Dressage: Foundation for All Riding Disciplines

 

Lesson Five

 

RIDER'S SEAT & POSITION

 

 

Let's get on!

 

Be sure when you tack up, you remember Lesson II.  The saddle should be re-checked to be sure it fits and it is off the withers and behind the shoulders of your horse.  The girth will be at least a hand's width behind the horse's elbow.  Also make sure you have a jointed mouthpiece snaffle and it is not pinching the corners of the horse’s mouth.

 

Good leg position

 

          Mount somewhere that is safe for you to ride.  Hopefully you have a horse that is patient so you can concentrate on yourself for a while.  If not, borrow a quiet, calm horse.  If that is not possible, have a friend hold your horse so you can do these exercises.

 

Leg too far forward

 

          When you settle into the saddle, adjust the stirrups so they are hanging at your ankles.  (Get off and adjust them if need be.)  At that length, they will hold your toes up enough, and your heel can drop down enough to be secure.  There should not be the severe angle in you ankle that you often see in hunt seat riders.  Your foot, in dressage, should be virtually level with a slight deepening of the heel.

 

          Sit in the saddle.  How does it feel?  Can you comfortably put both sides of your "behind" in it?  Is it too wide or narrow in the front of your pelvis?  Does it tilt you forward or backward?  It needs to fit you as well as it fits your horse.  If the saddle is in the right place, it should be level on the horse's back and you should feel balanced. 

 

Place your feet in the stirrups.  Your legs should hang virtually straight down.  If there is a line on the outside of your breeches it should run slightly forward and downward.  If you are sitting in a "chair seat," thighs pointed forward, you need to pull your knees back to point your legs downward along your horse's side.

 

If your legs are correct, your heel will be straight under your hip which will allow you to stand up easily from your stirrups.  If your feet are too far in front of your hip or behind your hip, you will not be balanced when standing in your stirrups. 

 

This is a great way to check your leg position any time.  If you can stand in the stirrups without making adjustments, your legs are in the best position.  If you can't stand, you probably need to bring your legs back and under you to stand.  Try to tuck your buttocks under your body when you do this.  It will put your hips in the best place and your legs in the most supporting position.

 

Your hips are very important.  They are a "ball and socket" joint.  This is the part of your body that "follows" the horse.  Meaning, that is where you absorb the motion of the horse.  If your hip joints are loose, the rest of your body can be still and not interfere.

 

Place yourself in the saddle and allow both sides of your hips to sink into the saddle.  What you may feel instead of your hips are your seat bones, which are pretty much under your hips.  The problem is, most people dig their seat bones into the saddle and lean on their pelvis.  Doing this moves the hips out of position and creates negative back pressure from the points of their seat bones.  It causes your horse’s back to hollow.

 

You must sit upright and back on your "pockets", in other words, rock your pelvic bone back until your seat bones are tucked underneath your body.  This allows the fatty part of your buttocks to slide underneath the seat bones, cushioning them.  When this is done, it places your hips back where they need to be in order to be effective. 

 

Pull your tummy muscles inward and upward.  This will tuck your seat without having to tighten the muscles of your bottom--they need to be soft under you.

 

Your tummy muscles support your back.  Sound familiar?  What supports the horse's back?

 

With all this adjustment, you may be leaning back a little.  Once your buttocks are in the saddle, you need to lean your upper body forward just slightly until you are vertical.  Keep your buttocks in the saddle.  Resist the urge to rock forward on your pelvis.

 

There should be no "arch" in your back; it should be soft and straight.  You may feel "hunched" a little, but it feels that way more than it actually is.

 

Rider too forward, on 12 o'clock, back hollowed

 

This may feel a bit awkward, especially if you have ridden a lot of “hunters.”  Hunt riders ride quite forward.  If you have ridden western, the proper dressage seat will feel quite natural.  Caution: do not arch your back and do not sit forward on your seat bones.

 

If you are not sure your seat is correct, imagine you have on a big, silver belt buckle.  Where is it pointing?  Is it pointing down at your horse's neck?  That means you are leaning forward.

 

Rider tilted back, pushing saddle forward, legs in front

 

If your seat is correct, the belt buckle will be pointing straight ahead and tilted just a bit skyward.  The further upward it is pointing, the more your bottom is tucked underneath you.  Wherever it is pointed, try to keep your waist straight and back level and vertical.

 

Here is an exercise to feel where your hips are, and how to use them.

 

First, let's find our seat bones.  Rock your seat side to side.  Try to feel your seat bones, those two small points of pressure when you sit a certain way.  They are not comfortable for you or your horse.  When you find them, then make sure you have equal pressure on them.  If you feel out of balance, rock slightly side to side until you have even pressure on both bones.

 

This place is called "Zero Placement", or "Halt Mode".  (More about that later.)  Now, I want you to recognize this position when you attain it.

 

Your back should be softly straight and not arched; your shoulders can come back a little.  Your legs should be hanging down at your sides, under your hips.

 

I call this exercise, "Countdown".  Pretend you are sitting in the middle of a clock.  Ahead of you is 12.  Behind you is 6.  Your right hip is 3; your left hip is 9.

 

If you are straight, your hips will be on 3:00 and 9:00.  If you are at Zero Placement, your seat bones are straight down on your horse, equal pressure on each. If you lean back (yes, you can lean your upper body at this point) you are moving toward 6.  If you lean forward on your pelvis you will be moving toward 12.

 

Rider bent to right, outside leg back

 

Practice these placements.  As you go from 3 to 9 and back, feel when you have more pressure on one seat bone then the other, then equalize the pressure.  When your weight is on your right side, you are considered to be on 3.  When your weight is on your left side, you are considered to be on 9. 

 

Right hip collapsed onto 3 o'clock

 

As you go from12 to 6 feel your pelvis rock from front to back and feel when you are centered again.  When you are on your pelvis, you are on 12; when you are leaning back, you are on 6.

 

These exercises will make you aware of your body position, and how to reposition it.  You will be aware when you are leaning and how to find center again.

 

When at Zero Placement, do not stay long.  Tuck you bottom underneath those seat bones slightly.  That will be the signal for your horse to go, and it is the "Sending" seat.  This is the ideal position for riding.  Stay in this position as often as you can.  It keeps you straight, keeps your hips down, and keeps your seat bones off the horse.

 

When you can be aware of where everything is, and can keep from leaning, then you can use this in your riding.

 

Let your horse walk and get used to the new position.

 

Now, let's use your clock.  If you want to turn to the right, move your right hip from 3 position to 5.  Allow your left hip go forward from 9 to 11.  Wherever you put one hip, the other will be at the opposite on the clock.  You have to be conscious of this at first, because some rider’s   hips do not swing easily.

 

To turn the horse, you use your hips.  If your hips are working correctly your legs will follow through and do the correct thing.  We will go over this part in more detail later.

 

Wherever you want your horse to go, turn your hips, face, and body in that direction.  Be sure that you keep even pressure on the sitting bones; do not lift one out of the saddle.

 

Easier said than done, but very important that you get this.  Do not lean.  Use your new exercises to learn to recognize the feeling of leaning.

 

When you want a tighter circle, bring your inside hip back farther, and your outside hip will go forward farther.  Your horse should be going in the direction you are turning.  Horses naturally respond to the positioning of your body.

 

Good hands with proper whip carrying

 

At this point, I just want you to observe your horse's responses.  Do not be disappointed if he does not respond exactly as you hope.  We are about to learn more ways to help him understand your requests.

 

Good arms and nice contact, but leaning forward

 

You will be correct if you look where you want to go, turn your shoulders in that direction, and then bring your hips around to match your shoulders.  Your horse should want to match his shoulders to your hips.  The horse will bend through his back if your hips are doing their job.

 

If the horse is still does not understand the cue, slightly vibrate the rein in the direction you want him to go.  Turn your body; do not lean.  It is important that you are upright and twisting while keeping your bottom in the saddle.  Be careful your outside buttock stays in the saddle; it is the one which tends to float upward rather than move forward.

 

If you remember your "clock", the exercise should become easy for you.

 

Most horses will only move in one direction well.  If you were successful in the earlier suppling lessons, then it should be much easier now for your horse to go both directions equally well.  If you are having major problems with these exercises, go back to the in-hand work and supple the horse some more.

 

Your legs reinforce your body position change orders. If the horse does not turn, use your inside leg to send his rib cage over, just like you did on the ground in Lesson III.  Just swing your inside leg back from your hip and press him a few times.  You keep your seat in the position we’ve been working on and just let the leg slide back and press the horse over.

 

If you turn your hips correctly, your inside leg will move back a bit, and your outside leg should go back farther to keep him from throwing his haunches out.  You press and send his rib cage over.

 

If you want to send the horse's haunches to the outside, slide your inside leg back farther and press the horse.  Your outside leg lightens and allows the horse to swing his haunches out this time.

 

Your torso needs to follow the lead of your hips.  It needs to swing in the direction you want to go.  Your shoulders need to follow through and stay level.  If you lean, they will dip or drop and your horse will do the same thing.  As riders we want to be upright and we want our horse to be upright also, balanced laterally and vertically, yet bending.

 

It sounds peculiar, but only by getting the horse to bend correctly can we get him straight.

 

Be sure you do not twist just at the waist.  Your hips must do the twisting to bend the horse, as your waist and upper body follow.  If your horse has a tough time turning, then exaggerate the turning of your shoulders.  They are almost as important as your hips.  Your body alignment must be telling the horse the same thing consistently.

 

Be sure you are looking where you want to go!  Your head and neck must turn, chin and eyes stay level!

 

Everything must communicate the same message to the horse.

 

If you only turn your head or waist, the horse is not being given the full message.

 

The tighter the turn or bend you want, the tighter you turn your body.  Comparable parts!  The horse and you become one that way.

 

What your hands do is important.  You need to hold the reins with light a contact, where the reins are straight and firm, but not too restricting.

 

Every horse is different, and needs a slightly different feel.  You will discover with a little practice what your horse likes best.

 

If the horse attempts to back, or throws his head, your reins are probably too tight.  If he just walks off with you, they are too loose.  The feel should be similar to what you feel when longeing or leading him.

 

The reins run under the middle three fingers and lays over the pinkie and the thumb.  The fingers are held firmly closed with a "spongy" feel.

 

The loose end of the reins comes out of the top of the hands, between the thumb and forefinger. The upper finger joints point at each other. The thumbs point upward toward the opposite ears of the horse's head.  It is similar to holding a coffee mug at a very slight tilt.

 

If you turn your wrists too much, the "coffee mug" will spill its contents in your lap.  Keep your hands positioned so nothing spills.

 

Do not cross one hand over the mane to the other side.  Keep your right hand on the right side, and your left hand on the left side.  When you do that, you will have more control over your horse's actions.

 

Your hands should be as wide apart as your hips.  Another way to envision your hand position is to say your hands should be directly in front of your elbows.    

 

When you bring your hands too close together, it affects the corners of the horse's mouth as if you were pulling back.  I want you to have as little "pulling" action as possible.  As a matter of fact, if you need to use your hands to tilt the horse's nose in the direction you want to go, do not pull back on the rein.  Merely squeeze your hand closed a little tighter, and if that does not work, spread your hand away a little further in the direction you want to go.

 

Your elbows stay at your sides and your arms are kept soft and straight.  They will make a straight line from your elbows, through the reins, to the bit.  If you pretend your elbows are like the weights of a fishing pole, and your hands are the bobbers, it will be easy to remember that your hands follow the horse's head, and the elbows stay at your sides.

 

If the horse raises his head, your hands go up.  Yes!  Do not pull his head down, for it will only create tension and cause him to bow his neck against you and keep his head up.   Have you ever tried to pull his head down with a lead when he wanted to look at something, or was ignoring you?  It usually makes him put it up higher, or causes a fight.

 

If your horse's head comes right down easily, then you should not have the urge to pull it down anyway.  We will discuss this more in detail later.

 

Keep your elbows at your sides, over your hips, and let your hands follow the horse's head.  For the most part, your hand's main job is to keep a light to firm contact with the horse's mouth through the reins, and to keep his neck straight.  If he can bend his neck, he will displace his shoulders and be able to stiffen his body and avoid your cues. 

 

It is very, very important that you learn to get his neck straight for most of the exercises we will be doing.

 

Nothing here is superfluous.  All the steps are important and build one upon the other to create a bigger, more complicated picture.

 

If any of the steps are left out, you will not be able to perform the exercises and improve your horse's body.

 

Practice using your seat, legs, torso, arms and hands.  Do some turns and serpentines.  Go straight.  See where your horse turns easily, where he resists.  Just play!  Do not try to do anything too serious.  Do not get upset if he does not respond.  Just practice using your new cues.  Exaggerate your position.  Be subtle.  See what happens!  We will get more specific with cues and exercises in the next lesson.  Now we just want to have fun and practice.

 

 

REMEMBER:

Keep your bottom tucked underneath you.

Your tummy muscles support your back.

Sit up straight, but do not arch your back.

Let your hips sink into the saddle.

Keep your hips level and evenly weighted.

Turn your hips in the direction you want to go.

Do not lean, TWIST your body.

Follow through with your torso and shoulders.

Be sure to turn your head and look where you want to go.

Keep your head and chin level.

The further back you put your leg on the horse and press, the more he is going to move his hindquarters away from the pressure.

Your hands keep the horse's neck straight with light but firm contact.

Your elbows stay at your hips, and your hands stay about the same width apart as your elbows.

There should be a straight line from your elbows to the bit.

If the horse raises his head, raise your hands the same level.

Do not cross the rein over the neck or pull down on the reins.

Practice the "countdown" exercises.  We will be doing a lot more with this as we progress.

 

This is a beginning guide to what we will be working on.  These positions will be refined and defined to include more specific details as we move on.  If you can get a good grasp and feel of this, then the next lesson will be a breeze!

 

As a warm up, I usually do the in-hand work each time before I ride, especially if the horse is young or mature and stiff.  If you teach the horse how to respond from the ground, not only can you see how he moves and will feel, but the horse gets a clearer understanding of what is being asked of him once you are in the saddle.

 

You do not have to spend much time at the exercises if he is responding well. Just do a light "touch up" to be sure that he is using himself well.  If he is having trouble doing any of the exercises from the ground, you can be sure he will most likely not be any better under saddle.

 

Go back over previous lessons and be sure you are asking him correctly.  Most horses will do as you ask if they are physically able.  Sometimes, people are not asking the right "questions", so they get the "wrong" answers or responses. 

 

 

A NOTE TO THINK ABOUT!

 

If you do not have a solid relationship with your horse, or he is anxious and spooky, then you need to do more ground work with positive reinforcement and work on getting his trust and respect.  Horses will usually not give respect to someone they can push around.  They want to know that you are in charge and able to keep them safe.  You have to show that you deserve their trust by your calm actions.  Avoid hasty reactions. 

 

Beating a horse into submission is never the answer.  They may give you the lead, but they will usually not be able to trust you or will take advantage once your guard is down.  This is not a positive relationship.

 

You show the horse you are in charge by moving his space.  Like in the in-hand exercises, you are moving the horse's space, and therefore becoming the alpha.  It can take a while, but that is part of becoming the leader of your little team.

 

The "alpha" is the one who can move other horse's body's around with calm aplomb.  It is not necessarily the bully or the older horse which becomes alpha.  It can be difficult to see who the alpha is in a boarding situation where they are mixed up often or new horses are introduced all the time.  Horses will usually be challenging everyone all the time and never really relax.   In a fixed "herd" or field, it is much easier to observe their relationships with each other.

 

As a human, if your horse has the lower status the more he may listen and behave for you, but the spookier and anxious he may be if you do not show solid, calm leadership.  And usually the other horses in his field will not be too upset if he leaves the field.

 

If you have the lead horse in the group, he may challenge you more often, but will usually be the calmest and boldest.  If you remove him from the field, the others will usually be more upset and anxious because you are leaving with their leader.

 

The "boss", or alpha horse is usually calm and steady and protects the herd. Horses will respect that, even though they may challenge him from time to time; because if the alpha can not handle them, then worry he won’t be able to protect them.

 

If you do the in-hand exercises often, you will not only increase your horse's body physically, but you are bonding with your horse and letting him know you intend to be the alpha. 

 

If you stay calm, and take the role as leader, you can create a better, positive relationship with your horse.  If you have this, he will perform better for you and trust your leadership.  Your work under saddle will improve as a result. 

 

There are many dynamics involved, and if you just take your time and go through each step, revisiting them when necessary, or doing them as warm up exercises often, you will find your time with your horse will be more rewarding!

 

 


TERMS

 

ALPHA--The lead horse in a group of horses; the boss of the team; the one demonstrating leadership through calm and respectful actions.

 

CLOCK--A method of imagining yourself on a clock face, 12:00 ahead of you, 6:00 behind you, 3:00 on your right, 9:00 on your left.

 

COUNTDOWN--Using the "clock" exercise to improve awareness of your hips; exercise to supple your own body as well as your horse's back.

 

HALT MODE--You rock up on your seat bones, back straight, sit deep and exhale.

 

HERD--A group of horses, usually related if in the wild, in a field or pasture together; a stable (no pun intended) group with established social orders and progressive status ranks.

 

SENDING SEAT--Your bottom is tucked just under your seat bones, cushioning them, sending the horse forward and following him as he moves.

 

TOUCH UP--Going back over previous exercises to fix a current problem.

 

 ZERO PLACEMENT--Your seat bones are resting directly on the horse's back; it becomes the Halt Mode.

 

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