Lucky Stable LLC

12/10/2024

George Morris, top left, became well known for saying "More hip angle" at his clinics. In his picture he demonstrates a perfect Balanced or Fort Riley Seat jumping position. His feet are on the girth and "home" in the stirrups, just like the right picture of a US Cavalryman.

That right picture was posted in the comments of this page by a woman who sadly, I do not remember her name. She said that this picture is "uncle Eddie". Morris learned his jumping position, that won him international competition acclaim, from Gordon Wright, a former Fort Riley riding instructor.

The top center image is of show jumping Hall of Fame rider Michael Matz. Note that he is on the balls of his feet in order to add the additional flexibility of the ankle joint. Additionally, his feet are somewhat behind the girth or "back on the pegs", as motorcycle riders say, to help absorb the power of large stadium jumps.

These two changes to the original Fort Riley Seat are civilian adaptations for stadium jumping where there are no terrain changes. Note that all the top images riders are not leaning on their horse's necks in a crest release, and thus can follow the movement of their horses' heads and necks over a jump.

The bottom row of images shows riders jumping with their hands on the neck in a crest release, a jumping position that Morris eventually promoted. These riders have far less hip angle. Their feet have slid well behind the girth resulting in a very unathletic position.

When you see a tennis player waiting for a serve, or a linebacker waiting for the play in crouched athletic positions, you see a very agile stance, ready for movement in any direction. This is the basic athletic position for all sports that we also see in the Balanced or Fort Riley position.

Riders stretched out over the horse neck, as in the bottom row, are not athletically ready for movement in any direction. Their jumping positions are vulnerable and unsafe due to their extended hip angles. Quick changes in direction from their horses could put them on the ground. Perhaps this is why Morris constantly can be seen in his clinic videos yelling "More hip angle". Leaning on the neck makes establishing a proper hip angle, and thus a balanced position, more difficult and more dangerous.

16/08/2024

The art of riding is being an easy weight to carry!

When the rider is in complete harmony with the movement of the horse, the inconvenience of the weight of the rider will be minimal for the horse. However if the rider is against the movement of the horse, ie. if he loses his balance often or if he falls backwards or forwards, then he asks a great deal of adjustment from the horse.

10/08/2024

Make Them Carry Their Saddle

A father of a darling girl and I were talking last week and he said that he wanted his daughter to ride more and not have to do the work part of the catching, grooming, and saddling. I smiled as I explained.

Riding horses is a combination of strength, timing, and balance. Kids in this country are physically weak (unless they are actively involved with weight training and physical conditioning 4+ times a week.)

When you walk out to the field, you are clearing your stress from being under fluorescent lights all day; feeling the sun soak into your bones. As your body moves on uneven surfaces, it strengthens your legs and core.

When you groom your horse (especially currying), you are toning your arms and stabilizing your core.

When you carry your saddle, your arms, chest, and back are doing isolated strengthening work.

Being near horses, calms and makes you tune into the splendor of these empathetic animals.

When you ride at a posting trot, it’s equivalent to a slow jog calorie burn wise.

After a lesson, the riders are physically tired and mentally quiet and balanced.

Horses feel your heart beat and mirror your emotions back.

Riding large and somewhat unpredictable animals makes you resilient and pushes your expectations.

Working with horses is so much more than learning how to ride.

So parents, make your children carry their saddles. Don’t do the hard parts for them, as long term it actually hurts them. To advance with their riding, they must get stronger. You can help by doing the high parts.

I love having you all at the farm, and am so grateful to get to share these fascinating animals with you.

Hannah Campbell Zapletal

22/07/2024

"We must never forget, every time we sit on a horse, what an extraordinary privilege it is: to be able to unite one's body with that of another sentient being, one that is stronger, faster and more agile by far than we are, and at the same time, brave, generous, and uncommonly forgiving." William Steinkraus, Olympic Gold Medalist

06/11/2023

Exactly!

I will never be able to describe the power of time spent cleaning stalls.

During this time I have made some of the biggest decisions in my life. I have silently thought my way, step by step, through some of the biggest disasters of my life. I have ugly cried my way through heartbreak all while cleaning stalls. I’ve thrown bags of sawdust in range as I thought about all of the sh*tty things going on in my life. Each stall has oddly given me a place of comfort as I stood, fork in hand, feeling empty during the times I’ve felt so alone. It has taught me to appreciate the serenity of the quiet. Realizing the ones in my life I can count on and the numerous fake people who are only present when convenient for themselves. I’ve enjoyed a free gym membership, as I’ve sculpted my back and shoulders into “he man”, just sifting away. I’ve stumbled my way, dry heaving, with sunglasses ....cleaning stalls through last night’s hangover, because god forbid my best friend be forced to stand in a dirty stall. Today I spend my morning, cleaning stalls and processing my life. I’m mentally making life changing decisions, as I write this post, knowing that whatever I decide, it will be the right one, as it was made in a stall.

I understand that there are those who think us horse people should get “real” jobs. And that all we do is spend our days “playing” around. I’m genuinely sorry that you have never been exposed to a lifestyle that teaches you discipline, how to love unconditionally, put something other then yourself first, bust your ass for the things you want and need, kept humble by a 1200 lb animal, the real meaning of “hard work”, early mornings and late nights spent caring for something other than YOU. Those are things a “real job” will never give you.

Some of you haven’t cleaned stalls .....and it shows.

27/10/2023

15/05/2023

We are not people who have never failed, but people who never quit.

Great words of advice:

One of my all-time favorite pics, "The Savage" and the story behind it. Horse on the left was in the lead, the horse on the right was closing in the gap and starting to pass. Instead of the horse on the left putting forth more effort into gaining and keeping the lead, he reaches over and bites the horse on the right. Meanwhile, the horse on the right has his ears laid back and his eye on the prize. Moral of the story... Never entertain foolishness. Have a purpose in life, stay focused and never let others bring you down. Winners are not people who never fail, but rather people who never quit. There‘s an old saying: a champion is someone who is willing to be uncomfortable & rock bottom has built more champions than privilege has. It's about hard work and the drive to do it. Determination to keep pushing forward when others would love to see you fail. Winning isn't the score on the board, it's seeing something through to the end and congratulating your opponent. If you win through bad sportsmanship there is no real victory.

Favorite quote: "It’s not about how hard you can hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."- Rocky Balboa

FYI: The horse on the right won.

05/02/2023

So true!

29/12/2022

Please yallllll 😂😂😂

16/10/2022

Pirates Punch!!! Freedom ❤️😎