Engaging Your Core Muscles

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Engaging Your Core Muscles Moderators: luluwhit, gotothewhip, cindyt, crossspur, ForumAdmin Jump to page :	Last activity 2017-10-18 1:18 PM 6 replies, 2446 views View previous thread :: View next thread
General Discussion -> Barrel Talk


sourkiss378 Reg. Nov 2005	Posted 2017-10-18 8:06 AM Subject: Engaging Your Core Muscles
Elite Veteran Posts: 937	How do you know if you are doing it correctly? I don't ever feel like I'm really down in the seat and secure in the saddle. When I try to really sit down I feel like I'm hunched over. Any tips would be appreciated!
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IRunOnFaith Reg. Dec 2009	Posted 2017-10-18 8:50 AM Subject: RE: Engaging Your Core Muscles
Expert Posts: 3815 Location: The best kept secret in TX	sourkiss378 - 2017-10-18 8:06 AM How do you know if you are doing it correctly? I don't ever feel like I'm really down in the seat and secure in the saddle. When I try to really sit down I feel like I'm hunched over. Any tips would be appreciated! I had trouble with this for a while. My stirrups were too long tho so once I shortened them it made it easier. Have you tried sitting deep while the horse was walking or standing still? I found that once I knew how it was supposed to feel it made feeling it while he was running easier. I stood in my stirrups like we were running full on sprints and then sat like I would in a turn. (I practiced on a barrel without a saddle first lol)
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Nateracer Reg. Feb 2008	Posted 2017-10-18 9:02 AM Subject: RE: Engaging Your Core Muscles
Miss Laundry Misshap Posts: 5271	Couple of things come to mind with this. Is your saddle seat the correct size? Stirrup length may be an issue as mentioned. Are you leaning forward too far? Do you push back against the saddle horn with your palm and lock your elbow against your hip to help you keep balanced? You should rotate your hips downward so that your pockets slide down into the seat. This picture kind of shows the downward rotation to really sit deep. See this thread also, which is essentially the same problem. http://forums.barrelhorseworld.com/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=479581&posts=6
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RedHead84 Reg. Dec 2014	Posted 2017-10-18 9:24 AM Subject: RE: Engaging Your Core Muscles
Elite Veteran Posts: 889	You've gotten some good advice here! I would add I get a little hunched over...I tend to ride to straight/up right (from years of showing pleasure horses), so I have to think low to brace against the horn and stirrups and keep my hand down.
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BarrelRacing4Christ Reg. Sep 2010	Posted 2017-10-18 11:24 AM Subject: RE: Engaging Your Core Muscles
Ms. Marine Posts: 4641 Location: Texas	Practice engaging your core when you're just out riding. Lope some circles and really focus on it... if you're sore the next day, you did it right.
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cecollins0811 Reg. Aug 2013	Posted 2017-10-18 11:45 AM Subject: RE: Engaging Your Core Muscles
Expert Posts: 1631 Location: Somewhere around here	Here's an exercise I told my friends to do so they learn how to engage their core when they workout. Go ahead and breathe out as much air as you possibly can and then push breathe out the rest. When you're pushing the last bit of the air out you suck in your stomach and your belly button goes closer into your spine. Once you learn to do this a couple of times then it's really easy to do it when you're riding and then you can just build up from that. Hopefully that made sense.
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Gunnin to Play Reg. Nov 2005	Posted 2017-10-18 1:18 PM Subject: RE: Engaging Your Core Muscles
Sparklin Cowgirl Posts: 4379	I have had some hip issues that have my core all kinds of out of whack. My Chiro has given me some exercises to do at home to help my hips and my core to help hold my body better. It has been helping me a lot. I think for me, working on my body outside of the arena has really helped me. My hips would hurt so bad when I would ride. I finally had to do something about it and stop sucking it up. It has helped me not get behind my horse too. Maybe some core strengthening exercises to do at home might help?
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