My outside arm

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PaulaO
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My outside arm

Postby PaulaO » Sun Apr 22, 2018 12:34 pm

Seems to have a life of its own. No matter which direction I go, my outside arm seems to flail around. I cannot keep my elbow by my side. I can do it if my instructor keeps reminding me, but riding alone is not good. I know that is Miss A. is falling in to use my seat and leg to push her over, but I end up using me outside rein to pull her head and I’m way beyond that level. Yesterday I rode with a barely there outside rein and it was so easy to bend and circle. My instructor said there is a difference between a long rein with the horse on the forehand, and a light outside rein with contact. I am doing the latter. The contact is there but gently. Any words of wisdom to help me remember?

galopp
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Re: My outside arm

Postby galopp » Sun Apr 22, 2018 1:14 pm

Try turning your thumb outward (fingers up), that closes your upper arm to the trunk. And think about the upper elbow almost behind your trunk. If you are ending up using the outside rein too much, try a driving reinhold instead perhaps. mho

PaulaO
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Re: My outside arm

Postby PaulaO » Sun Apr 22, 2018 1:52 pm

Can you clarify driving reinhold?

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StraightForward
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Re: My outside arm

Postby StraightForward » Sun Apr 22, 2018 1:53 pm

To me it sounds more like the issue is with remembering to move her out from your inside leg. If she can find the outside rein, then I suspect that your hand may take care of itself. If you have an honest connection to the outside rein, then the hand fairly naturally stays in it's place. On the side she tends to fall in, I'd really focus on getting an enlarging feeling around each corner and on circles until you start feeling some weight in the outside rein consistently.
Keep calm and canter on.

Tsavo
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Re: My outside arm

Postby Tsavo » Sun Apr 22, 2018 3:30 pm

This sounds like a reaction and focus problem. Start with just 30 seconds... DO NOT use your outside rein to prevent falling out. Figure out what you have to do with your inside leg to prevent this. Try to do this for 30 seconds. If you can manage that, try to do it for a minute. This will seem like a long time but you have to get the inside leg reaction. Once you do I think you will stop flailing your outside arm.

If you can't get her off your inside leg then try a spur. It is hopeless if she is against a leg.

tlkidding
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Re: My outside arm

Postby tlkidding » Mon Apr 23, 2018 6:19 pm

PaulaO wrote:Can you clarify driving reinhold?


Driving rein is to hold the rein like a carriage driver would - so the rein from the bit comes over the top of the index finger and is held to the index finger with the thumb and the rest of the fingers closed to the palm.

Josette
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Re: My outside arm

Postby Josette » Mon Apr 23, 2018 6:47 pm

When riding without your instructor I would try to replay her instructions and corrections during your ride. Like she is talking in your ear. It's about concentration and focus to break old habits (VERY HARD IMO) and create new correct posture and riding habits. In the beginning, you may need to do this constantly - feel if your elbows are touching your sides and not floating away on their own. Don't try to force a position or get rigid but simply feel your elbows touching your body. Lots of Repetition and soon you will create this new feeling automatically. Likewise, You will start to use your body and legs more for bending and less dependence on hands. I also think of parallel lines on ground the like railroad tracks to move my horse's body on those tracks - to avoid crooked tendencies not to fall off the tracks. Smooth bends around corners and circles.

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musical comedy
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Re: My outside arm

Postby musical comedy » Mon Apr 23, 2018 6:56 pm

Laura Spreiser blog's talks about using an ace bandage around the body to help with elbow wings.
http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/fou ... -right-now

Josette
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Re: My outside arm

Postby Josette » Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:20 pm

Okay - I really like this article MC. I'm going to try it out on my guy. Thanks for that link!


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