Rider position

[Bluesilkie]

My daughter, who's just turned 6, has been using a cub saddle, she hasn't done an awful lot of riding (she has her own pony but doesn't like to ride in the cold!) although has just about mastered rising trot these past few months. Anyway, she sits far back in the saddle and it looks like her stirrups are too short, I keep trying to push her bum forward but she keeps slipping back and when I take her stirrups down a hole they're too long and she can't rise. Any suggestions?

[speedysally]

have you tried her riding stirrupless? it will help her correct her seat even if it is just in sitting trot and will get her feet in the correct position! hope this helps as it always helps me when i ride stirrupless for a bit!

[rubydoo]

3 times per wk make time for practice , practice makes perfect
and maybe think about ditching the cub saddle now shes a big girl doing rising trot.
hth

[Bluesilkie]

Thanks for replies. Thing is Jaimie she's not quite a big girl yet as she's probably the height of most 4 year olds lol, she's tiny. I've tried bribing her to use a normal saddle but she's not happy about it, may give the no stirrups a try though

[speedysally]

yeah totally! and if she panics or something, just put a neckstrap on the pony so she can hold on to that if she feels nervous :-D

[watchbank]

I always thing cub saddles do that though, i was plonked in a normal saddle from 4 years old as my mother said i use to slouch because the cub saddles help balance by helping you not lean forwards!

[rubydoo]

aww bless her im sure she'll gain lots more confidence with summer on its way , riding as much as possible will prob help her relax .

[shellywell]

think that the stirrup bars on a cub are placed in a position where they do place the lower leg further forward than that of "traditional" saddles.
She may like her cub saddle due to the built in strap, you could try another saddle and use a flash strap across the d rings so she still feels secure?