Riding

 

equiculture

developing responsible horse ownership

 

 

The responsibilities of a rider

 

Good riders have what is called a ‘good seat’ or an ‘independent seat’. These are a couple of those ‘horsey‘ terms that are often mentioned but rarely explained. Becoming a responsible rider is about aiming to be the best rider that you can. This does not mean that you have to strive to get short listed for the next Olympic team or win equally high level competitions in a range of equine disciplines. In fact, irrespective of whether you compete with your horse, it is equally important that you ride well for the horse’s well being and your safety.

 

Good riders stress their horses less than poor riders as they are simply easier to carry. If you had to carry 20kg around on your back, it would be easier to carry something that is balanced, flexible (but not too flexible) and relatively still (such as a well fitted rucksack) compared to the same weight that is unbalanced, rigid or too floppy and moving out of synchronisation with you (such as a half full container of water).

 

Good seat/independent seat

 

They are actually one and the same thing and I prefer the term independent seat so from now on for the sake of clarity I will refer to it as such. If you were to ask 100 good riders, who represented the complete spectrum of equine disciplines, what an independent seat is they would probably all use different words to describe what it means but would eventually be able to agree to some basic principles such as these below.

 

A rider with an independent seat:

 

• has body parts that can function independently of one another. So for example the legs can apply the aids without causing any loss of balance, tipping the upper body either backwards or forwards and without any inadvertent movement of the hands.
• does not rely on the reins for balance and does not grip with the legs to stay on the horse - can stay with the movements of the horse through changes of speed, changes of incline and through any adverse movements such as shying.
• can absorb the (mainly upward) movement of the horse correctly (through the lower half of their body) and therefore does not bounce.
• has correct hip ankle alignment and can therefore easily go from sitting to standing (or visa versa) in the stirrups in all paces.
• can quietly and effectively influence the movements of the horse and stay in balance with the horse.
• has ‘good hands’ (another ‘horsey’ term). By the way it is impossible to have good hands without first developing an independent seat.
• is able to ride without causing pain to their horse or themselves. Riders with old injuries can obviously experience pain but these can often be reduced or eliminated by working with a specialised instructor (combined with a body worker) who understands and can correct rider problems.

 

A rider who does not have an independent seat tends to do one or all of the following:

 

• they cannot apply the aids clearly and correctly. The horse reacts in one of two ways (depending on the temperament). The horse either becomes agitated or the horse learns to switch off as a coping mechanism (learned helplessness).
• they hang on to the reins and/or grip with the legs in an attempt to keep themselves on the horse. This gives the horse mixed messages and leads to the same responses as above, the horse either tries to evade the rider or becomes desensitised to the aids.
• they lose the stirrups either completely or partially (the stirrups move around on the foot). This causes further instability, more gripping, grabbing etc and becomes a vicious circle.
• they bounce and move around in the saddle. This results in discomfort and even pain for the rider and the horse. The rider is also likely to fall off more easily which often results in confidence issues.

 

A rider owes it to themselves and their horse to avoid the faults listed above. It is actually easier than you think to improve your seat. The trouble is most instructors focus on the horse or the horse/rider combination rather than improving the rider first and foremost.

 

In Australia this is partly because many people get their first horse after very few (if any) riding lessons as it is relatively harder to find a good riding school (low population and large distances play a part here) and relatively easy to buy a horse. Many riding instructors work on a freelance basis and they are often presented with an inexperienced rider on an uneducated horse (well educated horses are very expensive and hard to find especially for inexperienced riders). Thus it takes a long time for the rider to improve.

 

Some instructors were not taught to teach anything other than ‘keep your hands down’, ‘sit still’ and so on, rather than the mechanics of what it takes to ride well. Also many instructors learned to ride when young and learned by trial and error (which is easier when you are younger). They often teach what they were taught (i.e. ‘keep your hands down, ‘sit still’) rather than what they themselves actually do. Many top equestrians (who often give instruction) are naturally athletic and may not have to think about what is actually happening when they are riding. They have not really thought about or analysed what they are doing (with their seat) and therefore cannot break down the necessary skills to impart to their students. If you are having problems with your seat find an instructor who specialises in rider seat problems rather than an instructor who concentrates solely on the horse/rider combination. Many of the highest level competitors have one coach for their seat and one for improving their horse’s way of going. A good seat specialist can often sort out seat problems relatively quickly which enables the rider to get back to improving their horse’s way of going.

 

I instruct independent seat via lessons and clinics - please see the seminars and clinics page. See also the more riding info page for articles (by myself and others) and links to other websites that may be able to help you. If you subscribe to our mailing list you will be notified of updates to this page and others on the website on a regular basis (every one to two months).