Ideal Seat

[EpsomRob]

Help!!! Beginner – totally confused!
Just seen a vid on youtube, an American lady riding with no bridal/reins! Ok so I ‘‘get it’’ that the seat/upper body position is vital if not more important than using the hands but I’m just confused as to what the correct position is for asking for forward movement and to slow down. I had a lesson oat the weekend and the instructor was saying sit tall which should give the instruction to slow down. Is that right and then was is the position to move forward? Grateful for any help advice!!

 

[outinthefens88]

At this point, I would say listen to the instructor and do what they are telling you.

Sitting tall is not necessarily giving a 'slow down' aid - you MAY be slumping forwards without realizing it, a habit, which if allowed to continue can be very hard to break.

 

[DiNozzo]

By sitting tall most people begin to engage their core- which helps when introducing the idea of the half halt later as the rider already has the beginnings in place.

By engaging your core, your seat will still momentarily at this stage, thus blocking the horses movement which tells him to slow down.

The half halt is an all body rebalancing aid of both horse and rider- used to correct a movement or to signal a change, be that of pace, direction, bend/flexion, 'outline'. It takes a lot of practise to be able to half halt well, and it has many different uses.

 

[EpsomRob]

Thank you