The Seat, The Seat, The Seat

By  Gina G Krueger

There are 3 major priorities in Dressage, they are:  The Seat, The Seat & The Seat!

There are several concepts that I would like to introduce to you about the seat.  Lets start by defining the seat.  The seat begins at the top on the boot, or just below the knee on one leg, it encompasses the inner thigh of that leg continues across both seat bones and down the other inner thigh to the top of the other boot.  It is not just the seat bones.  The responsibility of organizing the horse belongs to the seat.  The seat not only plays the major role in guiding the horse it also regulates the tempo and controls the degree of collection.  That is if the rider is taught to use it correctly.  Of course a rider cannot use his seat correctly if his seat is not correctly balanced both longitudinally and laterally.

Before we get into specifics about developing the seat for the correct balance, lets consider the three paradoxes of the seat.  They are: You must Stand to Sit.  You must Walk to Ride.  You must Move to be Still. 

You must Stand to Sit.  This means that the position we take on the horse is actually a standing, rather than a sitting position.  If we think of our selves standing in good posture and simply making space between our legs to accommodate our horse we will be in the correct longitudinal balance over the horse.  This position will bring our seat, as we defined earlier onto the horse automatically.  If we Sit on the horse we will be hampered, as will the horse, with our weight positioned only on our seat bones and feet.  A rider that sits only on his two seat bones with his thighs away from the horse and the ankles and heels pressed into the horses’ rib cage blocks the swinging of the horses’ ribcage, thus the horses forward progression.  A rider correctly positioned in a straddle like stance allows the horse to swing his belly from side to side as he progresses forward.  The stance like seat puts the rider very up right, into his own self-carriage, such that the horse can also come into his own self-carriage.  The rider becomes of minimal impedance to the horse.

You must Walk to Ride.  This means that the rider must think of his seat as mirroring the horse's movement.  If the horse is walking the movement in our seat is just the same as if we were on the ground walking.  Each hip is lifted and dropped as the horse steps on that respective hind leg.  In addition our legs must allow the rib cage to swing in its natural state as the horse progresses forward.  As the horse walks the riders right seatbone and hip are lifted forward upward and at the same moment his leg is pushed out to the side as the horse bears weight on his right hind leg.  In the next moment this is happening on the left side.  This is the same movement we make as we walk across the ground on our own two feet.  The same concepts carry through both the trot and the canter.  Trotting is the same as when we jog, and cantering is the same as if we are cantering on our own two feet. 

You must Move to be Still.  This means that the rider must allow for the horse's motion to come through their bodies.  Flexibility in the joint between the pelvis and the femur as well as a soft flexible lower back is required allow the motion of the horse to come through.  The upper body remains upright and independent in its stretch.  This self-carriage in the rider's position allows the horse to come into self-carriage as well.  The riders’ position is the same as that of a down hill skier that must absorb the terrain differences in his lower body while his upper body remains quiet.  Another example is to think of what it feels like to stand on the bow of a boat in the waves while you hold a glass of water in each hand.  Absorbing the waves in your hips and waist while your upper body remains quiet and your hands independent.

Consider these three paradoxes when you ride.  Encourage yourself to focus on developing your own balance and thus the independency of your seat.  Next month we will continue with some exercises to help you develop and check your position yourself while riding and on the lunge!  Until then happy riding!

Copyright 2001 Garland Farms Dahlonega Ga.