Developing the half seat/ lightening the seat.

[JoBo]

My instructor says that now that Bodey is ready to jump bigger fences (we are currently jumping a max of 90cm) that I need lighten my seat in the canter, and I finding this concept very difficult.
I sit to heavy in the canter and ride too much on the last few strides to the fence.

Bodey is not one to rush into his fences and so I have this real need to push the canter, which obviously isn’t a good thing. If I gee him up I feel I lose the front end and can’t keep the bouncy canter.

So I’m looking for any tips/ words of wisdom from you guys? Any exercises I can do etc.? Because I just can’t get it!
Is it just practice, lesson, more practice and more lessons?????

Here’s an example of us jumping.

 

[Bossanova]

You need to start riding light seat as you're just cantering round. It requires a strong leg so it will hurt until your muscles get used to it!!
When you've built up the strength you'll find it far easier to push him on from light seat and you can keep the head up and leg on very easily

 

[JoBo]

So it’s really more practice to strengthen my leg muscles then? I was trying rising canter today, but Bodey kept dropping back to trot.
Is it easier on a more forward going horse?

 

[Bossanova]

[ QUOTE ]
So it’s really more practice to strengthen my leg muscles then? I was trying rising canter today, but Bodey kept dropping back to trot.
Is it easier on a more forward going horse?

[/ QUOTE ]

Rising canter is bad, I dont see much benefit tbh. Yep I'm afraid it is a case of strengthening up. Stand up in your stirrups in walk and trot to fast forward the process it all helps!!

 

[Dressagebabe]

Another good exercise for leg muscle building is walking and trotting whilst standing up in your stirrups, try it in walk first and see if you can do a whole circuit of the school without plopping back down on your bum but make sure you are not balancing or pulling back on the reins to keep you up. Once you can stand up in walk for ages then try it in trott!! you have to absorb his bounce through your knees a little (look at the race jockey's doing it) Its good to first practise it in trot when out on a hack whilst trotting up hill has the hill helps with keeping you up. This is very good for then helping with a light seat. Good luck

 

[KatB]

As Boss says, rising canter wont help you develope a half seat

It is useful for slowing horses down though!! agree with the above, shorten your stirrups to start with to help gain balance independantly, and work from there