# Riding Mantras?



## Zeke (Jun 27, 2010)

What are your current "riding mantras" or tips/advice you repeat to yourself as you're riding to help you avoid bad habits? 

For awhile when I was riding western and struggling to use my seat to gather the WP horse I was on to slow her down I was constantly thinking about "lifting my zipper". In other words I was trying to remember to not only keep my seat pockets under myself but also keeping myself rocked slightly back and out of the "hunter perch" my drill teammates razzed me for. 

Now I'm switching back to jumping and doing hunt eq again so no more fighting the forward perch of my hips and instead I'm all about "shoulder blades touching, chin up and hips back" while I head over a fence. That example isn't quite as unique as my first one though. 

I'll be chiming in with the silly things I came up with for my beginning riding students too. What are yours??


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I often say. "plug in your seatbones, plug in your heels"


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## QuietHeartHorses (Jul 31, 2012)

I feel your pain when it comes to switching disciplines. I rode western for about 10 years so I was very used to that seat, sitting on my pockets with my "belt buckle" pointed up, sitting the trot and staying loose. Then, I switched to english and I thought my trainer was going to give up on me. She was always telling me to bring my shoulders back, sit up straight, chin up, hands down, etc... It took a while to get used to, but I did it. Now, I'm going back to western and I'm having trouble relaxing back into that frame. Right now, I can't transition into a trot without immediately posting! Lol

Aside from the discipline specific stuff, I'm always telling myself to lengthen my leg, keep my heels down, relax, breath... Lol all the basic stuff.


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## Bedhead (Aug 4, 2013)

My trainer tells her western kids to hold the reins like you're holding a glass of water, and she tells the saddleseat riders to 'Sit on our elbows'. I'm still trying to figure out what exactly she means by that xD

My personal mantra is "I am _not_ coming out of this saddle!" My second favorite is "grab mane and pray" (though I usually only say these when either my horse turns into a Top Ten Reiner, or if the horse I'm riding starts getting squirrelly.).


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## AppleTime (Feb 19, 2014)

"Heels Down, Shoulders down" over and over and over!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## frlsgirl (Aug 6, 2013)

For every day English riding I tell myself "no collapsing" as I have a tendency to collapse in the middle and roll my shoulders forward, especially when I'm tired.

For rocky trail rides I use this "In all of your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path straight"


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## Zeke (Jun 27, 2010)

These are great, thanks for sharing so far!! 

Bedhead- Have you ever played the mounted game that requires riders to carry a glass of water while riding? My trainer likes to remind me to squeeze my fingers around my reins, "like I have a bird in each hand that will get away if I don't hold on, don't squeeze too tight and squish it though!!" lol. I used to remind my beginning riding students to hold their reins like ice cream cones, nice and upright, don't want to spill that ice cream! 

Sit on your elbows? Hm...I've never ridden saddle seat but that does funny things to my shoulders when I try it lol I'm sure I'm doing it wrong. 

frlsgirl- "no collapsing" you sound like me! I may have to steal that from you.


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

Just thought I'd add my perspective on the riding styles. I have primarily ridden dressage. When I went to college I joined the equestrian team. They had huntseat and western classes. My assumption was that I should compete in huntseat since it was English. In retrospect I really should have competed in western. I hated the perched-forward-arched-back seat that everyone tried to drill into me while I was riding huntseat. I would have been far far happier sitting deeper in a western saddle.

At the shows, we were assigned horses by random draws. You got on a horse you'd never ridden before and you rode your class. It might be a pasture puff who hadn't been ridden but three times in the last year or a lesson horse from a local riding program. One of the horses I was on bolted and bucked several times right before the class started. I stayed on, maintained control, and rode the class without further incident. I firmly believe that the only reason that I stayed on and recovered was precisely because I wasn't perched forward. I came in last (or close to it) in the class though.

At the next show I had a dressage school horse. She was an angel. We breezed through that class with one of the most lovely rides I'd had during those shows. I still came in last. That was when I came to the realization that showing huntseat just wasn't going to work out for me. I am by no means a perfect rider, but after 5-6 shows of very consistently coming in last or second to last despite riding with riders who had far less experience, I knew something had to change.

I quit the team and started taking western riding lessons at a local barn. I had a blast. The instructor also offered some huntseat lessons and I decided to take a few of those as well. After the second ride, she invited me to ride any of her lesson horses any time that I wanted -- she loved the way that I rode and thought they could benefit. It was just the boost of confidence that I needed. I talked to her about my negative experiences in the shows and she told me that she thought it was a more recent development in the huntseat world to be perched forward to such an extreme. They certainly have a more forward seat in general, but not to the extent that was rewarded in all of the shows that I had participated in.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

but where's the mantra?


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## Zeke (Jun 27, 2010)

Sorry to hear you didn't feel comfortable riding huntseat Eolith, the "hunter perch" I referred to myself having however wasn't something that made me uncomfortable and isn't the product of me striving for the over exaggerated eq seen at some shows. I have pictures to upload later to illustrate it, my eq isn't extreme or unnatural looking. My drill teammates mostly noticed that my back typically had a concave arch to it rather then the flat back typically seen on a western rider. I've worked on my eq in both disciplines and like to be able to ride forward and out of the tack when jumping obviously but then relaxing back into a deeper western seat when doing drill or trail. I'm glad you chose to ride deep during your show as a move of self preservation, that was a smart idea. 

Anything you repeat to yourself to help you ride better? You'll see in the pics I post later that I used to have a habit of keeping my hand very high while neck reining, now I over compensate with having my hands low in my jumping lessons. I feel yet another personal mantra coming on!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cielo Notturno (Sep 12, 2013)

"Don't look at the ground, look at the sky"

"Steady, calm, nothing's wrong" 

Those are my most common ones


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Breathe and smile, breathe and smile


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## Zeke (Jun 27, 2010)

Cielo, I have to remember to look up too! I sing to horses when I get nervous  

Golden- Smiling always helps, we ride because we think it's fun right??
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

Heh, sorry if I got a little distracted with writing my mini essay on riding to give a "mantra". ^_^ I didn't mean to imply that all huntseat riders ride horribly or anything either. I was happy as a clam in my huntseat lessons once I started with the instructor at the other barn. She may have been sort of just letting me get away with riding more dressage-like despite the tack though. 

Anyway, I guess my mantra is "have fun, while staying safe and in harmony with your horse". That's the main goal of riding in my book anyhow. I think that a good rider is able to move freely and comfortably with their horse -- and anything we do with our riding position should only facilitate that. It doesn't mean there's only one way to do it, although some things like steady hands and lowered heels do seem to apply across the board.


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## EquineObsessed (May 24, 2013)

When I was working as an assistant instructor, my mantra I would yell, to get them in a rhythm, was "Head up, heels down" The heads up is something I have to be reminded of. I tend to watch my horse all of the time. I don't have a specific mantra that I use a lot, though I should adopt a few, but I do hum and sing a lot when I ride. It helps remind me to breath, and I like to sing. Usually it is old country songs!


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## NeryLibra (Oct 9, 2013)

"Toes to the sky, shoulders to the tail." - Heels down, back straight.
"Outer leg goes forward, (my name) goes up." - Posting trot.
"Open fingers are broken fingers." - To keep myself from choking up on reins.
"*Enter lyrics to Italian Radio for beat keeping*" - Keeping a nice, steady trot/canter.
"Do not let Jackie stick a dressage whip down your pants." - A neato little trick she uses to force you to sit straight.
"Une, deux, trois, four five six, sheu, outa, nee, diez." (Please excuse poor other language spelling.) - rhythm counting in four languages, did it while really tired and switching languages. (French, English, Norwegian, Spanish.)
"Look toward the center of the rail and drive forward." - Perfecting the circle.
"Just past the ears but not to the end of the arena." - Keeping myself from looking so far ahead I miss ear signs.


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## JustWingIt (Jul 29, 2012)

Sometimes when I'm riding I get really tense and my arms get all stuck and things start to not work, so this winter, when I've actually been able to ride (darn you New England winter!!), my trainer tells me a few times per lesson to "wipe the snot off my nose" to get me loosened up haha


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## Nocturva (Mar 23, 2013)

"Shucky Ducky, Quack Quack" - When I'm nervous or happy lol


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

Lately I've been focused on using my breath more actively when riding. Letting my breathing half halt the horse, which is super fun actually haha. I always have my countdown to transitions, reminding myself to use my inside leg to bend the horses and continuing to work on making the horses more supple and not becoming too passive.
Riding with mantras is so important! Focus on each thing desperately and eventually it will all come together. If you're having a hard time, go right back to the most basic thing, and work your way up again.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I have the bad tendency to hold my breath when I ride courses xD So I try to count "one, two, one, two" to help with both rhythm and breathing.

I also think "chest out, shoulders back" xD Not that I need it.. /busty


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## princessfluffybritches (Aug 10, 2012)

I am thrilled reading this thread. Here I am wasting all my time singing stupid songs when I ride when I could be singing mantras!


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## Zeke (Jun 27, 2010)

On mantras are the best! Singing mantras sounds pretty fun  

I've tried using breathing to half halt a horse, talk about tough! Maybe if I'd had a mantra to repeat I myself I would've been more successful. 

Can't say I've ever tried counting/talking to keep rhythm as I've never really had a problem with it. After a few months off recently my muscles did not want to post well....it was embarrassing! Might try to remember counting for my rhythm when I'm having a tough time now. 

I'm loving all of these, keep 'em coming!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

It's always MY fault, not the horse's. Dang it!


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## corgi (Nov 3, 2009)

"Make it happen"

Hubby and I spent a week at a cattle ranch working cattle on horseback and we were faced with difficult terrain several times. One of the wranglers always said "Make it happen"

Now, when we trail ride and are faced with an obstacle or an uncertain horse, i will say to myself "Make it happen" and I usually do.


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## Zeke (Jun 27, 2010)

That's an awesome one corgi! I've said that in my life outside of horses, always a great motivator


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## JustWingIt (Jul 29, 2012)

Another one...
You'll have to excuse me tho, as it comes from a a non horsey experience and I now apply it to my riding.

I went on a hiking trip in the White Mountains with my school and my leader would always shout "TO THE SUMMIT" in a goofy voice every time we were faced with a difficult peak or a new mountain entirely to summit. It kept us in good spirits with the reminder that we'd get to the top...eventually. 

Now, especially on show days, I say it to myself to remind myself that anything is possible with hard work (as in climbing a mountain or making it around your first recognized events xc course)
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Paradise (Jun 28, 2012)

My last trainer told me a couple times "Don't think! Just ride!" Because I was bad at trying to micromanage every step.

Also its not really a mantra she taught me, but after she said it I've never forgotten. Its 'anything' you do, the horse is going to copy. So generally speaking if I sit hunched forwards with my butt sticking out and my hands in its face, the horse probably isn't going to collect and work correctly. If I sit on my pockets with my shoulders back and lift the horse up, its gonna come around sooner or later. 

I'll try and think of some more I've heard.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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