|
Riding a horse in the western style takes balance and fluidity between all of the parts of the body. An ideal rider will have perfect control of his feet, ankles, legs, seat bones, hips, back, head, arms and hands at all times. He will not only be able to sit correctly on a horse, but he will be able to maintain the correct position throughout the different gaits while also giving and moving with the horse as if they were one. This balance and correctness is not easy to achieve. Fortunately it is not expected of the beginning rider, but it can and should be learned.
If the position of the seat bones can be mastered the rest will be relatively easy to achieve. There are three positions the western rider should know. The first is the normal seat, which is also a neutral position. In this position your weight should be evenly distributed between your buttocks and your crotch. The next position is the forward seat. The forward seat is where you tilt your pelvis forward a little. Part of your weight will rest on your inner thighs. Try to concentrate on keeping the inner thigh above the knee next to the saddle, don’t lose contact with it. The third position is the deep seat. For this position you will rock your pelvis back so that you are positioned between your seat bones and your tailbone. Practice this seat by starting in the normal position and then flexing your abdomen muscles hard. Relax your muscles but don’t change your position, that is the deep seat.
Most of the time you will ride in the normal seat. You will move to the forward position anytime your horse shifts his weight forward, such as when you go downhill. The deep seat is used in many training purposes to get the horse's attention. One example is if you are about to cue a stop you would first shift your weight to the deep seat and then cue, this lets the horse know what you are going to do before hand.
Your heel should always be down with the ball of your foot setting on the stirrup. The calf should be long and knees relaxed. The ankles, knees and hips will act as your shock absorbers, so keep them loose, but controlled. Your back should be straight but not rigid. From the waist down your back should be flexible so that it can move with the horse. This will give the look of fluidity. From the waste up your back and neck should remain straight. This will keep your head level even when the horse is making slight up and down movements, because the lower back, hips, knees and ankles will absorb these.
When riding at any gate your eyes and hence your head should always face forward when going straight. If you are going to turn, your eyes and head should turn first before you are even to the turning point. By looking where you are going to go your body will make any corrections for you and the horse to get you both there.
Your arms to the elbows should be at your sides, not sticking out like chicken wings. The right hand should rest on your thigh, while the left hand holds the reins. The hand should be held just in front of the horn. The hand wrist and forearm should be straight.
These are the basic positions for walking, jogging and cantering. The important thing to remember is to stay with the horse. Let your body adjust to the horses every movement and you will perform like one, in the arena or out on the trial. You will reach the goal of perfect balance and fluidity.
|
| |
