[Rhythm 'n Blues]

^^IIIbars - as something my coach had an old student do who just plain couldn't get a steady hand in trot (fine in walk & cater though) was have her put her entire snow suit on (this is where we get 4+ feet of snow) but wouldn't let her put any gloves/mitts on. My coach told her to go outside in the deep deep snow with 2 glasses (no handles) filled to the brim with cold water & to run through the deep snow!

Needless to say - that is one way to figure out what muscles to use! hahahaha It really does works too

[pippy]

Eggs can help to - they factor in wet, cold and sharp pain if you crack them. I have experience this because as a young gun hoe rider bouncing all over the show because i didn't have a clue got given egg's by my pony club instructor and whats the first thing i did - bound off into a trot and whacked them both on the saddle/whither area because of loss of balance and hands/arms that went every where! For the more educated rider opening up the top of the egg adds another element to it for some fun as a alternate to water.

[Rain]

Ha! Some instructors are really good at cruel and unusual punishments.. hehehe

[CowGirlUp1833]

Great idea - we've done the water, but not as part of a regular lesson- I've got 2 riders who I think could very much benefit from this!! Great idea!

[Kat&Ashton]

I am guilty as charged with having horrible hands. Part of it is that I rode horses that if I gave them an inch they would take a mile. Now that I have a push button horse and made horse I can get those skills better for effective riding.

My instructor has been working on getting me to move my arms independently of each other. How...Putting reins in one hand and moving while trotting. It showed me that my hands can be away from each other.

We work a lot of rounding in my lesson. Just recently my horse has been giving to the bridle. He rounds up in the trot, and really look beautiful. It has taken 6 months.

What we do is riding as one. When he walks, I walk. I move my hands according to his front legs, and my feet to his back legs. My core is his barrel. So everything is moving together. When we trot the core does not move as much. When we warm up I meet mirror his rythem. When we are warmed up we mirror each other, and near the end he is mirroring me. We are working on the same thing in the canter with my seat going with his legs. My inside hand canters with him. His ear keeps perking back towards me. I stop moving my legs and hand he stops. I don't pull on the reins nearly as much as I used to. SOMETIMES I do forget but am getting better.

We are developing my seat more now. Doing a hand gallop, and than sitting on my seat bones in the saddle to slow him down from the back end. He drops his hind end and back to a slow canter. Than I go up into two-point and we hand gallon.

Mind you this has taken 6 months of lessons to accomplish. I am old..and releanring many new things.

In lessons the majority of my work is on the flat, and very low jumps. My instructor is having me particpate in more dressage events because she knows how much it will help us over fences.

My horrible habit is hands to the crotch with no place to go.