Trying M. Wanless method:"Help, my a$$ is too big"

[HokieLee]

Miracle of miracles, I actually rode on Sunday. I've been doing a lot of Mary Wanless reading and I tried to adjust my seat and legs per her method. Trying to adjust my pelvis and not slide back and keep my legs back seemed to be rather difficult with the "padding" that I have. Anybody have any experience with this or tried this method?
One thing I really liked was the adjustment I made to my body position on the circle. Typically, we are taught to turn in with our inside shoulder and hip back but this makes the rider out of line with the circle. So I tried to keep my inside hip forward on circle and it actually felt much better. (Does any of this make sense? :

[chrisnstar]

I've not read any Mary Wanless books yet.. I'll be interested to read about your progress! Keep us posted..... chris

[CC]

I've not read any of her books either. But, I have always been taught to keep the inside shoulder back and inside hip forward. If you bring the inside hip back, you block the horse from stepping under himself in the circle and can cause the horse to than fall out on the circle.

[Smay]

Oh pluease. if your butt is too big, then heaven help the rest of us!!! Actually, that reasoning sounds Very logical, and as you described it, I was kind of thinking it and it seems as if it would be correct, and actually feel better to do that with your hip. Keep us posted on that stuff - it's very interesting!

[Bara]

No, now that's very interesting, I will look her up on the net. Because (as many people know! Sorry!) My horse has back problems. A friend of mine was told that HER horse's back problems were because she was not riding 'square'. Sounds logical to me. If a horse is trying to compensate for a lop-sided rider ...

So I bore my friends and riding companions with 'Am I straight??' 'Am I square?' (Indeed - should I be compensating the other way??)

I can't answer your question, but thanks very much for the tip - I'll check her out. ... and keep you informed.
B

[Smay]

I'm pretty sure you are both "square" AND "straight." I'm not positive, but I really don't picture you as a gay hippie.

[ZenRider]

Ride bareback. I'm not kidding. I found myself leaning to the right all too often. So I rode Flynn bareback for a couple of weeks. If you ride lopsided bareback you fall off, so your body learns to adjust. It will carry over when you put the saddle back on too. :brian:

[Vida]

I love, love, love the Mary Wanless methods. Alot of what I post about riding relates to her methods. She incorporates alot of what I like - the Sally Swift stuff, Feldencrais (sp?) etc. Hers are about the only explanations that really sink in for me as far as riding goes. When I do stuff her way, my back doesn't hurt when I get off the horse (except for Eagle), but actually feels better than before I got on. The biggest difference I've noticed is in the way Mikhail moves. He'd been lame for so many years and is crooked that I'd never thought I'd get good movements out of him but since I started using some of her methods, he lifts his back, fills my seat and goes straight. There's alot more spring in his movements too whereas he used to be so flat. I guess you'd call it shwung! Her book is one of the best I've read so far about riding techniques. She's like most of us that had a tough time getting the right seat or balance and became so disillusioned with the whole process of just not getting it which is maybe why I can relate to her writing so much. Her understanding of a horses anatomy really helps. I'd recommend this book as a riding reference more than any other.

[HokieLee]

Vida-which book do you find most helpful? I read The Natural Rider and I am currently reading RIde WIth Your Mind: An Illustrated Masterclass in Right Brain Riding. I think the Ride With Your Mind Book is really helping understand some of the concepts I was a little confused about in the beginning. I'm still a little confused-wish I could go to England and take some lessons with her. I think I've got the pinch and tucking under of the pelvis as well as the position of the seat and I got some great sitting trot Sunday-until I slid back in the saddle and stopped pinching. I can't quite get the "bear down".

I would love to get some of the videos when I save up money for them.

[MarePower]

I just started one of her books the other day but have not tried to use any of her methods yet. I plan on it though. Now I am beginning to wonder if I should as my rear looks a little like J-Lo's.

When I try it out I'll let you know. Probably this weekend....so we may have a new version of "my butt is too big to do Mary Waneless 2" LOL ;D

[Vida]

Yep, I've got the Ride With Your Mind book and love it. Have read the Natural Rider one but didn't get as much out of it. Wanless did a clinic somewhere around here and a lady that I know went to it and said her riding really improved afterwards. Was so impressed with her book that have actually ordered all the videos but they haven't come yet. My sitting trot has improved tremendously as now I can do it for long periods without having a sore back afterwards unless I lose the seat. I love all the pinching stuff and little nuances she gives as they've really helped. I'm still fresh into it too as just started trying her methods before winter so am busting to get back into the saddle to do more.

[ClaireLV]

up, got her books. I like her stuff, but soemtimes find that I devour her books so enthusiastically that I can't remember everything (anything?), I too would love to do a clinic with her. I would also like to see the videos, that might help (I'm a very 'visual' person).

[Luci]

I just rented her circles and symmetry video. I can't believe how much it helped me! See if you can get hold of the video too.

The best part was where she had a novice rider sit on top of her and demonstrate how she initiates a turn. Then . . . Mary sat on the novice and showed how she initiates a turn. Wow! The novice almost fell over. Plus, the novice could tell her which seat bone she felt etc.

It illustrated what my trainer has been telling me and has made a total difference. Hehe! My trainer hasn't offered to be my horsie yet.

[jennifer2]

Rereading Centered Riding really helped me- I was starting to "scrunch." She has exercises for developing an independent seat- a seat independent of the lower legs- and one of the things she suggested to help keep both thighs back was to move one forward when they are uneven instead of the other back- then instead of wedging myself into a twist I am able to realign and BOTH come back together...I'm barely coherent, eh? Vida?

Also- Mary Wanless talks about reaching under the thunderthighs (NOT her words) and pulling that fat back with our hands to get the inner leg contact we are seeking.

I think that what she says about aligning with the horse's hips really helps get the horse riding to the outside rein, where if we align our hips with his shoulders we're asking him to swing his butt out and thus to dump on his front. Another thing that really helps with this- getting the horse working to the outside rein -- ie, engaged and not trying to duck or drop to the inside- is to rise on the inside diagonal instead of the outside diagonal. If you sit and drive as the horse's inside hind leg is on the ground he will naturally step up under himself better on the inside.

Rising on the inside diagonal is NOT to be scored differently in any way than rising on the outside diagonal in the dressage arena.

[Vida]

Just got her tapes including the circles one. Watched about 3 in the last 2 days and have been totally overloaded with info. I think I need to watch these directly after a ride to relate to them more as there's too much info to remember. Or watch them in small increments and try one thing at a time.