outside aids
- Thread starter Dannii5691
- Start date
Well you made me think - I know my RI makes me use my outside leg and rein but the term 'outside aids' sounds so important I thought there must be something more to it, so I did a quick google. I found this article on the outside rein which I really like because, for a change, the writer acknowledges the fact that some of us are dunces and doesn't make it sound as though it should be really easy (which it never is for me and then I get demoralised lol).
http://horselistening.com/2011/12/29/the-1-rider-problem-of-the-year-the-outside-rein/
http://horselistening.com/2011/12/29/the-1-rider-problem-of-the-year-the-outside-rein/
Before reading Bodshi's link I wanted to talk about my lesson yesterday which was about keeping Ziggy straight past an obstacle he wanted to avoid and then achieving bend. I need to learn to control his outside shoulder. Because I learn from a Ride With Your Mind instructor I don't get standard advice but here's what worked:
- the seat bone on the outside is behind the one on the inside and weighted less
- my outside leg is slightly behind the girth and applying
- the inside rein is giving decent contact to ask for bend
- the outside rein, bizarrely, is quite open but also with contact
- the outside of my whole body is strong and toned, "full"
To me, it is about turning using your outside aids rather than your inside ones.
So if I am on the right rein and I want to turn right, I turn using my left leg and my left rein (i.e. the outside aids). The inside rein keeps a contact to create bend, but the aid to turn comes from the left rein and the left leg. Previously I would turn using my inside rein only (i.e. the right rein).
This change has hugely improved the way that Ben goes and all of a sudden we have more straightness, roundness and collection. Maybe I will stop coming last in dressage tests soon....
So if I am on the right rein and I want to turn right, I turn using my left leg and my left rein (i.e. the outside aids). The inside rein keeps a contact to create bend, but the aid to turn comes from the left rein and the left leg. Previously I would turn using my inside rein only (i.e. the right rein).
This change has hugely improved the way that Ben goes and all of a sudden we have more straightness, roundness and collection. Maybe I will stop coming last in dressage tests soon....
Wow well this is a new concept!!! I liked that article B, though I did find it difficult to understand when talking about seat bones. So if were referring to our outside aids as everything next to the arena fence basically exactly how are we asking for the turn correctly
I would usually trot up the long side, maintain contact with the outside while asking for the bend with the inside. Inside leg on to ask him to step under himself and not motorbike.
Seat bones are a new concept to me. What do I do with them. Jane you mentioned your outside seat bone being behind your inside. Im confused how you achieve this? Are we talking about buttcheeks here??
Mp im pleased its improved yours and bens way of going
I would usually trot up the long side, maintain contact with the outside while asking for the bend with the inside. Inside leg on to ask him to step under himself and not motorbike.
Seat bones are a new concept to me. What do I do with them. Jane you mentioned your outside seat bone being behind your inside. Im confused how you achieve this? Are we talking about buttcheeks here??
Mp im pleased its improved yours and bens way of going
Seat bones are the two prongs of your pelvis. Sit on a chair or your saddle and you should be able to feel your seat bones. The way my RI teaches me, the contact between the seat bones and the saddle goes straight through to the horse's back, as if you are plugged in, and gives the strongest possible connection to the horse. I've seen it work when she rides my horses. She can ride Mattie through all gaits and steer him with no rein aids at all (he is bitless and hates people to hold his head), and with Ziggy she can get him lifting his back, all through her seat.
I've been working for years to get my back alignment right so that I have constant contact with Ziggy through my seat bones. It's easier bareback! Once I have that contact I can start to ask him to do things by weighting one seat bone more than the other or shifting it back (the shift is tiny, almost invisible to an observer).
If you're interested in this you might enjoy Ride With Your Mind lessons - I hope Juliecwk or Karin comes on soon as they learn this way as well. Someone like elm or ObC can give you a good explanation of the more traditional way of describing it.
Just like MP my RI says I should turn using my outside aids, only asking for bend with the inside rein.
Let me know if you would like to borrow a book!
I've been working for years to get my back alignment right so that I have constant contact with Ziggy through my seat bones. It's easier bareback! Once I have that contact I can start to ask him to do things by weighting one seat bone more than the other or shifting it back (the shift is tiny, almost invisible to an observer).
If you're interested in this you might enjoy Ride With Your Mind lessons - I hope Juliecwk or Karin comes on soon as they learn this way as well. Someone like elm or ObC can give you a good explanation of the more traditional way of describing it.
Just like MP my RI says I should turn using my outside aids, only asking for bend with the inside rein.
Let me know if you would like to borrow a book!
I'm here....and reading your replies eagerly....I still feel quite an un-educated rider and have also noticed lately that I am seriously a wonk with my contact/hands/reins....so over last few weeks I've been focusing on this. I am learning to also turn using my outside rein (self teaching as not got a lesson for a few weeks). What I am trying to do is 'full my outside rein' and focus on keeping the outside rein during a turn - I basically normally resort back to just opening the inside hand and creating a ridiculous scrunched turn and fall through the outside shoulder?!? The last few schooling sessions I have been using a grab strap on my D rings and I have been holding this with my outside hand to create a better contact for the outside rein, it's been really working!
I am going to ask my RI in a few weeks to explain it in a RWYM way so will report back when I get some info!!!
I am going to ask my RI in a few weeks to explain it in a RWYM way so will report back when I get some info!!!
What a good idea - I might give this a try as I really struggle to do hands and legs independently - was the same when I tried step aerobics, what a mess!! If I could anchor my hand while I sort out my bottom half it might really help!
Oo jane id love to borrow a book. Im still trying to find my seat bones though I am rather well padded lol!
I will try the grab strap trick. Atm I struggle with my hands and they seem to come up with him. Not sure why. But im working on keeping them low and maintaining a contact while not hanging onto his mouth and pushing him forward but controlling his speed with my body (doing none of the above very well I must add )
Im rather intrigued about this new (to me anyway) concept. Off to read the RWYM diary!
I will try the grab strap trick. Atm I struggle with my hands and they seem to come up with him. Not sure why. But im working on keeping them low and maintaining a contact while not hanging onto his mouth and pushing him forward but controlling his speed with my body (doing none of the above very well I must add
) Im rather intrigued about this new (to me anyway) concept. Off to read the RWYM diary!
Lol my diary isn't the best, it's not very detailed as such!
I just hook my outside hand little finger under the grab strap, keeps my hand still and gives me a resistance which I am finding very very helpful!
One of my last posts on my diary shows me trotting with the use of the grab strap - there's a massive difference in our way of going!
I just hook my outside hand little finger under the grab strap, keeps my hand still and gives me a resistance which I am finding very very helpful!
One of my last posts on my diary shows me trotting with the use of the grab strap - there's a massive difference in our way of going!
PM me your address and I'll lend you the "Ride with your Mind Essentials" which is the simplest, without the long chunks of text and odd metaphors that some people find off putting. If you get on with it I have others being a bit of a geek!
I am hopeless with my hands, but I have to say that learning when trotting or cantering a circle that I had to have contact with my outside hand to support him was one of the best things I ever learnt. My right hand however does seem to have a life of its own - I fully believe it is an open hand but sometimes it is not!!!
I have not replied sooner as I have had to really think about how I ride.
When I am asking for a turn off a corner, going in to a circle or movement requiring coming off the track I do not change my contact on either rein but use my outside leg to ask for body to turn and my inside leg to support and allow his body to turn round it. I turn my shoulders to the direction I want to go and this is reflected in my hips and seat.
If i change anything at all it is lifting my inside hand so he flexes to the inside to encourge bend.
When I am asking for a turn off a corner, going in to a circle or movement requiring coming off the track I do not change my contact on either rein but use my outside leg to ask for body to turn and my inside leg to support and allow his body to turn round it. I turn my shoulders to the direction I want to go and this is reflected in my hips and seat.
If i change anything at all it is lifting my inside hand so he flexes to the inside to encourge bend.
To me it is akin to turning the horse on the haunches so that the weight stays off the forehand, aids much as OBC says but think about pushing horses shoulders round not leading with inside rein. Riding the horse form inside leg to outside hand is more about straightness and connection. More problems come from hands too low than too high ... think of anchoring at your elbow and not dropping your forearm.
I do remember reading a Richard Maxwell book where he said if your horses head is high, raise your hands.
Most people lower their hands to combat that, but I think EML has a very good point.
I have been a culprit of as my very BHS'y previous yard owner said, having a steering wheel rather than riding the horse.
I think it is a very good point.
It's really interesting that my RI said exactly the same thing about my elbows - stick them to my sides, move my hand and not my elbow if I want to open the rein. Different methodology, same advice!
Coincidentally (or not!) we covered this in my lesson today. Sooo interesting! What I took from the lesson regarding outside aids was mainly that I need to be much softer. Hands have to give, not be fixed, but the main thing was that I have to use my legs very much more than I tend to do (in an intelligent way, not a harsh way).
Turning is much more effective if I use both sides of my body. My lazy tendency has been to rely on inside leg and inside rein to make a turn. Today I learned that I got a far superior turn using both sides of my body, shoulder, hand, hip, seat bone and leg both sides of my whole body. You need a floppy bottom to get your seat bones to move softly, you need to support with your outside leg as well as weighting your inside leg and you need to turn with shoulders and hips round the turn too. Oh! ...and unfixing the contact in your hands starts from your shoulders too!
Brain is a bit tired now though....
Turning is much more effective if I use both sides of my body. My lazy tendency has been to rely on inside leg and inside rein to make a turn. Today I learned that I got a far superior turn using both sides of my body, shoulder, hand, hip, seat bone and leg both sides of my whole body. You need a floppy bottom to get your seat bones to move softly, you need to support with your outside leg as well as weighting your inside leg and you need to turn with shoulders and hips round the turn too. Oh! ...and unfixing the contact in your hands starts from your shoulders too!
Brain is a bit tired now though....
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