Need help with my posture

[kahjul]

So, watching videos, etc I realize that I compress my center. My trainer has been drilling me on 'sit up tall and elegant' and when she says that I do it instantly-it feels like I get 6" taller when that happens and my horse feels better under me. However, within just a few strides I'm doing it again! Can anyone come up with a key word or phrase or something to help me remember this? I think what happens is the second I think of something else, it's just gone from my head until I'm reminded again. I need something to trigger it in my thick head! Any advice/ideas?

[slc2]

Point your **** east and west!!!!

[Ambrey]

I've really been enjoying the Mary Wanless book, and she has a few things in there to help remind you to keep yourself tall. Not that it's working for me yet, but it might work for you ;)

[Fixerupper]

T!ts up!

[pintopiaffe]

If you have any kind of back support (professional's choice type) you can wear it backwards. That will help while you establish the muscle memory and strength.

But truly, having gone through this myself and made a dramatic change--until an injury and now starting over again--you have to think about it ALL THE TIME. Most especially when walking... EVERYWHERE. To work. In the store. Doing chores. Just correct, correct, correct.

When sitting--particularly at the computer or a desk when we tend to slump forward to type or write. Correct, correct, correct.

You can't have enough strength to stay upright when riding if you don't have it in everyday life. Try to always have the posture of a dancer or artist.

[Dressurfan]

an instructor told me to take the three things you most need to work on and repeat them in a rythm while you are riding. for example, "stretch up, long leg, ride forward." So each stride would be one word and you would address that issue in that stride. Obviously there are a million things to think about in dressage, but to fix a problem like that you need to simplify things. Even if your horse isn't going at his 100% best because you take 10 min to work mostly just on your posture, like you said, your horse gets better when you fix your posture anyway.

[Ambrey]

an instructor told me to take the three things you most need to work on and repeat them in a rythm while you are riding. for example, "stretch up, long leg, ride forward." So each stride would be one word and you would address that issue in that stride. Obviously there are a million things to think about in dressage, but to fix a problem like that you need to simplify things. Even if your horse isn't going at his 100% best because you take 10 min to work mostly just on your posture, like you said, your horse gets better when you fix your posture anyway.

Yep, my trainer says the same thing! Have a tape in your head on a constant loop with the things you are trying to fix. "Heels down, shoulders back, thumbs up!"

[Perfect Pony]

I have just started riding "proper" dressage. The only thing that has helped me find my correct upper body position is to think "belly button forward" and to concentrate on using my abdomen more. If I try to think about sitting tall or stretching up it still does not address the most important part, the core.

[InsideLeg2OutsideRein]

Core Strength. That will take work outside the saddle.

[Foxtrot's]

There has been a thread here on "shoulders back". I personally did not read it, but should have. My daughter tried one and said "OMG, it has changed my life. I even sleep better", and she is one fit and healthy rider/athlete.

[thatmoody]

This is a good thread for me, as I've been struggling with something similar. I have pretty good posture in general (and I'm doing a lot of yoga to work on the core strength) but my arms, oh my gawd my arms! When I have contact they just want to go forward and remove the bend in the elbow! Which of course throws my posture/shoulders/everything off. I swear I'm going to get a string and tie it around my arms so they stay back!

I know the problem - I've ridden western (worked cows, actually) all my life, and while I never sat like a sack of potatoes I never had contact on a horse in my life. So I feel that mouth on the end of the reins and want to immediately relieve the pressure. It's frustrating.

[nhwr]

Pilates

Mr nhwr used to say that the only time I ever sat up was on a horse. Honestly, it was very uncomfortable for me to sit properly. I started taking Pilates at a local community collge about a month ago and I can not believe the difference. I felt it after the first session.

[WindsongEq]

Stretch your head straight up towards the rafters, knees and heels down toward the earth, shoulders back & down, elbows down, ribcage or boobs up, neck long, and ride as if you have a glass of champagne on your head.
For me if I just think "glass of champagne on my head" it is my "buzz word".

[goeslikestink]

look here and makesure your stirrups are right lenght as that effect your position http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=168593

[GallantGesture]

I agree to make sure your stirrups are the right length, and also double check that your lower leg hangs under you and not in front of you. Rotate your toe in towards the horse until you feel your thigh flatten against the saddle, then point your toe straight forward and let your leg stretch down under your without taking your knee/thigh away from the saddle. If your lower leg is in front of you, your upper body will want to tip forwards. If your leg position is correct, make sure you are sitting correct on your seat bones (so your pelvis isn't tipped too far forward or back), then think belly button up and shoulders open. Then get someone to stand there and remind you every few strides or as needed until it becomes habit! It takes time to build the muscles and muscle memory to change your posture, you can't expect yourself to change it in a day.

[lindasp62]

Well...I have been reading all this...and find that this is what I try to achieve...and when I do...I end up arching my back! Trainer said this is wrong....so, to sum, when I do boobies north, stretch up, belly button foreward, shoulders back heels down,leg long...it all tends to arch my back...what's the deal with that????? :confused:

[Petstorejunkie]

lengthen your front line
and buy an enell bra. fixed me!

[kahjul]

Ok, so friend at work today-not horsey-asked where my eyes are most of the time. Well, most of the time, but not always they are on my horses neck. She suggested something bright and colorful where I usually have my eyes and everytime I see it I will be reminded to get tall. I put a bright yellow childs barrette in her mane and it worked great!! I was reminded almost constantly and my hold ride was great. So, I will continue this for a while and see if I get some muscle memory going.
I also agree w/linda that the boob references all put a hollow in my back, butr just reminding myself to be tall seems to work. I also really liked the reference to 'the posture of a dancer'. That one seems to help not only my posture but it slows me down a bit mentally.
Thanks!!

[EqTrainer]

If you "sit up tall" you most likely will pull your upper body away from your lower body, effectively disabling yourself. Ever wonder why some people look so pretty but can't ride.. and some people look so awful but can? This is the crux of that matter.

Beyond core strength, which is important, what you want to do is slide your shoulder blades DOWN the back of your back and breath UP thru your body, not DOWN into your chest. As soon as you do this, you look JUST like you are "sitting up and pulling your shoulder back" but you are now a powerhouse instead of a willow wisp. Try it ;) and I don't mean just a little bit, I mean exaggerate it, and get a feel for what it feels like to be that solid.

Don't be fooled by the mixed message either. You may feel like Humpty Dumpty but your horse will be saying HELL YEAH she finally quit whipping around up there, what a relief. And if you see yourself in a mirror, you will magically appear to be sitting up straight with your shoulders back and boobs up. I figure why question it, just run with it!

[EqTrainer]

Oh - one last thing to remember - your horse emulates your posture. Not as if he were making fun of you, no :lol: but if you lengthen your front line.. so does he ;) you don't want that. You want him to lengthen his top line, not the underneath of himself.. shorten yours down and he will, too :)

[goeslikestink]

frust the bust and chin up and look between the horses ears

[BaroquePony]

Developing correct posture in the saddle (as well as on the ground) means that you also have to develop and train your mind to concentrate and focus.

You must focus and develop an inner dialog with yourself about where you are training your body parts to go.

It is a mental discipline as much as it is a physical one.

It is about training and conditioning both the mind and the body.

The "dialog" that several have mentioned here is important. It is basically a "mantra" or a rythymic phrase that will help you bring both the mind and the body together. Every riders "mantra" will vary to some extent because evrey rider has their own specific weakness(es) in the saddle. It is not about obtaining perfection as much as it is about strengthening your weaknesses and coming into a supple balance that influences your horse by being able to apply the aids from a basis of supple balance.

It is also true that if you train yourself to ride correctly, your horse will follow.

[staceyk]

Thinking about individual body parts and their position may work for me sometimes, but I have the best luck when I focus on the horse -- specifically, that my job is to get him to lift his back. This means I need to wrap my legs softly around him and draw him up into my seat, and stretch my upper body like I'm strying to draw his body up. Somehow this makes my position better.

I read an article by Richard Weis (The posture does the riding?) and he offers a number of metaphors. It helped to read his description of riding as "both sitting and standing" and that the rider's weight drops into the ground.

[rileyt]

It may be that you just need a catch phrase to remember (some have been suggested). But I'll tell you about my own battle...

Several years ago (after spending the last 10 years curled over books/desk/computer for 12-14 hours a day), I took a look at a picture of me riding and went "UGH!". My shoulders were hunched, my spine was collapsed... and I thought... "I didn't USED to look like this? What happened?" Havind had 2 kids a full time job, I found myself firmly planted in the ranks of "adult amature"... with all the associated problems.

Plus, the horses had been telling me for years.

I had a nice youngster I was working with, and I REALLY REALLY needed to have that stability in my seat, core, and (by extension) my hands... and it just wasn't there.

Then I realized, that I was probably asking my body the impossible... to hunch over a desk for 12 hours, and then go ride with a good position. But I didn't have time to take on an additional 3-4 hours of pilates a week.

So... I think just like diet... the best changes are the ones you make to your daily life... little by little.

I started by making good posture my New Year's Resolution. And I put hundreds of little reminders in my Outlook calendar so that I'd get 4-5 reminders per day to sit up straight, shoulders back, etc. etc.

When I'd walk out to lunch, I'd remind myself to engage my abs and keep my shoulders back.
When I was on the elevator (alone) I'd do shoulder shrugs or put my hands over my head and stretch up.

What a difference a few years makes. After several years of just taking care of these basic things... and paying attention to how I sit, stand, walk, etc. My posture on and off the horse is MILES better. I now also have time for pilates, which is great too.

But I guess my sense is this... I don't know what you do for a living, and I don't know how old you are... but I think its really hard to train your body to do one thing for one hour a day, when you let it do something totally different the other 23 hours.

Just my perspective! ;)

[lindasp62]

If you "sit up tall" you most likely will pull your upper body away from your lower body, effectively disabling yourself. Ever wonder why some people look so pretty but can't ride.. and some people look so awful but can? This is the crux of that matter.

Beyond core strength, which is important, what you want to do is slide your shoulder blades DOWN the back of your back and breath UP thru your body, not DOWN into your chest. As soon as you do this, you look JUST like you are "sitting up and pulling your shoulder back" but you are now a powerhouse instead of a willow wisp. Try it ;) and I don't mean just a little bit, I mean exaggerate it, and get a feel for what it feels like to be that solid.

OKAY! This was my "lightbulb moment". This makes a lot of sense! Yes,yes, yes....it seems like I was pulling my upper body away from the lower..and with my archimg problem-no joy.. I rode the other day with the idea of sliding my shoulder blades DOWN the back of my back. It really did plant me firmly, and I even got a more solid sitting trot out of the deal (my horse was happy with that!!) ! It is not ingrained yet and have to keep reminding myself...but will make "Blades DOWN;Breathe UP" as my mantra!!! :D

[EqTrainer]

OKAY! This was my "lightbulb moment". This makes a lot of sense! Yes,yes, yes....it seems like I was pulling my upper body away from the lower..and with my archimg problem-no joy.. I rode the other day with the idea of sliding my shoulder blades DOWN the back of my back. It really did plant me firmly, and I even got a more solid sitting trot out of the deal (my horse was happy with that!!) ! It is not ingrained yet and have to keep reminding myself...but will make "Blades DOWN;Breathe UP" as my mantra!!! :D

Great! Glad it helped you. Spread the word :lol: