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Bonnie Anderson, author of Horse Tales & Tips
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About the Author
Bonnie Anderson has a two year degree in Horse Science, has worked at two
horse training/breeding facilities, and has had numerous articles
published while raising and training her own horses. She owned a saddle
shop for a few years and now has a book published called Horse Tales &
Tips. She is also a life time member of the Pony Express Riders of Iowa.
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Riding Right
by Bonnie Anderson
~ February 2001 ~
There are all kinds of different riding styles. Theres dressage riding, which is different from huntseat, which is different from western pleasure, which is different from cutting, and so forth. No matter what style you choose though, there is still one basic style we can all benefit from. Thats riding with a balanced seat.
To gain a balanced seat, we must learn to sit in the saddle on our seatbones. To find your seatbones, place your hand under your bottom while sitting in the saddle, and rock back and forth, and youll soon feel your seatbone pressing into your hand. This is our starting point. Once we are conscience of sitting on our seatbones, we can proceed to sitting up straight, shoulders back, with an imaginary line running from the top of our head, straight down through our shoulder, down our hip, to then end in the heel of our riding boot.
We need our head up, eyes looking through the ears of our horse. By looking ahead we can plan our directions and gait changes. If were always looking down at the horses shoulder, our bodies will tip forward, throwing our balance off by placing our weight on our thighs and causing our heels to slide back. By the same token we dont want to ride in the saddle as if we are in a recliner by leaning too far back with our feet stuck out in front of us, bouncing along like a sack of potatoes.
Good leg position is also very important. When we have bad leg position we lose our balance and rely on the reins to keep us upright which eventually deadens our horses mouth. So we want our heels down, and our toes pointed slightly outward, the ball of our foot resting on the stirrup. We want the inside of our calf resting lightly on the horses side so we are ready to signal our horse with our leg aids. If you have weak legs, making it hard to hold the correct leg position, you can strengthen them by riding without stirrups. Just keep your heels down as if you had stirrups when you practice.
The length of the stirrup is also important. They should neither be too long or too short. Stirrups that are too long make it hard for your heel to remain in the down position. Stirrups that are too short raise your center of balance and cause an insecure seat. A good way to get the correct stirrup length is to remain mounted and drop your foot out of the stirrup. The bottom of the stirrup should rest about even with your ankle bone.
Riding bareback is a good way to strengthen your seat as long as you dont hang on the reins to keep your balance. If your not comfortable riding bareback the first few times, try using a neck strap on your horse, giving yourself something to hang on to. A long mane can also be something to grasp. Remember to keep your correct leg position, riding as if you are using stirrups.
The definition of good horsemanship is a rider showing skills while mounted. As we practice good horsemanship we come to enjoy riding more. Riding with a balanced seat can only help improve the performance of our horse. We can then move on to learn more complicated skills, and we can also set a good example of horsemanship for others. Its a win/win situation for us all.
. A few will be chosen for each issue.
Pony Express Riders of Iowa:
Each spring the Pony Express Riders of Iowa saddle up for a special
occasion. From across Iowa they gather together the local donations from
horseback. Then in an old fashioned Pony Express ride, they ride from all
corners of the state to converge on Camp Sunnyside, a camp for the
disabled near Des Moines. The donations are used to help run the camp.
Watching the combined horsemen ride the final miles to the camp brings a
lump to ones throat for the Pony Express Riders freely give their time
and effort for such a worthy cause. For more information about them
contact the Easter Seal Society of Iowa.
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