Improving the Western Horsemanship Seat
We’ve all seen those amazing eye-catching horsemanship riders. She trots out in perfect rhythm with her horse, her seat appears glued to the saddle even at extended trot. Her heels are always in line with her hips and shoulders. Chin up, elbows in. You so badly want to look like this when you ride, but when you watch back a video from your lesson, you can see that you might do the same things in theory, but somehow even with your shoulders, hips, and heels in line, you look like an overly stiff robot instead of this gorgeous fluid rider.Well, I’m here to deliver hope. In this article I will give you 5 different ideas to reexamine your horsemanship seat.
-Changing Your Language
I’m sure more than once in your life you’ve heard something like this, “PULL your shoulders back, PUSH your heels down, HOLD your legs still”. This type of language can often create a technique of tension. As horsemanship riders, our goal is to create suppleness rather than tension, moving in rhythm with our horses. So instead of using your muscles to crunch down on your horse and create rigidity in your body, think about riding with your bones. Instead of PULLING your shoulders back I want you to picture placing your scapula flat against your ribs, like you’re tucking them into their pockets. Instead of PUSHING your heels down, I’d like you to release all tension in your toes and separating and flattening them inside your boot, creating a large platform to balance from. Then allow your weight and center of gravity to fall into your heels, leaving your achilles tendon soft and supple, available to absorb your horse’s motion and steady your body. Instead of HOLDING your leg still, let’s relax at the knee allowing your femur to lay in contact with your saddle and horse’s ribcage. Allow your knee joint to sit tension free, absorbing motion which will create a still appearance. Finally place your ankle in alignment with your hip joint and create a stable base in your feet.
-Considering Pelvis Position
The Pelvis is the foundation of our riding. The pelvis is shaped like a bowl, with two large wings that we would recognize as hips connecting at our seat bone and pelvic bone. When working on our position I want you to picture your pelvis as a fish bowl, we don’t want to tilt forward to spill water out the front or tilt so far back we spill water backwards. The correct position for you is one where your lower lumbar spine and sacrum are in a neutral position and not caving in toward your belly button nor out rounded away from your body.
-Using Movement to Create Stillness
A very common misunderstanding in developing riders is to see the riders that appear motionless and try to replicate that by being very still on the horse. The truth is that holding tension and fighting the horse’s motion will create more bounce and break the connection between you and your horse. What we want to strive for in our bodies is being centered and balanced with a sense of softness and suppleness. When you have developed a correct pelvis position (as you will read below) I want you to create a “following seat” instead of a still seat. Sit on the middle of your seat bones and allow your thighs to soften and drop, then notice your hips move in soft circles one after the other, like peddling a bike. If your hip circles rotate forward, tilt your pelvis backwards a bit more until you feel your hips making backwards circles. Allowing your hips to absorb this motion will create the appearance of a still seat.
-Returning to the Breath
It is very common for nervous people to hold their breath while concentrating on riding or especially when showing a pattern, but holding your breath will inadvertently create tension throughout your body. The next time you ride or show, I’d like you to picture your lungs like fireplace bellows. Allow your lower abs to relax then inhale slowly and deeply into your belly picturing your diaphragm drawing air into your lungs like the bellows would. Then, slowly let your breath out of your nose, allowing it to flow with ease. Breathing this way will efficiently oxygenate your blood and allow your brain to operate at its fullest capacity while riding which can also help when remembering a tricky pattern!
-Ensuring Saddle Fit
When applying these tips if you're still finding a centered seat extremely challenging be sure to pay attention to your saddle fit. An ill fitting saddle can unbalance even the strongest riders. Your saddle needs to properly fit you and your horse. When placed on your horse’s back uncinched, the bottom skirt of the saddle should be parallel to the ground and the lowest part of the seat should be just slightly behind where the stirrup naturally falls. Your seat should be as close as possible to your horse’s center of gravity and where his back is strongest. The stirrup fenders should be set far enough back that you can align your heel to your seat with ease. The adjustment of your stirrup length will largely depend on the conformation of the rider and horse, but if you must reach for your stirrups they are too long. In the correct position, your feet should rest lightly but flat in the stirrups.
To show in the Horsemanship you’ll need to deliver a correct pattern on an obedient horse. To WIN in the Horsemanship you must have gorgeous form and a connected seat with balanced aids. Incorporating these five principles with my clients had built more willingness in our horses and riding strong enough to make the most out of any horse they are on.
Alway be mindful of your physical limitations. If you encounter any obstacles that seem physically insurmountable, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional, such as a Doctor or Physical Therapist, to ensure your continued well-being and accelerate your progress.
