The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SEVEN

See our "who's who" page! ^

[HairOfTheDog]

The FreeRepublic Saddle Club - Who's Who *pics*

This is a horse chat thread where we share ideas, ask for input from other horsemen, and talk about our riding and horse-keeping. We have a lot of different kinds of riders and horses, and a lot to share. In the previous threads we have had a great time talking through lessons, training, horse lamenesses, illnesses and pregnancies... and always sharing pictures and stories.

I always have a link to this thread on my profile page, so if you have something to say and can't find the thread in latest posts… look for it there and wake the thread up!

I also have a ping list for horse threads that are of interest, and Becky pings everyone most mornings. Let Becky (Paynoattentionmanbehindthecurtain) and/or me know if you would like to be on the ping list. As FreeRepublic is a political site, our politics and other issues will probably blend in…. There are many issues for horsemen that touch politics… land use, animal rights/abuse cases that make the news…. Legislation that might affect horse owners.

So... like the previous threads, this is intended as fun place to come and share stories, pictures, questions and chit-chat, unguided and unmoderated and that we come together here as friends. There are lots of ways of doing things and we all have our quirks, tricks and specialties that are neat to learn about.

Previous threads:

The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - thread ONE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread TWO!
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread THREE!
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread FOUR
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread FIVE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SIX

New folk and occasional posters, jump right in and introduce yourselves, tell us about your horses, and post pictures if you've got them!

[HairOfTheDog]

To stop from bouncing in the trot and canter, you want your weight in your butt

Hmmm.... I'd say weight in the stirrups, shock absorption in the ankle.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Well as you can see, riding is more opinion then anything:)

JMO, tho.

Becky

[Beaker]

Well as you can see, riding is more opinion then anything:
Without a doubt! :-)

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

LOL...more opinion.

Jenny and I was taught that you should be able to post without stirrups. (Not saying I can:), but that would put the biggest part of your weight on your knees, and inner thighs.

If your weight is in your stirrups, especially at a posting trot, it's hard to then use your calves and heels for cueing. JMO, tho:)

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Did you get OT on a horse:)

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

LOL....hhhmmmmm, I wonder how good this thread is for a beginner?:)

Becky

[Beaker]

Jenny and I was taught that you should be able to post without stirrups. (Not saying I can:), but that would put the biggest part of your weight on your knees, and inner thighs.

I was first taught that too, and a lot of my lessons were spent riding without stirrups at the posting trot. I was always taught to grip with your thighs, and that a lot of staying on had a lot to do with your thigh and upper body. Your lower leg was for cueing.

When I got to my new trainer, I was thoroughly convinced that everything I learned was wrong. :-) I've since figured out that it wasn't wrong, it was just different. ( I was with my other trainer for about 10 years) Now I've learned how to ride with my leg more under me, and with my weight deeper in the saddle. Of course it has a lot to do with the style that I ride too, but I find that it has worked better for me. Again, all preference. :-)

[Beaker]

LOL....hhhmmmmm, I wonder how good this thread is for a beginner?:)
Confusing at best! :-D

[HairOfTheDog]

LOL....hhhmmmmm, I wonder how good this thread is for a beginner?:)

Probably not!

I dunno... it might be good to debate through what we do... some is real difference and the difference is merely opinion, and some of it is stuff we do more the same than we think but don't realize we do.

Like Beaker... I am going to guess she thinks her weight is in her butt, to keep from bouncing, but it isn't. I bet when her butt is firmly planted, it's because she has the deep seat you can only get from evenly distributing your weight all the way down the leg.

I think of it this way too... which is visual and hard to explain, but I'll try. Picture a rope with a knot at each end and two rubber balls on it that would slide up and down the rope. If you put the balls at the center of the rope with the ends just dangling, and you placed them on top of a barrel, they'd easily fall off. But if you moved the balls to each end of the rope and then laid the rope over the barrel, it's much more stable and it won't bounce or move or fall off easily.

[RMDupree]

I'm learning!

I'll try one thing and the other and I'm sure somewhere along the way, I'll find the right groove!

[Beaker]

I bet when her butt is firmly planted, it's because she has the deep seat you can only get from evenly distributing your weight all the way down the leg.
The deep seat has to do with your whole body. To sit deeply, you have to keep your legs behind the girth, which forces you to sit up and unlock your back to keep it swinging. By keeping your back swinging and loose, you don't bounce as much. The majority of it has to do with your back. Keeping your leg under you also makes it much easier to post. To keep from bouncing in the sitting trot, it's helpful to keep your shoulders behind your hips, and relax your entire leg, and let your weight sink into your butt and heels.

[HairOfTheDog]

ecurbh and I rode around the property awhile first, while our out of town friend, OT, sat in the shade and took some pics :~D

Since we're talking so much about it, I should have been more careful about having great leg position, I'm not a great example here, my toes are more Northeast than north, but I've gotten slack in my years...

Then it was time for us to frighten the company!

We took her on the tour of the property, and promised she wouldn't get hurt and her horse wouldn't take off!

She looks like she's smiling, but this is what she looks like when she grimaces :~D

Whew... She was glad to have her feet on the ground again... She's not a horse person!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Good analogy.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Looks like you all had a nice day:)

What's your tempratures right now?

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

It's hot.... it's actually 90!

Feels hot in the sun. ecurbh was smart and wore shorts, I changed as soon as we got done!

[HairOfTheDog]

Here's a cool thing... When we were at Mt. St. Helens yesterday, I took a panarama of pictures 180 degrees around from Johnston Ridge, and we've got them all pasted together now. It's a large file, so if your browser scales it to fit, do whatever you need to do to see it full size and scroll left and right. Also you can zoom in for more detail.

Click the thumbnail:

At the far left you can barely see Mt. Adams and below that, Spirit Lake. On the far Roght is another lake, Castle Lake. In between.... Moonscape, for the most part, with some growth in the bottomland, more every year. There were several herds of elk down there we could see with high power binoculars.

[MissTargets]

That's awesome! Such destruction, but so much beauty. The power of Mother Nature.

[HairOfTheDog]

Ah - did a search and found a 'before' picture from somewhere near Johnston Ridge... that shows the valley floor before the eruption.

[HairOfTheDog]

Ah - did a search and found a 'before' picture from somewhere near Johnston Ridge... that shows the valley floor before the eruption.

Came from here:CVO Photo Archives - Mount St. Helens - 1980-2004

[HairOfTheDog]

Ooops.... sorry for the double post.... I hadn't meant to post the first one without the link. :~D