Strides for Success

Tag: independent seat

  • Could Poor Posture be Ruining Your Transitions to Canter?

    Could Poor Posture be Ruining Your Transitions to Canter?

    [fusebox_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1255_Is_Poor_Posture_Ruining_Your_Transitions_Into_Canter.mp3″ title=”Could Poor Posture Be Ruining Your Transitions into Canter?” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Here’s how to get better transitions into canter…” hashtag=”horsepodcast” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]

    The transition into canter is one that always gives us opportunities to develop and improve as riders. And it can do the same for our horses as well. And yet, for many riders, improvement is frustratingly slow! The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way.

    Canter and transitions into the canter are one aspect of horse riding that can improve quickly, often with just the smallest of tweaks applied.

    The key is to be strategic about what you are tweaking. And be willing to look out for the effect it has on yourself, your horse, and the transition in general. One of the simplest ‘tweaks’ you can apply is around improving your posture when you ride.  By simply ‘sitting differently’ you can transform the transition for the better.

    Self-Carriage as a Rider

    Self-carriage is a big topic when it comes to horse riding. It’s something we are always trying to cultivate and improve in our horses.  And rightly so, as when your horse develops both the understanding and the ability to carry himself a little better, it opens doors to so many new opportunities for you both to work together.

    I think that if you are asking your horse to carry you, and he obliges. Well, the least we can do as a rider is to take responsibility for making that as easy as possible for him to do. Carry ourselves. 

    Unfortunately, terms like ‘shoulders back’ have been shouted for so long to so many riders, that true self-carriage has become a little, well, confused in our heads!  Rather than thinking about ‘shoulders back’, I suggest visualizing ‘opening your chest’.  So from the point of your one shoulder across the front of your chest to the point of your other shoulder. Open this space up.

    Couple this with the feeling of creating ‘space’ between your ribs and your hips.  Elongating your body. This is self-carriage (and engagement) through your body as a rider and it will help your transitions to canter.

    Poor Posture & Its Results…

    When you are in true self-carriage, coordinating and using. your aids become so much easier.  Meaning when we are heavy, slouched, and too relaxed (not enough engagement or tension) through our bodies, things can become muddled up very quickly!

    Your body becomes harder to move. Some aids are impossible to move independently.  And you can no longer move with the energy your horse is creating. 

    When riding, especially transitions to canter, you are either working with the energy or working against it. If your horse, because he is the kind soul that he is, does actually canter when you ‘ask’ we need to be in self-carriage. When we are not, by blocking this energy, you are telling your horse that his response to your ‘ask’ for the canter was the wrong one!

    Horses become confused very quickly when riders say ‘go’ only to quickly follow it with a ‘no’! Poor posture causes your body to say ‘no’ to his doing what you asked him to do… Not a good result! 

    1255 Could Poor Posture be Ruining Your Transitions to Canter

    Lack of Independence

    The other downside to poor posture, especially as you ask for transitions to canter is your lack of independence. This means that you are dependent on either your other aids for balance or support. Or your horse.  Either way, it will cause issues as your horse moves from the walk or the trot into the canter.

    If you are using your hands to balance in the saddle, this will make true contact impossible.  As well as stop the forward flow of energy your horse needs when performing transitions to canter.

    If you are dependent on your horse for support and balance, the upward energy created through transitions to canter will throw you off balance.  Both of these situations will cause both the transition and the canter that happens afterward to become tense for the horse and rider.

    Relaxation is the foundation of everything when riding. Creating excess tension due to a lack of independence through seat and aids will ruin your transitions to canter. 

    Light Transitions to Canter

    Begin by modeling, through your body, what you want your horse to do.  In the transitions to canter focus on carrying yourself. By doing this you will both communicate with clearer aids and create the space and balance necessary for the transition to happen.

    The transitions to canter are ‘upward’.  They feel like a step up into the new gait. If we block that upward movement of the energy, our horses cannot respond as we would like them to. 

    As your horse ‘steps up’ into the canter, allow your seat to follow first. Then your hands, and finally the rest of your body.  Work on strengthening the connection between your seat and your hands.  Whatever your seat does through the transition, and in the canter itself, let your hands do the same.

    By practicing this consistently and preparing your transitions to canter beforehand, you will find that you will not only have a better transition. But you will also your canter will improve as well.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    Improve Your Canter

    Improve Your Canter is a 4-week program you can use to help develop both you and your horse in the canter. It is suitable for riders working alone without a trainer or coach. In there you will learn what is happening underneath you and why. You will also put this into practice using audio horse riding lessons. tailored for each day of the program, with your horse.

    CLICK HERE TO JOIN TODAY

    More About Canter Transitions:-

    Get Support & Guidance in Your Riding

  • Fixing Your Position for Less ‘Bump’ When Riding Over Groundpoles

    Fixing Your Position for Less ‘Bump’ When Riding Over Groundpoles

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    It can feel bumpy, right? A little more space than what you’re used to feeling. And, if there are two or more poles, well, it can all get a little unbalanced! For you and your horse.

    I preach all the time about the benefits of groundpoles when used correctly. And, one of those benefits comes from riders learning what to do when navigating them.

    Groundpoles are, well, Poles!

    One of the first issues riders come up against when working over groundpoles is that they treat them like they’re not there. They are. And all of the bumpy, unbalanced, sometimes discomfort, you are feeling when you ride over them is evidence of that! Expecting to initially ride over groundpoles and not do a thing differently is simply setting both you and your horse up for an uncomfortable experience.

    As your horse steps over the pole, he will use his body differently.

    He has to lift his legs higher. Yes, 4 to 5 inches is still higher. He will also have to step under himself a little more to propel himself forward. This is especially true if there are two or more poles for him to navigate. He will engage his core. A little like ’tightening up his tummy’ as he moves over them. And he will stretch down and forward with his head and neck to see what he is doing, to balance, and to allow the freedom of movement the rest of his body needs.

    All of the above is one of the reasons groundpoles are so beneficial for your horse, regardless of discipline or training level.

    Who Are You Relying On?

    The biggest challenge riders face when moving over the poles is that they are relying on their horse for balance and support. And while, generally speaking, this may be acceptable for the first few rides in the saddle, every rider must begin taking responsibility for their own support as early as possible in their riding.

    Simply put, it means that you begin to carry yourself and are aware of your body as you ride.

    When you and your horse are moving in a straight line on a flat piece of ground, this can feel relatively simple and easy. However, as soon as we begin to include bends, circles, and corners into the equation, more demands are made of the rider’s independent seat in the saddle. Which is good. This is the progress we make as riders.

    Learning to ride over poles while maintaining balance and self-support is the next step to really developing an independent seat as a rider.

    The key is to position yourself in a place that allows your horse to do what it is you asked him to do AND allows you to remain balanced and ready to use your aids if and when needed.

    Weight Into the Heels

    Heels down is a concept we are all familiar with as riders. It is the thing (along with ‘sit up’) that we probably heard most in our first few months of riding. And for good reason. Being able to weight your heels is literally the key to the kingdom when it comes to riding horses. That is a big statement, however, it is true.

    When your weight is into your heels, you are in charge of your own support. You are standing on your own two feet (even though you might be sitting!).

    When you begin working over groundpoles, start with this. Push the weight into your heels. I use the word ‘push’ because, initially, it will feel like that. It will feel forced. After all, who walks around all day long with their heels pushed down?!

    When you are preparing to ride groundpoles, let the first thing you do be to make sure your weight is flowing towards your heels…

    Standing on Your Own Two Feet

    Now, you don’t always need to stand to have your weight into your heels. However, when you’re initially learning to travel over groundpoles, it is the most comfortable way for both you and your horse. But it is not standing as we would do it while dismounted.

    As your backside rises out of the saddle, think ‘back’. Literally, reverse your bum so that while you are moving it up out of the saddle, you are also moving it backward. Closer to your horse’s tail.

    Up and back. When you first do it, it will feel a little odd. But, when coupled with your heels down, you will instantly feel more balanced in the saddle. It’s a little like a squat, but on horseback. When you squat, your bum moves backward. When you are getting ready to ride over groundpoles, I suggest your bum do the same ;)

    Also, remember the first, key piece to all of this; as you stand up, ‘stand on your heels’.

    So many riders will shift their weight at this point to the ball of their foot and try to stand on the stirrup irons. This is the equivalent of squatting while on your tippy-toes. Not very balanced. Focus on keeping the weight into the heel as you move your rear end up and back.

    Counter Balance with Your Upper Body

    As you move your bum up and back, while standing on your heels, you will feel that your upper body will naturally fold down. This is correct and it will help you to maintain balance. Again, think of the squat. Instead of your back being vertical, your shoulders move in front of the vertical.

    It is at this point that many riders will look for the easy way out; they ‘lie’ on their horse’s neck.

    This is incorrect for a few reasons. It prevents your horse from moving as you have asked him to and it stops you from supporting yourself. And yet, it feels so easy! Especially if you are using your horse’s mane or a neckstrap for a little extra support…

    Your upper body can only balance out your lower body if you engage your core and carry yourself.

    This means keeping your back straight and keeping a lot of daylight between your chest and your horse’s neck! Think of not going below a 45-degree angle from your hips to your shoulders. The less ‘down’ you go, the easier it is for you to maintain your own balance and support.

    Also, focus on keeping your chest ‘open’ and wide. Imagine how it feels when you take a deep breath and let your chest remain open as you ride over the poles.

    Following with Your Hands

    As your horse moves over the poles, he will stretch his head and neck down and forward. If you are balancing with your reins, you make this uncomfortable and, sometimes even, impossible for him to do. Blocking this movement over long periods of time will result in hollowness in your horse.

    We often only think of our hands when it comes to the reins. However, when you follow here, I want you to think about your shoulders. Allowing through them in order to give your horse the space to move his.

    The simplest way to think of this is to just follow your horse’s mouth. Where it goes, allow your hands to follow a little.

    If you are struggling with balance, you can also grab a piece of mane. Just make sure that you have moved your hands forward a little first; about a third of the way between the withers and the poll is usually a good rule of thumb to follow. I also think that most horses would prefer a tug on their mane to a stab on their mouth when a rider is trying to rebalance!

    Your Head and Symmetry

    The final piece is your head. Again, think back to advice you probably received in your early lessons on a horse. “Look where you’re going”. Good advice, heed it! Remember to keep your head up and looking forwards. Looking down as you travel over the poles is an easy habit to fall into and one that can be difficult to break.

    Look up and think about riding your line as you ride towards, over, and after the groundpoles.

    Also, use your head as a warning signal for the rest of your body. Your chin should remain centered over your horse as you travel over the poles. Not more to the left or the right. If you do realize that it is slightly more to the left or right, the issue is probably to do with your body rather than your head.

    By keeping your head centered over your horse, you can remind yourself to keep your body equally positioned as well.

    Practice Makes Perfect

    I would suggest first practicing all of the above in a walk while on the flat with your horse. You can even begin at a halt if there are too many moving parts in the walk. From there, work in trot a little. Again, while on the flat. No poles.

    Working on moving in and out of the light seat without losing balance or jabbing your horse. It should be a soft, fluid motion.

    And only do as much as you need to do in order to remain balanced and give your horse the space he needs to work over the poles unhindered by you in the saddle.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    Other Useful Bits & Bobs to Help Your Riding

  • Your Independent Seat is a Result of Your Independent Aids

    Your Independent Seat is a Result of Your Independent Aids

    Your Independent Seat is a Result of Your Independent Aids

    What this episode is all about and how it can help you:-

    • Get clear on what an independent aid isn’t!
    • Understand what an independent aid is…
    • Get started developing your independent seat
    • Realise that it will take time to achieve

    Your independent seat. Are you, like so many other riders around the world, trying to achieve yours right now? If so, understanding what is really required to develop it will make it much easier for you to successfully work towards it.

    [smart_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1105-Your-Independent-Seat-is-a-Result-of-Your-Independent-Aids.mp3″ title=”Your Independent Seat is a Result of Your Independent Aids” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Working on the all elusive independent seat? This will help…” hashtag=”equestrian #horseriding” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]

    Keep in mind; your independent seat is a result of other things happening. It is not a ‘stand alone event’…

    What an Independent Aid Isn’t…

    This is one of those situations where it is easier to explain what it is not; before diving into what it really is. I am going to use an example here that I know you will have seen at some point in an arena somewhere..

    Rider is on their horse. They kick with their legs to ask the horse to go forward. However, as they kick – at the exact same time – , they jerk their hands backwards.

    It is almost as though their legs are directly connected to their hands. And, in this case, they are.

    Which leads me to what an Independent aid is…

    What an Independent Aid is…

    An independent aid is when you can apply an aid without it negatively impacting or affecting your other aids. Simply put, it is your ability to move things when and where you want, without there being an impact on the other parts of your body.

    No aid is ever really applied completely independently when riding your horse.

    Each aid is part of a balance of all the aids. However, refining that balance so that your choosen aid can be clear and concise is what takes practice.

    Allow Your Horse to Be Your Teacher

    Most of the time, when your horse is doing something, he is simply doing so in response to something you are doing. Becoming more aware of the influence you are having over your horse, positive and negative, will help you to begin developing independent aids.

    Mindfulness is a word that has become somewhat ‘fashionable’ at the moment… However, being mindful of how and when you’re applying your aids is important to developing independent aids.

    An easy way to see how you are maybe lacking independent aids or seat is to allow someone else to ride your horse. Ask them to do the same exercise or ride the same movement and see how the horse reacts to their aids.

    Work on Your Basic Position

    Being in the right place will help ensure that you are effectively communicating what needs to be communicated to your horse. A good position allows your aids to begin to work as they should, so that you can begin developing them independently.

    There are a lot of ‘basics’ in horse riding that you want to begin putting on ‘automatic’; meaning you don’t have to focus or think about them each time you apply them.

    A good position will help make this task easier, as everything will be where it should be when you do need to apply or use them.

    Allowing Your Seat To Become More Relevant

    As you refine your more obvious aids, such as your legs and hands, you can begin to ‘use’ your less obvious aids more. This is where your seat comes into play.

    Trying to develop an independent seat before you have really mastered your independent ‘obvious’ aids is, in the long run, a waste of your time!

    Rather begin mastering those obvious aids first. Yes, of course, relate them to your seat and how, later, it will play a larger role in your communication.

    Don’t allow your seat to become the sole focus of your attention, especially as you work towards developing your feel; your independent seat.

    I have spoken a lot more on each of these different topics of feel, independent aids and balance of aids before both here on the blog and in the podcast. You can find the links to all of the relevant posts below.

    Devleoping Your Riding Over Time

    What you will find is that your independent seat is not a ‘stand alone’, ‘I’ve got this’, ‘one time get it right’ event. Instead, over time with consistent, correct practice, your seat will become more relevant in the conversation.

    As your aids become more independent, so too will your seat begin to become more relevant. Your feel will develop more and more.

    Until one day, you will notice that you have developed the all important ‘independent seat’…

    Until then, work on getting the basics of your position and your independent aids right first.

    Happy Riding

    Lorna

    Other posts, episodes and resources that relate to this topic:-

    Daily Strides Premium

    Are you looking for exercises to get you started on your journey to an independent seat? Daily Strides Premium is packed full of audio trainings you can listen to anywhere you can bring your phone (including on your horse) that will help you work towards your goal of an independent seat in a focused way.

    You will also be able to create a plan for your rides and review what has happened when you join in on the monthly ‘Review and Planning’ call.  In there, you will go step by step through the month that was.  You then take that information and begin planning out the coming month.  When you will ride.  What you will work on.  And of course all aligned with your goals for you and your horse.

    Do you need to be competing? No!  Do you need to have competitive goals or ambitions? No again!

    In fact, I love working with riders who just ‘enjoy’ their horse; helping them to build and strengthen their relationship.  No competitions necessary ;) 

    Couple this with the live Q&As and the members only private group ~ we are here to help you remain accountable as team leader for you and your horse.

    All of the trainings are easily accessed using your phone, meaning that you can take them with you where ever you are going.  These trainings and so much more are available for you immediately when you join Daily Strides Premium. Find out more HERE

  • Following & Allowing in Your Riding

    Following & Allowing in Your Riding

    Following & Allowing in Your Riding

    What this episode is all about & how it can help you:-

    • Stop forcing and be ‘led’
    • Notice how it feels underneath you
    • Notice how you can begin to influence through your seat
    • Are you allowing your horse or are you blocking your horse

    [smart_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1065-Following-and-Allowing-in-Your-Riding.mp3″ title=”Following & Allowing in Your Ridin” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Struggling to get started using your seat in the saddle? This episode of the Daily Strides Podcast will help…” hashtag=”equestrian” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]

    I know that you know how important your seat is as a rider.  It is one of the biggest ways we communicate with our horses.  However many riders I meet are a little confused as to how they can get started with really using their seat in their riding.

    In this episode of the Daily Strides Podcast you will learn all about following and allowing with your seat.  I believe this is one of the simplest ways you can begin developing your seat next time you ride.

    Stop Forcing and Digging with Your Seat

    When it comes to your seat as a rider, one of the most important things to understand is that you ‘influence’ with it. Simply put, this means you need to stop forcing with your seat.

    Let go of the idea that you need to push and shove your horse around using your seat

    If you push and shove with your seat, it very often has the opposite effect you are looking for.  Your horse will probably hollow and duck out-of-the-way of your seat.  This is because it is uncomfortable for him; imagine someone applying a huge amount of pressure to specific points on your back!

    Be wary of digging with your seat.  If you find that you are trying to dictate to the horse with this downward and forward motion, you are indeed digging! 

    This happens a lot in lateral work. Riders tend to shove the horse across the arena and you end up losing the relaxation and the rhythm, because the horse is no longer moving at ease.

    Allowing Yourself to Be ‘Led’

    The opposite of forcing is rather allowing yourself to be led. This is difficult for many riders to really do well initially.  Simply put it means that you are going to allow the horse to move you, rather than you moving the horse.

    What feels like ‘doing nothing’ is a difficult thing to do while in the saddle; but is essential to learn in order to really follow your horse

    Sit in the saddle and, simply, allow the horses forward energy and movement to move you. This takes a certain amount of relaxation in the rider’s body, but also takes a certain amount of self carriage.

    Meaning you are not really ‘doing nothing’, you are responsible for carrying yourself and balancing the tension in your body.  Said differently, you are also responsible for maintaining the correct level of relaxation as you ride

    Riders often get into the saddle and just sit there collapsing through their body. Rather think of yourself as ‘standing’ in the saddle. You need to carry your upper body as though you were standing.

    Carrying your upper body frees up your lower body to be led by the horse

    Notice How it Feels Underneath You

    I’m going to be honest with you, if you are used to always trying to ‘move’ your horse with your seat, following will take practice.  However, once you can do this, I want you to then begin noticing how it feels.

    Timing is a big part of the conversation between you and your horse. You need to ask questions at the correct time in order to give the horse enough time to respond to whatever you have asked

    Getting to understand timing comes down to getting to know what is happening underneath you. Notice how each leg is moving in each gait, walk, trot and canter.  I always suggest starting in walk.  It is slower and easier to really ‘feel’ your seat and hips move with your horse.

    If you cannot feel which hoof is where at any given time, work with what you can see. Look at the front legs and use them to figure out where the back legs are at that time. In other words, learn the sequence of your horse’s footfalls. The walk will be a certain sequence, the trot another sequence and the canter as well.

    Knowing where the front legs are will tell you exactly where the back legs are at any given time

    The reason I focus so much on what the back-end is doing is because the horse’s ‘engine’ is at the back. When you are asking a question you want your horse to respond from behind first. Noticing how it feels and what is happening underneath you with the behind section of your horses body, will help you ask at the correct time.

    Notice How You Can Begin to Influence Through Your Seat

    Once you can follow and correctly identify what is moving when, you can begin looking at influencing your horse through your seat.  I believe a lot of influencing is ‘allowing’ when it comes to riding.

    By correctly ‘allowing’ you are going to influence how much energy will be flowing at any given time, and where that energy is flowing to

    You could decide to shut down or restrict the flow a little.  Or you could decide to allow more to flow through. You could ask for a little more bend or flexion with your seat.  You can ask for more energy to be created using your seat.

    It all comes down to asking and then ‘allowing’ your horse to follow through with what you asked

    Begin with Smaller Requests

    I suggest really just getting started.  Many riders wait until the ‘perfect’ time to start using their seat to influence.  There won’t ever be a perfect time, so begin today. Start playing with the seat and how the horse responds to it.

    I suggest starting in the walk and trot first. Remember that your seat on it’s own is not a completely isolated aid.  There is the whole balance of aids working together all the time to communicate with your horse.

    Initially your other aids may have to be stronger, or louder, while you are training your horse to listen to the more subtle and quiet seat aid

    However, as your horse begins to respond to your seat, you can really begin refining your seat.  Keep in mind that consistency is essential.  Especially as your horse begins to listen for those subtle questions that you are asking. In doing this you will get a better conversation happening between you and your horse.

    I suggest starting with your half halt. I have a free audio training you can use for that HERE
    .  Noticing this as you start working on it with your horse is how you can start to ‘allow’ with your horse.

    Are You Allowing Your Horse or Are You Blocking Your Horse

    The final thing I want to touch on is that the opposite of allowing is blocking. Often riders tend to block their horse, even though they want to allow.  An example of this is the length of the active half halt aid.  The split second.

    What sometimes happens with riders is that they stop allowing and begin blocking.  It is often because the aid becomes a long drawn out constant. The engaging or active use of the aid becomes continuous. They tend to dig down deep and get heavy.

    When we ask our horse to do something, what we want is for them to engage their core. In doing this it is almost feels as if they lift their back and lighten

    If you are being heavy and using a more blocking motion with your seat, your horse has no space or room to engage and lighten.

    Another side effect of blocking is that the energy can no longer move forward.  This often occurs just after a transition between gaits.  The rider asks for the transition but then ‘blocks’ the horse from moving forward into the newly requested gait.

    Forwardness is key to everything in riding.  Once you lose forwardness, everything else will fall apart as there is no energy there to maintain the movement

    What to Work on Next Time in the Saddle

    I suggest you start by allowing yourself to be led.   Really feel what is going on underneath you and how one step or foot fall affects the next.  Feel where your hips are in relation to your horses hips.  From here, begin to take more responsibility for how you are sitting in the saddle.   Later, once you can truly ‘follow’ begin working on the ‘allowing’.

    It is a continuous work in progress for all riders and something you can experiment and refine on a daily basis in the saddle.  Understanding your seat is really the beginning of refining your ‘influence’ over your horse while riding.

    Happy Riding

    Lorna

    Links mentioned in the episode:-

  • Position Faults that are Potentially Holding You Back in Your Riding

    Position Faults that are Potentially Holding You Back in Your Riding

    Position Faults that could be holding you back in your riding

    What this episode is all about & how it can help you:-

    • Understanding the importance of a good position
    • Your seat and where it should be
    • Your legs and heels and how they affect your stability
    • Your head, shoulders and arms and how they affect your position

    [smart_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1026-Position-Faults-that-Could-Be-Holding-You-Back-In-Your-Riding.mp3″ title=”Position Faults the Could be Holding You Back in Your Riding” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”How good is your position in the saddle? Could a simple ‘tweak’ change everything for you?” hashtag=”Horseriding #Equestrian” twitter_username=”Strides_Success” ]

    If you were to mark your position in the saddle out of 10, how would you score?  Would you make the perfect 10?  Or would a few simple position faults undo everything for you?  These basic position faults have the potential to put a halt to your progress as a rider.  Yes, they can have that much impact on your overall riding performance.

    The reality of the situation is that without a correct position in the saddle, you tend not to make a whole lot of sense to your horse.

    Your position in the saddle is something that riding instructors the world over focus on daily during lessons.  A lot of riders sadly don’t realise how important their position is to their overall riding, because if they did more effort would go into correcting it.

    Why is Your Position so Important?

    Simply put, a good position puts you in the right place to be able to communicate most effectively with your horse.

    Another advantage of a good position is the dramatic decrease in your risk of unexpected dismounts (falls) because you are more secure in the saddle.  So, if you are working towards an independent seat, it makes sense to devote some time to perfecting your position.

    I want to visit a few areas where your position might be letting you down, and give you a few ideas on how to improve your overall position – and in doing so, improve your riding.

    Your seat and where it should be

    Are you guilty of sometimes treating the saddle as a place to sit, rather than a place to communicate from?  Your seat is probably your most important tool when it comes to communicating with your horse.

    If your seat is not correctly positioned in the saddle, the result is you talking gibberish to your horse! 

    It sounds a little harsh, but it is true.  The right position where your seat is concerned is essential from the first ride.   As you develop as a rider, your seat becomes more and more important to your communication with your horse.

    If your seat position is incorrect, or if you have been allowed to ride one way (which is the wrong way), your seat will be ineffective from the beginning.  These position faults will become amplified further down the line.

    What is ‘Good’?

    That being said, what is a good position when it comes to your seat?  Basically, you should be sitting on your seat bones.  They should not be sticking out behind you, nor should you be leaning back on your tailbone.

    If you could imagine your seat bones being two flashlights.  A good position will see those beams of lights pointing straight now to the ground below where you are sitting in the saddle.  They would not point backwards towards your horse’s hind hooves, and they would do if you were sitting a little forward, or perched in the saddle with your bum sticking out behind you.  Nor would they point towards your horse’s front hooves, which would happen if you were rolled back on your tailbone.

    Your seat affects the rest of your body. When your seat is plugged in correctly it has an almost domino like effect.  Everything else will have a greater success rate of maintaining its position as well. 

    How a Faulty Seat Position Affects Your Legs in the Saddle

    Many riders immediately notice how, once they have corrected their seat position, the their legs feel different.  Your legs cannot function to the best of their ability while riding if your seat is faulty.  The biggest cause for concern is gripping with your thighs and knees due to being perched in the saddle (your bum will be sticking out behind you and your back arched).

    When you are sitting correctly on your seat bones and carrying your body using your core, it allows your pelvis to open.  This, in turn, allows your legs to drape down around your horse’s sides.  This is important, regardless of what discipline you are doing.

    A closed pelvis creates a clothes-peg effect on your horse using your legs.  They become similar to a vice-grip; clamped closed in a bid to keep you in the saddle.    Rather think of actual drapes, material.  Your legs should be in contact with your horses sides, but not gripping or clamping.

    Your Ideal Leg Position

    One of the markers of a good position is the visible line from your head, through your shoulders, through your hip to your heel.   When that line is present in your position you are balanced.

    If you are struggling to imagine this line, try this:-   The next time you are in the saddle imagine you can click your fingers and, like magic, make your horse vanish.  If the line is present, you will land on your feet.  It it is not, you will either land on your face or on your bum.

    The head, shoulder, hip, heel line is the start of learning to become a balanced rider.  It puts you in the best position to use your own body for balance, rather than relying on your horse.

    The Ever Important “Heels Down”

    Oh, it may just be the most uttered phrase in arenas the world over.  But it really is an essential part of developing a good position which will lead to your independent seat.

    How much weight you are going to have in your heels will vary depending on your discipline.  Jumping generally requires a little more than dressage.  What is important here is to recognize that by dropping the weight into your heel, you elongate your leg.

    How a Relaxed Knee Improves the Overall Use of Your Leg

    The final position fault to do with riders legs is squeezing with the knee.  Next time you are in the saddle, I want you to try something.  Slip your hand between your knee and the knee roll of the saddle.  You should be able to swing your knee away from the saddle with very little resistance.

    Notice how, when you do this, your leg remains in contact with your horse.  It remains ‘on’ while your knee can stay relaxed.  

    Why do you not want your knees on?  Two reasons.  Firstly, you certainly don’t want to pivot on them because you would be a little top-heavy, increasing your chances of toppling off!      Secondly, your knees act, along with and ankles, as your shock absorbers.  If they are fixed in any way, this will result in bouncing, loss of position and ineffectiveness in the saddle.

    Your head, shoulders and arms and how they affect your position

    One of the most common position faults in this area is failure to carry the head.  It sounds strange, but a simple way of ensuring this is not the case in your riding is by focusing on creating and maintaining the space between your chin and your chest.

    However, your head can also influence your overall position through the direction it is facing.  Look where you are going and you will find that your head positively influences the position of your shoulders.  This of course will have a domino effect on your arms as well.

    Opening Your Chest and Shoulders

    I personally do not like the term ‘shoulders back’.  I find that it encourages riders to needlessly arch their back, which causes excess tension in both horse and rider. 

    Rather start with a correct seat position.  Then imagine opening or stretching the distance across your chest from point of shoulder to point of shoulder.  This will naturally encourage you to sit a little taller, focus on where you are going and, open your chest up.

    The Elbow, Wrist, Hand, Rein, Mouth Line

    The final part of your position I want to touch on today are your arms.  There is a second line that, when applied, makes all the difference in smoothing out the communication between horse and rider.

    That second line is from the elbow, down through your hand, through the rein to the horse’s mouth.  It should be straight at all times.  No Vs or kinks in it.  Neither the rein or the hand should deviate off that line between the elbow and the bit.

    Riders who work on mastering all of these potential position faults find that their communication with their horse improves dramatically. It is truly amazing how effective a few small changes can be.

    Your Physical Fitness and its Impact on Your Position

    Riding is a Team Sport – you and your horse.   Just like your horse, the stronger and more developed you become physically; the more fluid your movements and “self carriage” become in the saddle.

    Creating a detailed exercise program for your horse, while failing to take your own fitness into account will result in, at best, mediocre results in your riding. 

    Establishing and then maintaining an effective position in the saddle requires strength, suppleness and discipline.  Taking responsibility for your fitness is just as important as assuming responsibility for your horses fitness.

    We are starting a new round of the free 30 Day Rider Fitness Challenge on 1st of February.  This will be different to anything that has gone before; you choose what you want to do based on your unique circumstances. You can sign up HERE

    Happy Riding

    Lorna

    Links mentioned in the episode:-

     

  • Your Independent Seat is Everything in Your Riding

    Your Independent Seat is Everything in Your Riding

    What this episode is all about & how it can help you:-

    • Understand what balance is when it comes to riding
    • Realising that your independent seat requires all your body parts to work independently of each other
    • Being relaxed is vital to having an independent seat
    • How becoming stronger makes you a more balanced rider

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    What is an independent seat, and how do you know if you have one in the saddle?  We chat about it today, and how you can cultivate a better one in your riding, starting right now.

    People think that the independent seat is all about being able to ‘not fall off’ – which in some ways it is, however it is so much more than just that.  It means that regardless of what is going on, you can correctly and effectively communicate with your horse.  It starts off with balance – which is that, as the horse is moving you are able to make constant micro-adjustments in your body, without really having to think about it.  In doing so, you are moving with the horse continuously.  This is what we want when we talk about balance on the horse.

    Balance is one thing, but the independent seat takes it a step further.  It is like the Holy Grail of horse riding – it is the end point, what everybody is after.

    Having an independent seat means just that … EVERYTHING is independent!  When you use your inside leg, your arm should not be connected and affected by the movement of your leg.  Independent means you can move all the parts of your body independently, but in doing so they are actually all working together towards a common goal.  That is truly what an independent seat is, and that is what we should be aiming for as riders.

    Relaxation is absolutely key when it comes to having an independent seat.  A lot of riders will start working on their balance and then when things start going wrong they start to grip up with their inside leg.  This is not independent, it is not balanced, and it is certainly not relaxed.

    Focus on the relaxation being present in all you do.  As soon as you can feel any excess tension, you need to wind it back down, take a step back, and rather work on establishing that feeling of relaxation throughout your body again.

    Here are some suggestions of different exercises that you may find helpful.  Firstly, I suggest you get a couple of lunge lessons or if this is not possible, I suggest that you get a nice enclosed space and start working either without your stirrups or without your reigns.  I find that relaxation is often a mindset issue, and being able to work through that can help build up the relaxation.  This will also obviously improve your balance.

    Another thing to do is to make up a chute (or a jumping lane – without the jumps), and work through that without your reins or without your stirrups.  It is important to recognise that you will have to exercise some common sense here; your situation is unique to you and please make sure you put your overall safety first!

    You can also get someone to help you out by leading your horse while you walk without your reins.  This will allow you to actually plug in your seat, and notice how you influence the horse through the seat.

    Finally, a stronger YOU is a more balanced you! 

    We can work on our independent seat in the saddle, but we can equally do work out of the saddle as well.  Anything that is going to challenge your balance – hiking over uneven terrain, roller skating, skiing, yoga.

    The goal is to improve your overall strenght throughout your body and in doing so, setting yourself up to develop that all important independent seat in your riding.

    Links mentioned in the episode:-

    Links to other content that will support you in developing your independent seat:-

    Happy Riding

    Lorna