2 Common Rider Errors:
These are common rider errors. I have experienced them all first hand, as a rider and an instructor.
a) Looking down- When riding a horse looking where you are going is important. Where you look effects your posture and your weight, these are cues that the horse feels. If you are going straight and looking down, it puts your weight ahead of the vertical or on the horses front end. If you are turning and looking down, you have not prepared your horse adequately for the maneuver. Completing the turn well will be hampered by the fact that your weight and posture are out of tune with your horses.
b) Using too much hand- Using our hands to try and correct or discipline our horses is extremely common. This is so common I believe it may be a result of biological tendencies. As a race humans are extremely dexterous. Our hands and fingers are a part of our successful evolution, and certainly our daily lives with touch phones, keyboards, etc. Riding however is a whole-bodied sport. Our performance is often hampered by over reliance on our hands. If you find yourself using your hands and not ALSO using your leg, weight, or seat, stop and adjust. From my experience, it is almost a guarantee that no matter what you are doing, you could do it better if you employed your other aides first or at least concurrently with your hand.
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