Insight of the day: Sit bone vs knee

[piedmontfields]

Bear with me, people, while I try to explain my mini-revelation

I have been working for some time to be attentive to my sit bones as a bending/turning aid and also to make sure that I am using each side appropriately. What I've learned form that process is that this is way easier on the right than the left to me.

But what I finally put together in thoughts today is that I sometimes compensate for my less than plugged-in left sit bone by using my left knee for left bend. And this really doesn't work as a bending aid. In fact, the diagonal aids of left sit bone and right knee are very adept together (say in left canter, left shoulder in , left travers).

My god/dess my mare is patient. She exhaled and snorted when I figured this out. Poor mare!!!

[Ryeissa]

Interesting! I've done a lot of work to weight my seatbones equally. The seatbone that likes to float also has the thigh that is harder for me to use on the saddle and plug in.

I use thigh to keep the horse bending and from throwing his shoulder against my knee. I use Right thigh and right seatbone together, for example, but I'll have to play with the diagonal ideas.

my trainer had me imagine I'm sitting on a barstool and to weight the left side I rotate my pelvis from noon to 1 on a clock. Just turning the lowest part of the body next to the saddle- don't twist anything else- not even the waist!

[demi]

I also found this interesting. It made me more aware of my "sit bones" as I was riding today. One thing I noticed was that in order for my sit bones to be plugged in AND effective, I can't have excess tension anywhere else in my body. Athletic tension, yes, but tightness in my hips, legs, arms or shoulders prevented me from even feeling my seat much less using it effectively. As a result of thinking about this as I was riding, I was able to recognize when tension was creeping in....thanks for the post.

[piedmontfields]

Glad this was interesting! Demi, that is exactly my experience. When I use my left knee to compensate for my left sit bone, it is due to tightness in my hip. I have to really work to let go enough on the left to plug my left sit bone in. It is so much easier for me on the right. This explains why flying changes from left to right are a lot easier for me! (even though the other way is actually easier for my horse).

Ryeissa, I have to be very careful with thigh use on my mare. Too much and she considers it quite restrictive. Of course if I want to do canter-halt, that involves some thigh! I think she tolerates the upper thigh/knee input because it is fairly localized.

Had a good canter-heavy ride last night working on me...Miss mare is just so pleased when I do it correctly!

[Chisamba]

My commonest correction when I teach is holding. People tend to
Grip their ribs with one or both elbows
Hold with a thigh
Hold with one or both knees
Grip with a calf
Press one stirrup forward and one back
Put weight in one stirrup
Clench their butt
Unevenly weight their reins
Unevenly weight their seat.

i have found the biggest interference in rider ambidexterity is holding aka tension.

[piedmontfields]

Chisamba, you are so correct. Tension is huge. I admit that I grip my butt regularly to deal with my life!! I am also a jaw gripper!!

These days, I am also dealing with degeneration of my joints, thanks to a nasty disease, and I am feeling it way more on one side than the other right now. My mare wishes I would fix this pronto!

BTW, "letting go" for most of us is no small matter----we have been "holding ourselves up" for years! Some of this perspective comes from my years as a yogi (teacher and practitioner). Many of us are "propped" in an upright position, but have not yet figured out how to be supported, comfortable and effective in this position.

[Koolkat]

BTW, "letting go" for most of us is no small matter----we have been "holding ourselves up" for years! Some of this perspective comes from my years as a yogi (teacher and practitioner). Many of us are "propped" in an upright position, but have not yet figured out how to be supported, comfortable and effective in this position.

Is this a balance issue on some level? When you are not balanced (just as with horses), you have to use tension to hold yourself up. Once you are properly centered, it requires no tension to be there. It does require core strength, as your extremities move, you must find your balance within that equation, just like a horse. I think that many people do not get this. Thai chi is good for this, as is rock climbing (you can use a gym).

[piedmontfields]

BTW, "letting go" for most of us is no small matter----we have been "holding ourselves up" for years! Some of this perspective comes from my years as a yogi (teacher and practitioner). Many of us are "propped" in an upright position, but have not yet figured out how to be supported, comfortable and effective in this position.

Is this a balance issue on some level?

I think it is a mostly a culture issue!!! But I would agree that balance of body-mind-spirit/connection is involved

(Typical US culture of movement is not integrated through the lifespan or the day. It is also too narrow in its range of movement, or overuses some of the body and underuses others.)

[demi]

BTW, "letting go" for most of us is no small matter----we have been "holding ourselves up" for years! Some of this perspective comes from my years as a yogi (teacher and practitioner). Many of us are "propped" in an upright position, but have not yet figured out how to be supported, comfortable and effective in this position.

Is this a balance issue on some level?

I think it is a mostly a culture issue!!! But I would agree that balance of body-mind-spirit/connection is involved

(Typical US culture of movement is not integrated through the lifespan or the day. It is also too narrow in its range of movement, or overuses some of the body and underuses others.)

Cultures issue, yes. As I sit hunched over typing on my tablet. I do try to keep this poor posture to a minimum and counter act it with exercise and being conscious of my body much of the time. It's good to think about this and stay conscious of what is going on.