Standing canter in a gp saddle?

[The.edg]

Hi! Random question... has anyone ever done standing anger position in a gp/jumping saddle? Does it feel close enough to a racing or exercise saddle? (I don’t mean a light seat I mean legs back, back parallel to the ground, double bridge standing canter!)

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Nope! It is the most annoying thing on the planet! The knee rolls of the gp either rub your knees or put them in the wrong position and unless you are riding right up the scuts the cantle will smack you on the arse every stride!

 

[Skib]

Not seriously. But you are right - I hate knee rolls. I learned to ride in my 60s and hacked in a GP saddle. However, my lesson teacher (who had exercised race horses in her youth) taught forward seat in a training saddle using the image of an old fashioned folding ironing board. As one's head went forward, it was balanced by one's bum going back - the further forward one's head, the further back ones seat, if that makes sense.
I was taught to do this in walk and trot in a training saddle. I cannot say it was ever a success in a GP in canter but it did leave me able to ride walk and trot in forward seat.

 

[paddi22]

it depends on how thick the blocks are on the gp. I've a few Gps for different horses and I can manage in some and not others. none feel like a close contact saddle though.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Your legs also wouldn't be back they would be underneath you. The way the racing school teach it is that you are like a martini glass - lower legs straight down underneath you - the stem of the glass - thigh back at an angle with your bum sticking out for one side of the glass, back straight forming the top of the glass then you should be able to draw a line from chin to knee to form the other sode of the glass.

GP saddles do not let you do this effectively. There is far more technique involved in cantering/galloping up out of the saddle than strength. But you do need good balance and a fair bit of core strength in you.

Of courseI do not ride like this, my heel goes back a bit and I lean on my knees a little, when horses get keen I put my feet forward a little and curl into a ball to brace against them.

 

[The.edg]

Thanks all I’ll just give it a go when I get home and see what happens lol. Also I apologise I meant knees back*!

 

[Auslander]

We used to do fast work in gp/jump saddles when I worked with event horses, and it is possible - but we used to fight like cats and dogs over the one racing saddle in the tackroom, which leads me to assume that it was a far superior option!