To develop an eye for position corrections, the instructor must first have a picture in mind of the perfect position. Always keep an eye out for the lines that indicate proper position: rider's ear-shoulder-hip-heel should be in alignment; there should be a straight line from the rider's elbow to the corner of the horse's mouth (thus, the rider's hands move up and down with the level of the horse's head); and finally, the line of the bottom of the rider's foot should be straight (no curled toes) angled with the heel lower than the toe. By developing an eye for these lines, the instructor is better able to pinpoint position problems and find the solution.
Common position problems, from the head down, include jutting the chin forward (losing ear alignment) and rounding of the shoulders (usually caused by collapsing(塌陷)the ribcage(胸腔) and solved by lifting the sternum(胸骨)). Continuing down, a common position problem in the rider's body is a closed pelvis(骨盆) or arched back. The lower back should remain flat so that the pelvis is in an open and relaxed position with the seat bones pointing straight down (arching the back closes the pelvis and points the seat bones backward).
Moving down to the legs of the rider, common position problems include the ever-present "chair seat," where the rider loses ear-shoulder-hip-heel alignment and pushes the lower leg out in front of the seat. Although this is a comfortable position, it is not a balanced or effective one. Often the chair seat is caused by the rider trying to push his heels down. Heels up are one of the most common position problems in beginner and intermediate riders. Often, when the rider is having difficulty getting his heels down, the root cause is not really in the foot of the rider; as is often the case in equitation problems, the root cause lies somewhere else. In the case of getting the heels down, usually getting the rider to open his pelvis and flatten his lower back allows him to lengthen the muscles and tendons(肌腱) on the backside of his legs and thus relax the heel into the down position.
n石头记 写道:nTo develop an eye for position corrections, the instructor must first have a picture in mind of the perfect position. Always keep an eye out for the lines that indicate proper position: rider's ear-shoulder-hip-heel should be in alignment; there should be a straight line from the rider's elbow to the corner of the horse's mouth (thus, the rider's hands move up and down with the level of the horse's head); and finally, the line of the bottom of the rider's foot should be straight (no curled toes) angled with the heel lower than the toe. By developing an eye for these lines, the instructor is better able to pinpoint position problems and find the solution.
Common position problems, from the head down, include jutting the chin forward (losing ear alignment) and rounding of the shoulders (usually caused by collapsing(塌陷)the ribcage(胸腔) and solved by lifting the sternum(胸骨)). Continuing down, a common position problem in the rider's body is a closed pelvis(骨盆) or arched back. The lower back should remain flat so that the pelvis is in an open and relaxed position with the seat bones pointing straight down (arching the back closes the pelvis and points the seat bones backward).
Moving down to the legs of the rider, common position problems include the ever-present "chair seat," where the rider loses ear-shoulder-hip-heel alignment and pushes the lower leg out in front of the seat. Although this is a comfortable position, it is not a balanced or effective one. Often the chair seat is caused by the rider trying to push his heels down. Heels up are one of the most common position problems in beginner and intermediate riders. Often, when the rider is having difficulty getting his heels down, the root cause is not really in the foot of the rider; as is often the case in equitation problems, the root cause lies somewhere else. In the case of getting the heels down, usually getting the rider to open his pelvis and flatten his lower back allows him to lengthen the muscles and tendons(肌腱) on the backside of his legs and thus relax the heel into the down position.