Things really feel like they’re starting to click now. Heels down, deep in the saddle, leg yielding, half seat, and knees are all feeling much more natural again; just like they did a decade ago–when I was last riding regularly. There was some interesting feedback from my coach though, which has given me pause.
Positioning
Firstly, and certainly most importantly, positioning. If you’ve read about my lessons in the past then you’ll know a consistent complaint of mine is that I’ve been struggling to find my positioning. A mixture of a lack of time in the saddle and relying on the memory of what worked in the past.
Keep the Heels Down!
During my ride today–and just after–I thought the biggest improver of my riding was heels down. Which made sense, as when I pushed my heels down things started to come together. But after some time to process the lesson, I’m not sure that’s exactly it. Riding stability and control of the horse is a lot of different things working in tandem. Especially in polo.
Now I think it may not have been heels down that gave me the control, but rather that it was the first thing my mind went to, and it reminded me to really think about what I was doing; and to put in the effort.
Grip with your Knees
Feeling the knees lock into the polo saddle today was also a massive help. I think this is partly because I lowered my stirrups and allowed myself to sit deeper in the seat, which was the advice from the AI; more on that later though. My coach had been going on at me–as he does with many other early polo players–about the importance of gripping with your knees. The complete opposite of what you have to do in show jumping.
Polo saddles do not have knee pads like regular saddles do, and that’s because the padding makes it harder to get out of the seat and twist when leaning out to hit the ball. Great. However, it does mean that if your seat isn’t perfect, or you’re out reaching for the ball, there is not very much stopping you from “coming out the side door”. A turn of phrase that’s growing on me.
Leg Yields & Turning
All of the above: heels down, relaxing, knees on, are also translating into the ominous leg yield. It’s been a tough one: going from leg yielding the entire manège–a decade ago; like something out of a dressage show–to falling off the side when trying to change the rein just last week. But, today… Today I was a beast!
One of the exercises my coach has me do, which I have seen countless times on Instagram, has been cantering and leg yielding from one side of a path to another. Now, on Instagram there tend to be cones or barrels for the horse to move around, but we had some trees and that worked just as well.
We hit this one stretch–of about 160 yards–where, at the canter, I must have leg yielded five or six times in total. It felt smooth, we moved as one, and I could really feel Enza listening to my commands. And, as an added bonus, after getting lost a few times in the forest and dodging fallen trees, I pulled some stunning on-the-spot turns. It really felt like there’d been a rocket of a backhand and I was about to gallop off and get it.
Holding the Half Seat
Confidence and balance, two key traits required from any and all polo players. Funnily enough, the exact same two skills that are required to hold a strong and useful half seat. We can talk about flexibility at a later date and time.
Sitting in the half seat is the most comfortable way to ride. You need strong legs, but when your legs act as these massive shock absorbers and you can remain in control, holding strong in your stance, it makes everything else so much easier.
Rising trot, sh-mising trot, it’s all about the half seat. Control increases, balance is better, and the knees lock in. Winner.
Finally Relaxing
The most important factor however, and some of you may hate me for saying this–as it’s not easy–is staying relaxed. There were multiple occasions on the hack today where I felt my body tense up, hips lock, shoulders stiffen, and not only was my riding getting worse, but so was the pain of riding. Predominantly my back.
However, when I relaxed–which is much easier said than done–by taking a deep breath in and out, letting myself slump, feeling my seat deepen and then sitting back up, I felt the flow of the horse’s movements come together and the control came back. It literally was a breath of fresh air.
No longer was I fighting half-a-tonne of mammal, but working as one. Them the power and I the guide.
Galloping
What really made today special though was that it was the first time I galloped in over a decade. I remember it like it was yesterday. We were away on holiday, somewhere in the UK, and my brother and I went out on a hack, my first proper hack.
After having our photos taken with some tourists, the instructor took us to a gallop. I remember getting up out of the saddle, leaning so far forward I was almost between the horse’s ears and just going. The real hook to that memory though was the instructor telling me to slow down and stop, but only as I started to pull away from her. I’m not sour about it.
What a feeling though. The wind rushing past your ears, intensifying as you gain speed, is one of the best sounds you can hear. That and a clear connection with the ball. Directly opposing the distinctive cluck of chopping the top off.
From standstill to gallop, with easy canters in between, today was the best riding experience I’ve had in my entire life. Still need to do some work on stopping though, but we’ll get there.
Starting Ride-Offs
As an added bonus today we started doing some work on ride-offs. Only at walk, don’t you worry. Ride-offs are one of those things that flood my head when I listen to certain music and envision myself playing polo competitively. That and some hefty full shots.
In my head this is way easier, but the timing is essential. It’s so easy to foul. You have to be saddle to saddle, and if you cut across too hard and slow the horse down, not only do you lose the ride-off, but you run the risk of fouling; and no one wants to do that.
An introduction to something I’ve been looking forward to, and I’m excited to do more. It’s also a good thing there are no trees on a polo field, as trying to practice while manoeuvring around various woodland architecture was more of a hassle than I care to admit.
Coach’s Feedback
What was quite interesting today was the feedback I got from my coach. Other than that I still have a lot of work to do–he’s a tough teacher, hard on students, but a great one–some firm instruction and ambitious goals are what I need.
The main thing was not to read too much online about how to ride. I told him about the AI prompting and while he thought it could be helpful to a certain degree, he advised not to take it as gospel, which is basically the caveat of using AI anyway.
The reason though was not because he thought AI would hallucinate, which it very much can, but because riding is as horse specific as it is human specific. But what does he mean by that?
He means that every single horse you ride is an individual, just like every single rider, and what may work for one horse may not, and likely will not, work for another. Just as when you learn to ride, you learn what works for you, and while general advice may be helpful at the start, taking it all as law will likely hinder growth rather than support it.
He did also say though that it’s worth doing lots of reading about ride-offs. So take that as you will.
My Takeaway
The major takeaway I got from today though, which was quite infuriating really, was that less really is more. When I remained calm and gave clear yet minor commands, Enza–the pony–would respond. Big movements and emotional reactions used to feel like they should work, as you’re being “more clear” (in your mind), but the horse is just wondering what the **** it is you’re doing.
A light hand, resting just above the withers, with weight in the stirrup of the direction you want to go, while turning the shoulders and pressing with the outside leg, is really all it takes to get a nice clean turn. Hindsight’s a wonderful thing.
Quick Thanks
I wanted to add in a quick thanks to those of you that are reading and engaging with my articles, especially those of you that are coming back. I’m super grateful for all of you. I wasn’t sure about this when I started as it was an off-the-cuff idea done on a whim, but I’m really enjoying it, and knowing that people actually read and enjoy this content really makes a world of difference.
Thank You!
