Effect of hand position on lumbar stability

Maya Tahara and Gemma.

In the photo we see 13-year-old Maya Tahara on a 17-year-old Hanoverian mare Gemma at a dressage tournament in Japan (Children’s Overall). Maia placed sixth in the qualifying round and second in the final.

When I first looked at this photo, I noticed for myself a wonderful connection between the mouth of the horse and the hands of the rider. It can be seen that the basis of relations in this pair is trust and harmony, and not just technical skills. It is hard to believe that the mare is 17 years old. Gemma is full of energy and ready to cooperate. I especially like the position of Gemma’s ears – she is looking forward to the next task.

The next thing that comes to my mind when I see Maya is how lucky the young athlete was to have such a teacher. Gemma is enjoying the ride. Such a horse can show the rider how wonderful and fun dressage can be. It can be seen that she is strong and energetic, but the athlete easily controls and directs her partner without visible signs of tension. Maya, of course, lacks experience yet, but Gemma helps her.

The extension of the trot performed at the moment captured in the photograph reflects good activity in the correct frame with a slight extension of the horse’s nose over the vertical. Maya has already developed a beautiful deep seat and looks focused on riding. However, I notice that her leg position is too far back – the inside leg should be closer to the girth. Maya also tends to lean back with her shoulders and seems to be holding on to the reins to rebalance her body and gain strength.оmore stability. But somehow she has found a good balance and does not use the occasion to hold on.

Now Maya needs to know how softening the reins will help him stabilize and deepen his seat. She must make up her mind and give Gemma a reason to make the horse shine even brighter.

To get a feel for this, I often suggest to riders the following: Sit in a chair in front of the table with your feet close to the chair. Place your hands on the table, imagining that they are glued to the surface. Push off with your hands and feel your abdominal muscles automatically activate and your weight shift onto your sitting bones. At the same time, your feet will not rest on the ground as much. Conversely, by pulling yourself to the table, you activate completely different muscles. You will feel the muscles in your shoulders tense up and your feet press harder into the ground. If you understand how armwork can activate your lower back, you will gain a feeling that is very important for a rider, especially during half halts and raises. My owl to Maya, based on what I saw in this photo, is for her to challenge herself and completely change the nature of her handwork, from pulling to giving. If she does this, the position of her legs will change for the better and Gemma will definitely reward her.

Susanna von Dietze (source) translation by Valeria Smirnova.

roller coaster July 2 2017 city
Interesting video to watch! Response
Maria July 2 2017 city
Unfortunately. videos are not published in magazines yet. Even in foreign 🙂 Answer