Is
your weight of your head being carried on the
'forehand' or the 'haunches'?
When you see photos
or videos are you looking down?
Is your coach always
telling you:
"look
up, LOOK UP"
Why it's considered so bad...
Safety &
Confidence
When
they rider looks down they can be more easily pulled off, or fall off.
It simply isn't a balanced, safe position.
When
the brain can 'feel' you out of balance you become less and less
confident. It's impossible to be truly confident when your brain
knows you are in a less stable position, and more likely to be in danger.
On the
forehand
When
they rider looks down put more weight on the horse's
two front feet.
When
the horse is "on the forehand" they loose power & impulsion because
the horse's front feet are bearing the additional weight of the rider's
position tipping forward & looking down.
They
have less comfortable paces, often rushing, are not as nice on the bit.
Advanced
Movements
The
additional weight on the forehand might show up as things like slower
shoulder in, or a slight 'skip' in the half pass, or flat & labored
flying changes as the horse heaves your weight with their shoulders.
The
horse might often drag one or both toes when riders look down & tips
forward.
Homework:
-
See yourself on video. Do you look down?
-
Try this: just sit on the chair....look down and feel how it
rocks you forward on your pubic bone, and when you look up it pulls
you onto the "crack of your butt".
-
On
your horse...look down and feel the two front feet get heavier.
Look up and the back feet feel heavier.
-
There are 9 more tips to follow...click NEXT.
Copyright © 2005
[Colleen Kelly. Improve Your Riding ABN 76799531257].
