A Quick Checklist for a Secure Seat
We all know the old saying "No hoof, no horse." Well, equally true is "No seat, no rider."
The illustration above from HappyHorseTraining.com offers a quick yet thorough checklist for a secure seat. Note that the hips are open, the seat is tucked under slightly, the back is straight, and shoulders, hips, and ankles are in alignment. The rider who assumes this position is solid in the saddle. His horse would have a difficult time unseating him or pulling him forward.
Like riding a bicycle, once you grow accustomed to this posture in the saddle, you will adopt it automatically whenever you climb up on a horse. And the horse will thank you because you will be perfectly balanced and secure--not like a heavy and floppy backpack loosely strapped to his back that throws his own movements off-kilter.
An even quicker way to mentally check your posture is to do what one of my trainers told me early in my riding career: Put your feet "flat on the floor", draw your legs back, and stretch up tall through your torso. I can still hear her admonition to "stretch up tall" whenever I unconsciously begin to slouch or lean forward.
For more on how to develop a secure seat, click here.
Happy riding!
As long as you’re here, check these out, too!
Equestrian Products That Make Your Riding and Horse Care Easier and Better!
The Top 10 Mistakes People Make When Riding Horses
Elastic-Contact: How to develop elastic rein contact
Riding and Training Tips for Everyone
Copyright Denise Cummins, PhD March 16, 2016; updated June 21, 2024
The Thinking Equestrian
Like riding a bicycle, once you grow accustomed to this posture in the saddle, you will adopt it automatically whenever you climb up on a horse. And the horse will thank you because you will be perfectly balanced and secure--not like a heavy and floppy backpack loosely strapped to his back that throws his own movements off-kilter.
An even quicker way to mentally check your posture is to do what one of my trainers told me early in my riding career: Put your feet "flat on the floor", draw your legs back, and stretch up tall through your torso. I can still hear her admonition to "stretch up tall" whenever I unconsciously begin to slouch or lean forward.
For more on how to develop a secure seat, click here.
Happy riding!
As long as you’re here, check these out, too!
Equestrian Products That Make Your Riding and Horse Care Easier and Better!
The Top 10 Mistakes People Make When Riding Horses
Elastic-Contact: How to develop elastic rein contact
Riding and Training Tips for Everyone
Copyright Denise Cummins, PhD March 16, 2016; updated June 21, 2024
The Thinking Equestrian
