Showjumping - light seat?

[junglefairy]

I was always taught to ride in a light seat jumping. However, I've recently been having jumping lessons with a new instructor who says I need to sit back and deep in the saddle. I'm a bit confused!

What do people think, does it just depend what horse you're riding? What king of seat do you take for jumping?

 

[spacefaer]

I was always taught by my American trainer to sit light and slightly forward, when I was eventing. I also had a close contact saddle

I tend to teach in that style as I tend to teach event riders

Now my hunting has taken priority over the eventing, I ride with a deeper seat, and have a stubben Siegfried saddle, which encourages that style of riding.

The deeper seat gives more security, but also gives more of a "driving" aid, ,so it does depend very much on the type of horse you are riding. If I had sat down on some of the event horses, I'd've been heading into the fence at great speed, while some of the obstacles faced out hunting need more of a committed approach

 

[soulfull]

As space says. Depends on the horse. Some are better if you sit more, others not
Also depends on rider some riders drive too much when they sit deep

Some saddles don't allow you to easily sit light without being in front of the verticle

 

[marinaim]

If I rode in a light seat with many of the horses I've ridden, I would have ended up across the other side of the fence on my bum!

Unless your horse is 100% honest, I would never ride or suggest riding in a light or forward seat. A deeper seat is really favoured in Ireland and also when hunting for security. As long as you are capable of going with the horse, then I'd say listen to your instructor.
At times, a light seat is needed (e.g. grids) but I don't no. Also feel it encourages them to carry more power in their back end which helps when I do the bigger fences. And gives more control imo over speed and power and if they refuse/dodge.

 

[castella]

My mare was jumping me right out the saddle as I was taught to sit deep into a jump and I kept ending up on her neck until I had a jump lesson with an eventer who put my stirrups up another 8 holes and made me to ride in a light seat and treat the jump as just another canter stride, problem solved !

 

[Mike007]

My mare was jumping me right out the saddle as I was taught to sit deep into a jump and I kept ending up on her neck until I had a jump lesson with an eventer who put my stirrups up another 8 holes and made me to ride in a light seat and treat the jump as just another canter stride, problem solved !

I think your trainer spotted a serious problem and good on him,you could only have ridden in a heavy seat. I think the question is for those who ride short enough to apply both kinds of pressure. Which one to choose. I suspect that a light seat tends to reduce the effort from the hind quarters at a fence,encouraging the horse to go more on the forehand. For a showjumper this is not so good. For an eventer this is a little different. In horsemanship ,everything should be light ,so without seeing ,it is hard to comment.your instructor saw ,commented and helped you , thats the way forward.

 

[Supanova]

I think it is possible to ride in a deep seat and ride light. I think it is perhaps more of a question of the angle of the body. Some horses can be ridden with the body slightly angled forward and bum slightly out of saddle all the way to the fence, some need you to sit up more. I think there is also a difference between sitting up and using your back and core to keep the horse contained to sitting deep and heavy.