silkyraven | Simulator lesson with Sue Gould-Wright

Had an absolutely fascinating session on Douglas, Sue Gould-Wright’s Racewood eventing simulator over in Suffolk today. Sue teaches pilates and approaches correct riding from a very anatomical viewpoint, which works really well for me as my hypermobility leads to a number of issues that I feel I’ve never really got a grip on with other instructors. The use of a simulator is also great as Douglas is super obedient and just carries on with what he’s supposed to be doing and let’s me work out what I’m supposed to be doing!

This is Douglas: https://www.facebook.com/equestrianpilatesuk/videos/1848953155132473/

Douglas gives a very detailed reading whilst you have him in ‘perfecting your seat’ mode. You can just about make out the screen at about the 1 min mark in this promotional video:

"Racewood Eventing Simulator" (Watch on YouTube)

He has a bunch of sensors so in his back, on his sides and round his mouth so you can see if you are sitting squarely and moving straight or if you’re a bit wonky and blocking your horses movement! We very quickly discovered how my hips are affecting Dino’s ability to move freely. I have very tight hip flexors which are tipping my pelvis forward and causing me to clench my buttcheeks a lot (glamorous this, no?). Once my pelvis is tipped forward I’m not really able to move my spine very freely so I’m not absorbing his movement, my lower legs are waggling about and my chest and shoulders are moving more than they should. No wonder the pony doesn’t walk forward very smartly!

So, I need to concentrate on:

Released my clench bum muscles and gently rotate the pelvis back so I’m sitting squarely on my seat bones

Allowing my thigh to turn inward, bringing the inside of me knee into contact with the horse and then wrapping my whole leg quietly around the pony

Relaxing all of this, and my lower spine so I can abosrb the horses movement

This should allow my feet to more naturally turn forwards and rest my feet in the stirrups, not jam them down

THEN I need to concentrate on keeping my shoulders and head stiller, bringing the bottom of my rib cage gently toward my spine (but not clenching those butt cheeks!)

Finally (!) I need to widen my shoulders slightly, dropping the weight into my elbows and bring my head back so my chin isn’t sticking out

Ok then! After an hour mostly at walk I could sit quite nicely on Douglas’s collected trot:

"Simulator lesson with Sue Gould-Wright" (Watch on YouTube)

Back to Barnfields and hopped onto the real pony, in the rain, and I can certainly feel the difference!! And so can Dino!! It was very much coming and going, as I ‘got it’ for a bit and then tightened and lost it but when I ‘had it’ Dino was moving much better and offering to hop into trot without really being asked. The key question is keep asking is ‘where I am using more effort than I should? What’s tense that shouldn’t be?’. So I shall be doing some practising but I will need to go back a few times over the next three months I think so really get to grips with this ‘new’ way of riding. Also I need to get to grips with rising trot and canter! But a wonderful lesson and well worth the cost and the drive. Maybe I can actually learn to ride after all these years….