I don’t know if you can but maybe you can change it from hunt seat to jumping. Jumping requires the horse to be able to come under itself so it can launch over a high fence, or make a quick turn while maintaining balance. dressage requires the horse to come under itself as well, so that the horse may collect and be balanced, it is able to do complicated moves easily from it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcnZIow7P6o
i had a miss type i meant tell me everything you see wrong and some things i did right

Let me just start at the top and work our way down:

Your shoulders are slouching forward and you seem to be falling forward. Bring her shoulders back and bring your sternum (it’s a bone at the front of your ribs if you don’t know what it is) up in front of you. Imagine that there is a string tied around that particular part and someone is pulling it up. Bring your neck up so that your back begins to straight. Your back is rounding itself into like the Fetal Position and this is blocking your seat from making an impact and putting more pressure on your reins. Also, don’t look at your horse’s neck, look up right about their ears, you can tell that they’re connected if you look there and your head will be in the right position.

Now for your arms, they are too straight and thus this creates a lot of tension on the bridle. This may be one of the reasons why he is heavy, along with his lack of work. Bend your elbows to almost a right angle and bring your upper arm back so it’s parallel with your back. Also bring your thumbs up so that the pressure on the reins is even. This position of your reins will put the pressure on the upper arm instead of the hand, which is a much more softer rein pressure than on the hand.

Now your seat is pitched too far back, so that your pressure is on your butt instead of your seat bones. While the changes in your back will help significantly, make sure you can feel your seat bones. Sit up on the horse and move your hips left and right a little bit. You should feel about two pressure points. These are your seat bones and are majorly important to the overall rider positioning and aids. If you can’t find them then get the assistance of a qualified dressage instructor who will help you find your seat bones.

Your legs, as the other answerers said, are much to forward. They are also being shoved up into your hip which is preventing you from using your seat in an effective way. I would recommend lowering your stirrups to a point where your leg is directly under you and is long. Your leg needs to be able to push into the stirrup but still be nice and long. Now once you find that proper stirrup length, almost imagine your leg being pulled out of the hip socket so it drapes around the horse’s barrel. Also bring your toes in and try to wrap your entire leg around the barrel. This will make an even leg pressure around his body.

However, my biggest suggestion for you is to train with a qualified dressage trainer who will help you with these problems. They will also help you with the training of this young horse, which can be difficult at some times. You are however, lucky to have access to train a young horse and get paid. I unfortunately have to buy a young horse in order to get the opportunity to train one. At one point there were two young horses that I was working with, but one of them got leased out and the other one his owner is being a little bit too possessive with him.

Good luck!!

I understand how every instructor teaches different things at different times, but is there some sort of learning path where everyone learns certain things at certain stages?

When you say "riding dressage" do you me training and competing in dressage or riding on the flat

First you learn to control your own body,
Then you learn to talk to the horse,
Then you learn to listen to the horse,

It sounds simple but if you what a very good rider you can see how refined it can get.

Your question is a very good one because many novice riders think that they are better then they are, not because of ego, but because they don’t know how much their is to learn.

It sounds like you next step will be listening to the horse. The most basic form of these is making sure you are on the correct diagonal. You need to learn how a horse feels and how they should feel. Can you tell if a horse is straight? Then you go back to the first item on the list and refine them.

How fit are you? How much control of your body do you have? If you really want to improve your riding I would recommend pilates. If you can’t control your own body then you can’t control a horses.

From there you can work on transactions within gaits, laterial work… the list is endless. I would suggest reading up on classical riding, and make sure you understand what is meant but things like collection, and straightness.

Good Luck

Well done, keep working at it.

English style is very different. English saddles are lightweight ( some of them are extremely so, especially those used on racehorses) and have no horn, and are designed for racing, jumping, and work at high speeds. There are multiple English style horse sports, including the ones which are featured as part of the Olympic games- dressage, eventing, and show jumping. Other examples of English horse sports include combined driving, vaulting, polo, polocrosse, and field or fox hunting. There are equitation divisions and classes at most major shows in which the rider is judged on how well he or she performs, and show hunter classes in which the HORSE is primarily being judged. And of course, horse racing is the granddaddy of all English horse sports. There are still more sports that are part of racing, in fact, including steeplechasing ( which is racing over fences) and harness racing ( horses that race at the trot or that pace while pulling a little buggy called a sulky) and even the pony races which one sometimes hears about that happen in Europe. Field or foxhunters often participate in hunter paces or point to point races. Polo is another huge English sport, one that is played worldwide and has been around for centuries. Many members of the British Royal family are also top polo players, including Prince Charles and his dad, Prince Phillip. Charles’ sister, Princess Anne, was a top Eventer and dressage rider during her career, and has served as president of the FEI, the world governing body of all horse sports, in previous years.

I could go into greater depth, but you really need to do your own research and google a few of these terms. That will help you decide which kind of riding you are interested in. You should also make a point of attending some shows and events in your area.

Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YiNHkx2XBc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFHXEF4qdGs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p3oadqsdxw

Ignore the talking in the videos, I don’t know how to take it off lol
Thanks Meagan – yes my hands are my weak point. I’m having lessons with a BHSII who shouts at me on a regular basis I’ll look into that song now thanks!

I really like ‘Everything’ by Michael Buble. Parts of it work really well with canter transitions. And It is classy, so It won’t really offend anybody like rap or some other types of music would. Give it a listen

http://www.playlist.com/searchbeta/tracks#Everything%20Michael%20Buble

"The Miracle Ball Method" by Elaine Petrone. I get them from Amazon for under $15, and they are wonderful! There is a little book that comes with it, and all you do is lay on the floor with these balls under various areas of your body and relax and breathe. It takes 10-50 minutes, you might do if a few days in a row, and you will be hooked. While you are ordering your set of miracle balls, you may as well get some for your instructor too, because she will want them.

Elaine was a New York dancer who had a sciatic nerve issue, and she could not find relief from anybody, so she, along with a palliates person and a couple of others came up with this method. It is gentle, feels good, and at worst, it will do nothing. At best, you’ll ride like a queen again!

Once your pelvis and thoracic spine are balanced again, your seat should improve, and your ease in the saddle return.