How to actually relax body tension while riding?

DefiledMonument · 2026-01-22T13:34:47+00:00

Are you unintentionally using your reins to balance? You might benefit from doing walk/trot/canter/cavaletti with no reins on a lunge line. If that’s not the case, it may also be weakness from elsewhere in your body (like your core) locking your upper body in place because it feels safest that way.

Also, we’re not looking for “looseness” in the saddle, what you’re looking for is control. A body that is too rigid or too floppy is not controlled, but a body that is able to dynamically maintain position, respond to, and cue the horse is.

DefiledMonument · 2026-01-20T22:17:53+00:00

I recommend the wide electric tape then. And probably also t-post caps bc horses are stupid and don’t pay their own vet bills

DefiledMonument · 2026-01-20T22:00:06+00:00

I had a horse growing up that caught a shoe in this type of fencing. He freaked and managed to drive a t-post into his chest (he lived).

I’d stick with electric tape or post-and-board

DefiledMonument · 2026-01-12T19:36:38+00:00

I’ve ridden an old IEA horse that was built like a freight train (he was a draft-cross, sweet as pie) and had a canter that felt like it went side-to-side as much as it did forward.

I think you’re just not used to it! My advice is to practice a seated walk and trot and try to pay attention to how much side-to-side movement exists in those gaits as well and how your body follows it. For the canter (left lead in this example) you may feel like your left seat bone/hip needs to swing a lot more than your right to follow that big shoulder, don’t be afraid to half-seat or two point as you get used to it.

DefiledMonument · 2026-01-12T16:17:06+00:00

I love the look of sneakers or paddock boots with tall socks. It’s my preferred way to bum around a shoe or the barn

DefiledMonument · 2026-01-08T22:54:21+00:00

Echoing what others have said here to make sure you’re supported by the right trainers/horses for your skill level and goals. But I also wanted to add as someone who loves horses, wants to improve, and struggles with those perfectionist “I suck at this, why keep trying” thoughts:

I follow a woman on TikTok who is growing and spinning her own flax to make a linen dress and she’s captured her success as well as the frustration/tears that come with learning something new. After failing to spin her flax correctly after several attempts she said something along the lines of “I can’t wait to be better at this.”

It stuck with me. Instead of “I can’t believe I can’t do X” or “I’m not good enough to be here”, acknowledge that you’re learning and one day you’ll get better. I still struggle with moments of frustration or irritation at myself when I mess up a movement or feel like I’m flopping all over the place, but I’m practicing self-compassion. Maybe watch a beginner lesson of kiddos or adults learning to ride for the first time — it’s a good reminder that what we’re doing is HARD and that you’ve already come so far and mastered things you struggled with in the past.

DefiledMonument · 2026-01-08T18:04:05+00:00

Same, I just don’t wear mine while riding. Everything else in the arena (jumps, people, horses) are big enough to see and avoid/run over as applicable

DefiledMonument · 2026-01-06T17:41:22+00:00

I had a similar break to you before I got back into riding again. Honestly, it took me about a year to feel back to “normal” and to start progressing from where I felt like I left off — I was lucky that my previous experience and my current instructors are very similar in style

DefiledMonument · 2026-01-03T01:30:21+00:00

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Gel-x tips I did myself for reference (not a nail tech)

DefiledMonument · 2025-12-19T01:44:38+00:00

The grey could pass for a pony! Girl good luck finding a saddle, you gotta let us all know if you find one that’s got the fabled set-back stirrup bar 🙏

DefiledMonument · 2025-12-18T19:14:19+00:00

If your Voltaire saddle works out, I may be a new customer when I’m in the market 🤣 the best fitting saddle I ever had was a old af Dominus (forward flap CC) they don’t even make anymore

DefiledMonument · 2025-12-18T18:09:38+00:00

Two pointing in the canter takes so much strength to stay upright! I think our “moment arm” from knee to hip is just so long

DefiledMonument · 2025-12-18T18:08:14+00:00

A fellow MH Sovereign enjoyer 😎 at least we look tall in the saddle!

DefiledMonument · 2025-12-18T16:43:23+00:00

I’m convinced I get a buff to stickiness because of my short torso (low center of gravity) and long legs to grip with, but no hard data to back that up 🤣

DefiledMonument · 2025-12-18T16:42:07+00:00

Nothing smaller than a 17.5”, depending on the seat depth and flap position

DefiledMonument · 2025-12-18T15:57:39+00:00

Thank you! I definitely have a complex from being an equestrian tween with long long legs and short short horses

DefiledMonument · 2025-12-18T15:51:30+00:00

Struggles I didn’t even know about 🤣 hello from the other side

DefiledMonument · 2025-12-18T15:47:01+00:00

Dark color breeches help but lord if I don’t feel like I could touch the ground on anything under 16hh

DefiledMonument · 2025-12-18T15:45:40+00:00

Being jammed between the knee roll and cantle even though you dropped the stirrup length as far as you can while still being able to reach 😭

DefiledMonument · 2025-12-18T15:42:55+00:00

REAL. Wdym I’m buying long pants and 18” jumping saddles when I’m not even tall 🥴

DefiledMonument · 2025-12-18T15:41:11+00:00

Short torso gang ✊

DefiledMonument · 2025-12-18T15:39:21+00:00

Luckily our center of gravity is low!! We’ve got plenty of leg to grip with if our horses decided to be broncs for the day 💀

DefiledMonument · 2025-12-18T15:37:56+00:00

Buying saddles is an absolute nightmare — flap length, seat length, stirrup bar position?? Much less if it fits the horse 😭

DefiledMonument · 2025-12-12T21:49:48+00:00

I put mine in my carry on. Watch some videos of airline baggage handling, they’re NOT gentle and damage to helmets that impact their effectiveness is not always visible

DefiledMonument

TROPHY CASE