| 16301 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20905 301-421-9156 woodland16301@verizon.net |
The Rider's Position
To stay balanced on the horse, you've got to sit correctly. A straight line
should connect your ear, shoulder, hip and heel. Aligning your upper body
and lower body in this way is referred to as positioning your legs at the girth
and helps you connect with your horse's center of balance. From the top
down:
As you can see, learning to ride requires you to remember a lot at
once, but it will come with practice.
To stay balanced on the horse, you've got to sit correctly. A straight line
should connect your ear, shoulder, hip and heel. Aligning your upper body
and lower body in this way is referred to as positioning your legs at the girth
and helps you connect with your horse's center of balance. From the top
down:
- Your head faces forward.
- Your tongue is in your mouth, not sticking out between your teeth.
- Your shoulders are relaxed, back and down.
- Your elbows lightly hug your sides.
- Your hands hold the reins correctly.
- Your hips are relaxed so they can follow the horse's motion.
- Your thighs and knees point down as much as possible. They should
not grip, but rest lightly against the horse. You should feel as though
you are kneeling, more than sitting. - Your upper calves rest against the horse.
- Your heels are lower than your toes.
- Your toes point in the general direction you are traveling.
As you can see, learning to ride requires you to remember a lot at
once, but it will come with practice.
| The correct rider position requires that your ear, shoulder, hip and heel are aligned. |
| RIDERS POSITION |
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| WOODLAND UNIVERSITY |
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