The suppleness in your hips has a direct effect on your level of confidence in the saddle. It also affects how your horse feels.
When riders talk about their “seat” on a horse they are often referring to keeping their butt in the saddle. Their focus may mainly be on not falling off.
Really, it should be about being connected and in tune with their horse.
You’re probably aware that how you sit in the saddle affects your horse.
You’re sitting on the back of an animal that is not designed to carry weight on his back.
And, you’re sitting on the spinal column which, as part of the central nervous system, sends sensory messages to your horse’s brain.
So, how you sit has a direct effect on how your horse feels both physically and mentally.
But, did you know that your posture also affects your state of mind?
When you are unbalanced, your body stiffens as it holds tension and your mind becomes anxious.
Tension held anywhere in your body will cause your hips to tighten and not be able to follow the horse’s movement. A good “seat” is really your ability to allow your hips to move with your horse’s natural motion.
Being able to follow your horse’s movement requires balance that comes from good posture:
- a straight, soft spine
- your chest lifted
- your head up, and
- your shoulders dropped.
This posture projects a sense of confidence and alertness and is the foundation of good riding.
The more softness and suppleness your body has, the better you will be able to feel your horse’s body and tune into his rhythm. Your horse will also be able to feel your cues more clearly.
Creating this posture is easy, but it takes focus and practice.
Try these exercises on your horse at the walk. If you can, have someone you trust, lead or lunge you so that you can focus more on yourself and feeling your horse without worrying about steering or controlling your horse’s gait.
Go through each of these steps to develop more balance and connection with your horse through your seat by really feeling your horse:
- While sitting on your horse, breathe from your diaphragm. Feel both seatbones pointing down into the saddle. Allow your buttocks and hips to soften, your legs to hang out of your hips and your shoulders to drop. Don’t “try” to make it happen. Just release with each exhale.
- Ask your horse to walk and just feel your hips individually drop as they move forward and back. Allow your horse’s motion to move your hips. Don’t do anything other than tune in, relax and stay focused. Keep breathing from your diaphragm. Keep your elbows, shoulders, and fingers soft.
- Notice when your left hip drops. This happens when your horse’s barrel is swinging to the right as his left hind leg comes forward.
- Notice when your left hip goes forward. This happens when your horse’s left hind leg is on the ground ready to push off.
- Do the same with your right hip. Feel when it drops and then when it comes forward.
- When you can feel your individual hip movements consistently, add a bit more follow-through to the forward movement of each hip. Stay in time with your horse’s rhythm. Just play with this and notice what happens.
- Next, stop some of the movement in your hips. Stay in time with your horse’s rhythm but hold back a bit in your core and slow the movement of your hips. Play with this and notice what happens.
- Next, exhale as you completely stop your hips and elbows from following your horse’s movement. Don’t stiffen or brace anywhere – just stop following. Play with this and notice what happens.
If your horse is tuning in to you, then you will have noticed that he changed his rhythm when you changed how much your hips were following his movement.
In exercise #6 (add more follow-through), his walk should have opened up a bit more. If he is really sensitive, he may even have moved up to a trot.
In exercise #7 (hold back your hips), his walk should have slowed down a bit.
In exercise #8 (stop your hips and elbows), your horse should have come to a halt.
Don’t worry if your horse doesn’t respond right away as you change the movement of your hips. It may take a little while for him to tune in to you – especially if he has been tuning you out for a while.
As you develop your following seat, you’ll notice that both you and your horse feel more calm and relaxed. You’ll be more balanced in the saddle and more connected to your horse.
Have fun playing with this and enjoy every ride!
Want more tips and techniques for improving your position in the saddle? I created my masterclass - 5 Quick Fixes To Improve Your Riding Posture - for you!
You'll leave this 60-minute online class with a greater awareness of your posture - on and off your horse - and 5 simple exercises that will help improve your posture and security in the saddle. So you can enjoy every ride!
