Horses, Horses, HORSES!

[siggav]

I was wearing jodpurs already.

However, keep my knees away from the saddle?

Gosh that's one thing that's different between riding classic vs. Icelandic style. In Icelandic you glue yourself to the saddle using your knees (and your thighs). I.e you're supposed to push in. You also ride with very long stirrups and don't bend your knee as much, i.e your heel is closer to being even with your knee rather than your hip.

The horse I rode is called Levi. I don't remember the names of the ponies, they're both geldings though. I'll ask my friend and post here when I know.

ETA: They're Drambuie and Talisker

Also, there's no way I can ride again until the friction burn is healed up. I basically have a thumbprint sized spot in the bend of my knee where all the skin was rubbed off. It's painful, I can't bend my knee properly and I'll have to be careful so it won't get infected.

 

[lauracatlover]

Ouch!

Where I ride they say when walking, and especially catering, my heels should be down, bum should be glued in the saddle, and knees should be pushed away. I find it quite difficult with my pea-sized brain!

As for your way of riding, I would absolutely love to do that! And I've always fancied riding in deep snow, too

Hope it heals quick!

 

[faith's_mom]

Wow...knees away from the saddle? Interesting...usually although it's not used specifically to hang on, it's not supposed to be kept away from the saddle...that would throw your body so far out of alignment, and would be hard to do, I would think...

 

[lauracatlover]

They tell us that our knee shouldn't be gripping on the saddle, so I guess you could say that we're supposed to have a 'loose knee'. If our heel is in the exact correct position, then the knee shouldn't be touching the saddle, just loose and away from it. Do you ride western?

It is very difficult to do. I find it really difficult because supposedly when we are walking along our knee should be moving towards and away from the saddle. It's so confusing!

To help us practise we do a lot of non-stirrup work and do exercises where we have to lift one leg up onto the top of the saddle, push it right out to the side, and drop it back down. And it's agony!

 

[siggav]

I'm used to ride Icelandic style where it's ok to use the knee to grip the saddle.

Now I'm doing Classic English style that I just started since I can't get to any Icelanic horses. It's interesting though. Very clear that the Classic style has evolved out of a cavalry tradition while western is from a herding an travelling around for hours and hours tradition.

From that point of view I'd probabably fit better with western style riding since travelling and herding etc. is something you usually do a fair bit of on horseback in Iceland and I love love LOVE herding. It can be such an adrenaline rush when it goes slightly wrong and you have to rush off full speed galloping to try and get the stray horse back or whatever.

I am looking forward to trying out jumping though. That's something I've never done but something they focus on at the place I'm taking riding lessons now. I need to adjust a bit more to the different way of riding I'm supposed to be doing but then I'll get to try. Should be interesting.

 

[lauracatlover]

Now I totally want to go to Iceland and try herding!

Good luck with your jumping. I'm not a big fan of it, I just prefer going fast!