| When you are riding, one vitally important component | | | | say shoulders back, or heels down, the rider if they |
| is your seat. In this article, I would like to look at the | | | | are very eager will force their heels down or |
| seat and how important it is to make sure you are | | | | shoulders back using all the muscles they have to |
| relaxed and confident, to assist in your perfect seat. | | | | achieve this. This results in tight tired muscles and is |
| Just close your eyes for a moment and I want you | | | | not the point of a supple seat - the rider will never |
| to imagine your perfect seat. What does it look like | | | | have the ability to go with the horse. Muscles must |
| to you? I want you to picture yourself as if you are | | | | always be supple. Now that doesn't mean soft and |
| looking at yourself. So how do you look? Are you | | | | not engaged as the muscles do need to work. But |
| still, poised and elegant? What are you ankles doing? | | | | with relaxation! I know it's a paradox! Aren't most |
| Your thighs? Your stomach? Then I want you to | | | | things in riding?!?!?! When I am assisting clients with |
| step into your body and feel how it feels to have a | | | | this I ask them to think of holding a glass of water, |
| perfect seat. How it feels to move with your horse | | | | now hold it too tight with all the muscle strength you |
| in motion and go with the movement. What do you | | | | have in your hand and the glass will break, completely |
| hear, what do you see and what do you feel? | | | | relax your hand and the glass will drop and break. |
| Ok so "how????" I can hear you screaming at me! | | | | There is a muscle tension in the middle ground that is |
| Well, good question, but let's first look at why? | | | | enough to hold the glass. It's the same for riding. |
| To me seat is the single most important tool when | | | | Enough tension to keep you in the movement but |
| riding a horse. When I am working with a client seat | | | | not too much that you will become tight, rigid and |
| is at the fore front of my mind all the time. Lets say | | | | blocked. |
| I have a client coming to me saying "my horse | | | | 3. Going with the horse's movement - you must be |
| doesn't keep his head still or stay to the contact," I | | | | able to go with the horse and not be left behind. It's |
| could talk about driving to the bit and engaging behind | | | | about being the leader, always knowing what will |
| and riding the hind leg and I do... but I am also thinking | | | | happen next and being ready for it. This means you |
| are the hands still enough for the horse to | | | | must have a braced back and an engaged core. |
| comfortably and easily go into the bridle and stay | | | | Once you have developed your perfect seat you can |
| steady on the contact. Still hands are vital for a | | | | then use your seat to influence the horse, slow and |
| horses head to be still. The hands can only be still if | | | | quicken it only with seat and turn and perform lateral |
| the seat is sufficiently developed to keep the | | | | movements with your seat in conjunction with your |
| balance, and not rely on the hands for balance. | | | | legs and reins. |
| The seat is also the core to effective dressage riding. | | | | So remember relaxation is so important. It's a must. |
| You know when you watch the top riders and you | | | | If you are worried about falling, you will be gripping |
| are staring really hard... and you still can't see them | | | | and be tight and your seat can't go with the horse. If |
| doing anything!!! And the horse is dancing underneath | | | | you are not balanced you will grip to stay on and |
| them. Well that's riding with seat. Where you can go | | | | your seat can't go with the horse. |
| with the horse and influence the horse with your | | | | So work on your balance in the saddle, make sure |
| body. It's almost like your thoughts become his and | | | | you stay relaxed and supple with positive muscle |
| your back becomes his back. | | | | tension and then allow your body to go with the |
| So there are three keys to a perfect seat: | | | | horse. This is where riding in your mind can help. You |
| | | | can only do so many hours in the saddle practicing |
| 1. Balance - you must have balance first. You must be | | | | but you can do many more hours in your head. The |
| able to sit in the center of the saddle and not have | | | | best thing is in your head you never make a mistake |
| to rely on anything to grip or get tight to stay in the | | | | and your unconscious mind can't tell the difference |
| centre of the movement. | | | | between real and imagined, so all those neural |
| 2. Relaxation - to have a supple back that can swing | | | | connections are strengthened even if your not on |
| with the horse you must be relaxed and not tight. | | | | the horse! |
| The biggest mistakes trainers make is when they | | | | |