101 Ways to Improve Your Riding:
Seat Posture & Balance

10 Best Tips to Improve the
Rider's Head

4. QUICK TEST: Where would your nose dribble land?

A quick way for even the most advanced riders to fix a myriad of problems...

I am quite serious when I say that in all my experience, this has been one of the most effective tools I have used - from beginners to Grand Prix riders, and a silly and fun thing that kids will remember!

You don't need expensive biofeedback machines for this one...mother nature has provided you with a perfect "testing tool" for checking out 'all over' posture & balance.

Straightness

In demonstrations all over the world, I ask riders to ride straight towards the crowd, then, turn their head (even slightly) and nearly every horse will veer off the center line. This tip is an 'instant fix' help for straightness.

On the forehand (again)

We've seen in the previous sections when riders look down, they put more weight on the two front feet of the horse. This tip is an instant quick fix for on the forehand.

Unbalanced

Riders actually very rarely look straight down. They nearly always look and lean too far to the inside, especially on corners.

And, again, this tip is a great fix for people who lean in and look down.

So what is it?

Q: Imagine you had a cold, runny nose. Where would the nose dribble land? Yes, it's that simple...but when you think about it: if you look down your nose dribble lands on the horse's wither. If you lean in (especially on a corner or circle) it will land on your inside thigh. Either one is very out of balance.

What is correct

The reason why this is such a wonderful tip is that it can fix your entire upper body. If you are sitting up correctly, your nose dribble would run down the centre of your chest, and land in your belly button...not on the horse.

It is important that we don't lean over or lean in, or worse 'slump' in the torso. This funny but very valuable tip gives us a relationship between the head and the rest of the body. It's one of the most powerful tools I know.

More tips to come. click NEXT:

Copyright © 2005 [Colleen Kelly. Improve Your Riding ABN 76799531257].

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Here in the left photo I ask State Young Dressage Squad Member, Asher Jackson to lean forward, and you can see her nose dribble would land on the horse's wither.

Then, in the right photo where she is more balanced...the nose dribble would land on her belly button.

In other words, she is carrying the weight of her own head, not leaning forward and having it carried on the horse's shoulders.

101 Ways to Improve Your Riding: Seat Posture & Balance

10 Best Tips to Improve the Rider's Head