward when trying to two-point, which is probably why I have to use my knees because my thighs are already above the saddle!! :O Oh my goodness! Is that what I'm doing wrong? Do I need to stick my bum out because at the moment it goes right out of the saddle and straight up


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## ShahzebNasir (Jul 3, 2014)

equitate said:


> Stay in two point (also called balance position) is about 'balance'. If the leg is too far backward, you will fall forward (this should be illustrated by the instructor showing you (i.e. pulling the leg forward, you fall back/pull leg back you fall forward). The stirrup leather should hang vertically, stirrup straight across the ball of the foot. Foot almost pointed forward, knees low. NEVER hollowing the back. Think about a kind of slightly in front of the vertical squat, close to the saddle, no locking of a joint nor pinching inward. Initially you think about reaching up and touching the ceiling, then do less and less.
> 
> You have to learn to anticipate the horse's movement. That takes a while.
> 
> ...


Wow!! I don't have the luxury of 12 hours a day and I'm not even sure I have the stamina to keep that up!! Congratulations on your win! That is the issue! I don't bend my back or hollow it in fact my back is the least of my worries. I think I'm rising straight up rather than being forward slightly unless I am supposed to go straight up in two point? When posting your hips move forward in a thrust motion is that what I should do when doing the two point or is it slightly different? I'll try the tips you've given me today!


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## ShahzebNasir (Jul 3, 2014)

TXhorseman said:


> I think that teaching a two-point position in a rider's 11th 35-minute group lesson seems unusual. The only reason I can think of for this is to save the horse's back. But if the rider plops down because of balance problems, the theory backfires.
> 
> I initially encountered much difficultly when an instructor had me "stand in the stirrups." I never seemed to be able to achieve the balance. However, this instructor moved away, and I never tried the "two-point" position again for years. Now, it is no problem. Why? Because I have learned to relax when riding.
> 
> ...


Yup I couldn't agree more with you!! I was definitely not very relaxed during the two point because I kept getting frustrated with myself for not being able to hold the position. I'll just take the lesson easy, not set sky high expectations like wanting to canter in two weeks and I'll do my best to stay relaxed. The thing is because my horses trot is soooo bouncy, sometimes I can't help but stiffen up. Oh well, I guess horse riding will teach me not only to relax when on horseback but also when facing any situation in my waking life!


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## TXhorseman (May 29, 2014)

ShahzebNasir said:


> Yup I couldn't agree more with you!! I was definitely not very relaxed during the two point because I kept getting frustrated with myself for not being able to hold the position. I'll just take the lesson easy, not set sky high expectations like wanting to canter in two weeks and I'll do my best to stay relaxed. The thing is because my horses trot is soooo bouncy, sometimes I can't help but stiffen up. Oh well, I guess horse riding will teach me not only to relax when on horseback but also when facing any situation in my waking life!


A bouncy horse is a good reason not to stiffen your body. A relaxed and supple body can react to movement, whereas a stiff body is reacted upon and thrown around. Also, if the rider becomes stiff, the horse tenses, and the trot becomes rougher. Think of your legs as shock absorbers. Keeping you muscles relaxed and your knees loose, allow your legs to open and close slightly with the movement of your horse.

The muscles and joints throughout the rest of your body work and adjust better to compensate for the movement of your horse if they, too, remain pliable.

In one of the stories in Paul Belasik's book "The Songs of Horses", the narrator tells of traveling to Japan hoping to learn how to shoot arrows from the back of a horse by taking lessons from a Samurai master. 

The teacher spent what seem an inordinate amount of time trying to teach his few students to sit and breath without even getting on the one horse he had as his school. Once, he took them to a small building constructed on stilts and gave them full cups of tea. He told the students to sit and hold the tea while he went to do something. He cautioned them not to spill the tea on floor of the building his forefathers built. While they sat, the teacher went and got his horse. He took it beneath the building and had the horse lean against one of the pillars to shake the building.

Trying to hold the cup still, one student spilled the tea on his clothing. Another spilled it on the floor. It was the student you kept his body loose who was able to let his body move with the shaking of the building while keeping his hands steady so the tea did not spill.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

OP - you need to look at the entire video - not just at the 'picture' at the start - I'm sure there are better ones out there but this isn't a bad tutorial and she does go on to discuss avoiding a hollow back towards the end
The purpose of 2 point is to take weight off the horses back when galloping and extended canter and to put the rider in a the correct position for jumping so yes you will be leaning forwards - how much depends on what you're doing. In the UK we don't have the US hunter/jumper style of riding or those classes and the canter in our hunter classes is ridden in 'full seat' other than when asked to gallop or extend the pace and in the jumping phase of working hunter


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## ShahzebNasir (Jul 3, 2014)

TXhorseman said:


> A bouncy horse is a good reason not to stiffen your body. A relaxed and supple body can react to movement, whereas a stiff body is reacted upon and thrown around. Also, if the rider becomes stiff, the horse tenses, and the trot becomes rougher. Think of your legs as shock absorbers. Keeping you muscles relaxed and your knees loose, allow your legs to open and close slightly with the movement of your horse.
> 
> The muscles and joints throughout the rest of your body work and adjust better to compensate for the movement of your horse if they, too, remain pliable.
> 
> ...


Wow!! That's a great example to give! Thank you! I did keep myself a lot more relaxed today and I found my rising trot to be so much easier even though I was forced to ride in sneakers (my boots broke literally 10 minutes before my class!)

Didn't do the two-point today but I'll definitely apply the techniques and tips you've given when I ride again on Monday!


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## ShahzebNasir (Jul 3, 2014)

jaydee said:


> OP - you need to look at the entire video - not just at the 'picture' at the start - I'm sure there are better ones out there but this isn't a bad tutorial and she does go on to discuss avoiding a hollow back towards the end
> The purpose of 2 point is to take weight off the horses back when galloping and extended canter and to put the rider in a the correct position for jumping so yes you will be leaning forwards - how much depends on what you're doing. In the UK we don't have the US hunter/jumper style of riding or those classes and the canter in our hunter classes is ridden in 'full seat' other than when asked to gallop or extend the pace and in the jumping phase of working hunter


Thank you so much for these photos!! Yes I should be leaning forward just slightly then! Although in the photo on the right of the man, it seems like he has quite a bit of weight in the stirrups! Now as a beginner I've heard that the stirrups are just there for your foot to rest so should I be using those? The video said that the rider should lift using the thighs so should my knees be pressed against the saddle? I tried the two point for a little bit in my lesson today and I stayed up longer when I leaned forward a little! Thank you so much for the help!


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## TXhorseman (May 29, 2014)

ShahzebNasir said:


> Wow!! That's a great example to give! Thank you! I did keep myself a lot more relaxed today and I found my rising trot to be so much easier even though I was forced to ride in sneakers (my boots broke literally 10 minutes before my class!)
> 
> Didn't do the two-point today but I'll definitely apply the techniques and tips you've given when I ride again on Monday!


Thank you for the feedback. It is always good to hear when someone tries something out and it works for them.


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## hunterjumper1998 (Feb 8, 2013)

Yes, balance will come from experience. When i first started riding at my old barn, i could barely hold it at the walk for more than a few seconds! Now i can walk, trot, canter, circle, or do whatever for pretty much as long as i want - with or without stirrups - in two-point! It will come...
Watch a few equitation medal courses on youtube and watch how they ride their fences. 
And yes, sink your weight into your heels. Pretend you're "melting" and your heels are where everything's dripping from lol but it does help. And that should be at all gaits, the heels down. 
Roll your knee into the knee roll of your saddle if it has one, that's why it's there.
Hold onto mane and the crest of your horse's neck. When i hold on i always give them scratches as a reward ^_^
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

OP, here's a good way to find your proper balanced 2-point position. Stand straight up in the stirrups and then almost sit down in the saddle without losing your balance. You will find you have to fold at the hips to do this, but that's was 2-point position is, a balanced almost sitting down position. If your thighs burn and scream for mercy when you do it, you've got it right.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

The man in the pic is eventing and most riders tend to have their foot further into the stirrup cross country than you would in an equitation class - but his weight is still sinking down into his heel and not on the toe - you don't want to be pushing yourself out of the saddle or you lose stability
The thigh is pressed against the horse for close contact - but that's not the same as gripping like a vice around the horse which will cause the wrong sort of muscle tension


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## Dawn854 (Aug 11, 2013)

It's all in the knees. They are your shock absorbers, the "link" between your upper body and lower leg. If they're relaxed and flexible, you should be able to absorb the concussion of the trot. Two point at the trot is hard! Sounds like you're doing very well to be where you're at now!


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## ShahzebNasir (Jul 3, 2014)

hunterjumper1998 said:


> Yes, balance will come from experience. When i first started riding at my old barn, i could barely hold it at the walk for more than a few seconds! Now i can walk, trot, canter, circle, or do whatever for pretty much as long as i want - with or without stirrups - in two-point! It will come...
> Watch a few equitation medal courses on youtube and watch how they ride their fences.
> And yes, sink your weight into your heels. Pretend you're "melting" and your heels are where everything's dripping from lol but it does help. And that should be at all gaits, the heels down.
> Roll your knee into the knee roll of your saddle if it has one, that's why it's there.
> ...


:O hahaha that is what I always imagine too! The dripping part while melting! I'll check those videos out then thank you for the suggestion. The thing is how do you keep yourself up without stirrups? For example when you stand in the stirrups you obviously have to balance in the stirrups and that lifts you out of the saddle, when you're posting to the trot the horse's bounce pushes you up... The two point without stirrups seems a bit impossible to me! How would you do that?? 

Yeah I love to give my school horse loads of scratches and rubs after riding he seems to love me for it! Also that is an absolutely beautiful horse in your profile picture! Is it a thoroughbred or an anglo-arab? I can't tell because the photo is really small! Thank you for your reply!


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## ShahzebNasir (Jul 3, 2014)

MyBoyPuck said:


> OP, here's a good way to find your proper balanced 2-point position. Stand straight up in the stirrups and then almost sit down in the saddle without losing your balance. You will find you have to fold at the hips to do this, but that's was 2-point position is, a balanced almost sitting down position. If your thighs burn and scream for mercy when you do it, you've got it right.


That makes it soooooooooooo much easier to understand! Thank you for that! Although won't this method teach me to rely too much on the stirrups? So far every website, book, blog, article, etc. I've read seems to say that you should never need the stirrups for anything! How should I tackle that issue? Thanks for the reply!


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## ShahzebNasir (Jul 3, 2014)

jaydee said:


> The man in the pic is eventing and most riders tend to have their foot further into the stirrup cross country than you would in an equitation class - but his weight is still sinking down into his heel and not on the toe - you don't want to be pushing yourself out of the saddle or you lose stability
> The thigh is pressed against the horse for close contact - but that's not the same as gripping like a vice around the horse which will cause the wrong sort of muscle tension


OH WAIT!!! So you mean I'm not supposed to lift myself out of the saddle!!?? You mean just lift my bum out of the saddle while pressing lightly with my thighs like when you're coming back down in the rising trot and lean forward slightly while pressing with my calves for support? I THINK WE HAVE A BREAKTHROUGH!!!!! unless I've got it wrong hahaha! Is what I've said right?!


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## ShahzebNasir (Jul 3, 2014)

Dawn854 said:


> It's all in the knees. They are your shock absorbers, the "link" between your upper body and lower leg. If they're relaxed and flexible, you should be able to absorb the concussion of the trot. Two point at the trot is hard! Sounds like you're doing very well to be where you're at now!


Thank you!! Yes I've been keeping my knees A LOT more relaxed for the past few lessons! I can't wait to get back to riding this Monday! One day seems too long a break hahaha and ooooh no I am far from a good rider! I have loads to learn! I can just post well-ish to the trot  I hope to get the canter down well!


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## ShahzebNasir (Jul 3, 2014)

Also I have one other issue! My instructor tells me to stand in the stirrups in every lesson I have! I can do it pretty well when my horse is standing  not for too long when he is walking - I can only do it for a quarter of a round in the arena :-( and I was having trouble doing it during the trot because the bounce would move my thighs away from the saddle and then I would have to come back down into my seat... Ugggghhh why must things be so hard sometimes also the reason I'm a little edgy regarding my riding is because I'm 18 turning 19 in a couple of months and I feel I am wayyyy to old to ride! Some kids at the school have been riding for years and years and they're only 8 or 9!! How long realistically will I take to be at a level where I can show or compete? Also how is standing in the stirrups different to staying in the two-point? Standing in the stirrups and the two-point seem to be the things that really stop me from progressing quicker when riding. Thank you everyone who has replied so far! All replies have been really helpful and have helped me a lot! 

EDIT: I am incredibly grateful for having the opportunity to be able to ride! There are some people that don't even have the basic necessities of life and here I am being worried about how old I am! So ignore that part of the post! If it's the two-point and standing in the stirrups that have me complaining in life then I really have nothing in life to complain about! I'll just take my lessons slowly and not try to be an olympic athlete overnight so just ignore the age part of the post and do let me know how to improve my standing in stirrups and two point! Thank you all have a great day!


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Your thigh strength will give you that 'lift' from your knees that you need to raise your bum out of the saddle. 
Try to think that you need to be sitting 'into' your horse with the rest of your body to be strong and secure - that's where the 'melting down' idea comes in
The 'standing in your stirrups' exercise is a different thing to 2 point (or at least it is in my head' - it will help your balance, strengthen your legs and also put your legs in a good position so the stirrup leathers are vertical and not going back too far or forward too far. If you scroll down a short way in this link it shows 2 pics of someone called Joe demonstrating standing in the stirrups - Figs. 3a & 3b. You need to aim at staying more upright in this excercise
Secure Seat (SM): A Safe and Systematic Approach to Teaching Riding


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## ShahzebNasir (Jul 3, 2014)

jaydee said:


> Your thigh strength will give you that 'lift' from your knees that you need to raise your bum out of the saddle.
> Try to think that you need to be sitting 'into' your horse with the rest of your body to be strong and secure - that's where the 'melting down' idea comes in
> The 'standing in your stirrups' exercise is a different thing to 2 point (or at least it is in my head' - it will help your balance, strengthen your legs and also put your legs in a good position so the stirrup leathers are vertical and not going back too far or forward too far. If you scroll down a short way in this link it shows 2 pics of someone called Joe demonstrating standing in the stirrups - Figs. 3a & 3b. You need to aim at staying more upright in this excercise
> Secure Seat (SM): A Safe and Systematic Approach to Teaching Riding


Thank you so much for the reply!! I just had my last lesson of my 3rd week of riding an hour ago and I could do so much better than before! You're right about it coming to you with time because now I can keep the two point pretty good and I can stand in the stirrups to find the perfect position as well! I guess you just need time and dedication and all shall be well!!


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