What seems like such a simple task is in reality a really tricky one.

Just ride a straight line from A to C……...sounds so easy doesn’t it? 

Yet we all know it’s really, really not easy at all!

A sort of cut the corner, wavy line finishing somewhere just to the left of C, well we’re nailing those! But actual straight lines hmmmm not so much.

This has definitely come up in class quite a lot recently as myself and a few of the other ladies have young horses and as you may well have experienced, young horses aren’t great at straight lines.

This means it’s your job as a rider to ensure you are riding a straight line and with practice your horse will follow.

I use a few visual ques to help me and my clients wobble those baby horses onto straight lines.

First, before you do anything are you sat straight left to right, equal weight in seat bones?

Pick your line on the turn or corner-if you can’t start with a straight line you aren’t going to finish with one! So as you get to your turn imagine a set of rails or tracks in front of you that curve around and then open into that straight line up the centre. Keep your own body riding those rails.

You’re now on your straight line and here’s a couple of things we’ve used amongst my clients, try them out and see what works for you.

 

• Create a channel of energy from your hands to your thighs and drive if forwards. 
• Keep your horse weighted equally between your thighs.
• Imagine there are lasers on your thighs, shoot laser beams straight ahead of you and ride towards them.
• Imagine there is an eye in your belly button, keep it looking at C.

 

Try these out and let me know which one works for you, or maybe you have your own version you would like to share with us.

 

If you would like to improve your riding fitness I’ve got a couple of class spaces available so snap them up quick before we’re full again.