Forgot saddle pad...
How to post bareback? Val says -
Say what!? (thighs sore now)
Any suggestions for posting bareback? Am I supposed to post from my thighs so as not to pinch with my knees? Is that even possible? How far off of the saddle is far enough?
Four rides this week so - off to a tub with bubbles and epsom salts. :)
It's hard to describe, but don't push yourself up, just let the horse's motion push you up - your post won't be very high but it'll be there - relaxed legs are important -if you're pinching it won't work.
ReplyDeleteDon't.
ReplyDeleteThat's my only suggestion for posting bareback. *LOL* Kate's suggestion sounded good, though.
Don't pinch with your knee. Ride like you are in a saddle, calves on the horse, heels down.
ReplyDeleteYou don't move as much as in a saddle. Why do you want to do this???
Haha! Some comments are funny. I agree with Kate.
ReplyDeleteI've the need to post bareback! I'm going on 10 months of learning a killer siting trot..but when I wish to move out, I've just gotta post.
Something I just discovered with my mare...she'll get anxious and begin to jog or trot..if I let her movement lift me to post...she settles. There is what Kate said, let the movement lift you..not your legs. Ask Val for trot, then after 3 or 4 strides, sit to walk.
I think of hips before shoulders, as I kneel. (think of your knees touching the ground)It actually forces the lower leg back.
The windshield wiper effect-your knee is the pivot..make sense?
I love your haiku.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad some people can describe what goes on in posting bareback, because I have no idea how it happens for me personally. It just happens! I used to do a lot of bareback riding because Eagle was too nervous to go off the property otherwise... Very fun for me, of course, that my nervous thoroughbred prefers to experiment with new places BAREBACK first. The first time we rode on the main road with major traffic? Bareback, of course. I haven't pulled out the bareback pad in a while though, and since Eagle and I are moving to a new ranch I am guessing I'll have to. I'll likely soon be with you in the bareback posting parade.
Thanks for the advice :)
ReplyDeleteRegarding why to post bareback - which does seem like punishment lol - I got to the barn and realized I had left my only fleece pad drying on the clothesline at home. Didn't want to skip trotting, so I figured it was time to learn how to post without stirrups.
Sounds like I was on the right track, but it certainly wasn't pretty... ;)
Don't grip. Just relax and roll with it. It isn't so much a rise as it is a rearrangement of pudge. Just bump your pelvis forward. Your fanny probably won't leave your horse. In fact, you can practice posting bareback while sitting in your office chair. It really is THAT minimal. The only thing you should have to concentrate on is not letting your leg lengthen with each stride, and not letting your toe tip down.
ReplyDeleteMost people post incorrectly - doing a thrusting up and down action.
ReplyDeleteA correct "post" is accomplished by allowing the horse's motion to gently lift you - not so much UP as forward. You shouldn't need any part of your leg to do it.
I think of the posting motion as being both pelvic joints acting as one - the up/down which really should be forward/down - whereas a sitting motion is letting each pelvic joint move forward and back in concert with the horse.
Not sure if that makes sense! In any case good for you for keeping the rides going!!
The idea is to let your horse 'toss' you up, then use your core muscles to slow your return to his back. Easier said than done. This is the same bareback or with a saddle. If you're having a hard time bareback, you are probably relying heavily on your stirrups with the saddle. It may be easier to post without stirrups WITH the saddle, then transition to completely bareback.
ReplyDeletebillie and Dom
ReplyDeleteGot the forward as opposed to up thing. Chest through shoulders, hips through elbows. I was thinking it was more of a core thing than leg... next time my belly will be the sore part!
It wasn't hard for me, just hoping it wasn't too hard on Val. ;)
I think it's great that you're posting bareback. All bareback work does wonders in my opinion. I agree with all the posts - let the horse move you, lightly forward and back - don't push yourself up. Also, try sitting trot. Val probably won't like it at first, but if he's been coming round for you (I think you said he has) it will develop. Then if you keep practicing in small amounts it will really help your seat. You probably know this :)
ReplyDeleteI try to hold my saddle position when I post bareback without pinching at my knees. It is a balancing act with holding a good position and yet allowing the natural movement of the horse to move me up. I like it on Pie. I hate it on Sovey, but just can't sit that with his wither.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the beet pulp help!
Love the haiku!
My previous post was on riding bareback:
ReplyDeletehttp://memoirsofahorsegirlblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/bareback-ride-and-mud-puddles.html
I talked more about sitting trot, but I find myself letting my thighs roll forward and back if I try posting. As others have stated, you will not rise away from his back hardly at all, but the rhythm will be there which should keep you from bouncing. Personally, I find that my horse does not mind if I sit bareback, as long as I am also distributing the weight down my thighs with relaxed leg muscles. Hope this helps!
Ahhh.....the good old days! My old coaches used to have posting competitions where we'd go forever without irons or bareback. It was so exhausting, yet so much fun to master it finally! I think the biggest hurdle (if you're good in a saddle) is core strength. It just takes more strength without the stability of the saddle to help you balance. Cool! I wanna come play too! No way I could do it on Tiny, she's not a steady enough mover...and I'm WAY too out of shape!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed all of the comments and suggestions. :) Thanks for asking the question and I love the haiku.
ReplyDelete