Over the past two weeks I have discovered the key to riding! Ok well, not the absolute key but let's just say a key part to developing my seat further. I have always had a problem with hunching my shoulders. When everything is good nice and easy (aka I'm not really riding) then I can sit on the horse with my shoulders back and in great posture, but in the moment when I actually need to stay straight and strong in my upper body, I hunch my shoulders, fall a little bit forward and probably pull on the right rein! But now I have discovered the little area in the upper body known as the sternum. Yes, I know it has always been there but FINALLY I have started to use it! Keeping good posture and sitting straight really has nothing to do with my shoulders, I just have to remember to keep my sternum up and open. Each rib has to be separated! Seriously, it sounds crazy but really this has helped my seat tremendously. The action, motion, swinging movements (whatever you what to call it) of the horse's body has to flow through your seat and be absorbed without collapsing like a ragdoll. I use to try to keep my hips, legs, and seat so steady that I was absorbing all the movement in the upper part of my rib cage, making my sitting trot look like a slow moving wave, peaking right under my shoulder blades. But now that I have started to constantly remind myself of my sternum I have been able to absorb the movements throughout my entire body with the majority of it in the hips. This has made sitting the trot SOOO much easier. When I look in the mirror I really look as it I am finally moving with the horse as opposed to the flapping passenger. Now if I could only figure out how to give an aid at the same moment! Guess I need to save something for next week! Hahaha.
Hope everyone is enjoying some Spring weather!!!
-Meaghan
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
More Meyners Exercises
These are a few of the exercises that I worked on this week with Mr.Meyners.
1: 6-12 (Like the numbers on clock)
Lay on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the ground, and rotate your pelvis forward (6) and back (12). Try to alternate the speed and the height or intensity of each movement, but try to keep the exercise in motion.
2. Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Stretch your arms out to either side, shoulder length. Place one ankle on the other knee and let your knees fall from one side to the other while turning the head from one direction to the other.
3. Lay on your right/left side with your arm stretched out above your head, your head lying on your arm, legs long, and your pelvis at a 90 degree angle to the ground (this is the most important part). Lift both your upper body and lower body off the ground just for a few seconds, then rest and repeat. It is most important to keep your pelvis at a 90 degree angle to the ground, do not fall forward or backwards. It is better to repeat this exercise only a few times then switch sides. It more important to do it 5 times correctly than 10 times poorly.
To increase this exercise try to lift lower and upper body off the ground and then raise one leg higher up (separate your leg). If you are on the right side it is your left leg that you raise. Then lower your left leg back to the right one then back to the ground, don’t collapse on a heap in the floor. Make slow controlled movements.
4. Lay on your back with your arms stretched over your head and your legs long. Try to rise your upper body and lower body slowly and of equal height. If you are stronger with your lower abs don’t raise your legs rather than your upper can go, and vice versa. Repeat this same exercise while lying on your back.
5. Sit upright with your legs out in front of you in a triangle, with your pelvis as the tip of the triangle. Keep your legs long. Roll backwards onto your back and bring your legs over your head to touch the ground behind your head, then roll forward, legs back on the ground in front of your like a triangle and reach forward with upper body and arms. Don’t raise your shoulders to stretch further, just go as far as possible with your arms and upper body. Keep breathing and try to keep this a fluid motion, trying to heave your legs over your head and letting then mash down on the ground. (This is what happened on my first)
Each of these exercises should aid in suppleness and bringing together the right and left side of the body. Also the rotation of the head in the opposite direction as the legs aids in better coordination of the diagonal aids
6. To deepen your seat, sit either in the saddle or on a hard stool and have someone stand in front of you and make all different size circles (in all directions) with their finger. Try to follow their finger with only your eyes. Don’t move your head. It sounds crazy but it really works!
Have fun trying to make sense of these exercises. If anyone has any questions feel free to email me. They can be confusing!!
Good Luck and Viel Spass!!! (Have Fun)
-Meaghan
1: 6-12 (Like the numbers on clock)
Lay on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the ground, and rotate your pelvis forward (6) and back (12). Try to alternate the speed and the height or intensity of each movement, but try to keep the exercise in motion.
2. Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Stretch your arms out to either side, shoulder length. Place one ankle on the other knee and let your knees fall from one side to the other while turning the head from one direction to the other.
3. Lay on your right/left side with your arm stretched out above your head, your head lying on your arm, legs long, and your pelvis at a 90 degree angle to the ground (this is the most important part). Lift both your upper body and lower body off the ground just for a few seconds, then rest and repeat. It is most important to keep your pelvis at a 90 degree angle to the ground, do not fall forward or backwards. It is better to repeat this exercise only a few times then switch sides. It more important to do it 5 times correctly than 10 times poorly.
To increase this exercise try to lift lower and upper body off the ground and then raise one leg higher up (separate your leg). If you are on the right side it is your left leg that you raise. Then lower your left leg back to the right one then back to the ground, don’t collapse on a heap in the floor. Make slow controlled movements.
4. Lay on your back with your arms stretched over your head and your legs long. Try to rise your upper body and lower body slowly and of equal height. If you are stronger with your lower abs don’t raise your legs rather than your upper can go, and vice versa. Repeat this same exercise while lying on your back.
5. Sit upright with your legs out in front of you in a triangle, with your pelvis as the tip of the triangle. Keep your legs long. Roll backwards onto your back and bring your legs over your head to touch the ground behind your head, then roll forward, legs back on the ground in front of your like a triangle and reach forward with upper body and arms. Don’t raise your shoulders to stretch further, just go as far as possible with your arms and upper body. Keep breathing and try to keep this a fluid motion, trying to heave your legs over your head and letting then mash down on the ground. (This is what happened on my first)
Each of these exercises should aid in suppleness and bringing together the right and left side of the body. Also the rotation of the head in the opposite direction as the legs aids in better coordination of the diagonal aids
6. To deepen your seat, sit either in the saddle or on a hard stool and have someone stand in front of you and make all different size circles (in all directions) with their finger. Try to follow their finger with only your eyes. Don’t move your head. It sounds crazy but it really works!
Have fun trying to make sense of these exercises. If anyone has any questions feel free to email me. They can be confusing!!
Good Luck and Viel Spass!!! (Have Fun)
-Meaghan
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