In this era of algorithms, technology, and targeting, if you’re like me you probably get targeted for all sorts of gadgets claiming to help you ride better.
Do you know what THE best gadget is? The one and ONLY tool that will really improve our riding!? It’s our position!
Your Rider Position is the KEY to taking your riding from where it is to where you want it to be, and a good rider position is ESSENTIAL for you to be able to communicate effectively with your horse. If you’ve got a strong, solid, and effective position, everything else becomes much, MUCH easier!
As humans, we’re kind of obsessed with our hands! Everything we do is based on visual cues that then go to our hands. In order to be a really empathetic and effective rider, we need to rewire our brains to think of reacting to everything with our seats, NOT our hands.
You’re probably already very familiar with the Dressage Training Scale; well, I’ve created a rider position scale to help you learn and appreciate the importance of the correct hierarchy of aids while riding. The order is Seat – Leg – Hands!
Roughly:
-70% riding done with seat
-20% legs
-And only 10% with the hands!
As riders, we tend to think, Brain-to-hand, and we should be thinking Brain-to-seat!
Here are some clips from a symposium I taught at a few months back!
In it, I show you what happens when the rider is using their seat and position correctly and then the effect that it has when the rider deliberately STOPS using their seat and position correctly. It’s a really illuminating clip as we can see the horse’s immediate reaction to both scenarios!
Check out me giving a voiceover to this clip and let me know in the comments if you find it helpful!
Also, if you want to hear more about the rider position scale and really want to drill down and improve your position, enrollment is open on my Rider Position Masterclass for another three days! Don’t miss this opportunity to really analyze and advance your rider position!
Thanks for watching and happy riding!
