Anatomy

Evidently I still have some issues with my position in dressage. I thought I'd been improving, but I had a flaw pointed out today. I have to say, I never saw this particular problem in any of the dressage books I've read. Or hunter, jumper, eventer, or any other kind of horse book I've ever seen.

I need to put my boobs. In my butt.

Yes. You read that correctly. Boobs. Butt. Together.



It did bring the lesson to a bit of a stop while I comprehended that visual. Or tried to, anyway. My old hunter habit of having that little arch in my lower back and lifting my chest clearly doesn't do it for the dressage aficionados. Telling me to put my chest down wasn't a strong enough image, so the clinician went for a new one. It's going to take me awhile before I can really look at that bit of advice without snickering like a second grade school girl.

There's something about riding that makes us all so unabashed about our bodies. It might be the fact that we work with very large animals that really don't have any modesty. It might be that we spend so much time trying to get our bodies positioned just so. Maybe it's just the high concentration of females. Whatever the cause, I've had a variety of things yelled at me.

Don't hump the saddle! Crotch in front of hips! Grind the saddle! Stick your headlights out!

At least there weren't any kids in the ring. If they start giggling, I can't help but giggle with them.