When we want to teach our horse to be self-propelling, it’s essential that we don’t push it forward with every step. It’s crucial for both our own and our horse’s development that we can sit relaxed and follow our horse’s movements.
If we constantly push with our seat, it prevents our horse from lifting and using its back properly. It’s therefore essential that we can follow our horse’s natural rhythm, allowing it the space to lift its back and stretch its back muscles in sync with its movements.
Another important reason to avoid seat-driving is that, when we tense up, we lose the ability to feel and sense our horse’s movements accurately. Tension in the seat typically leads to giving stronger and stronger signals. To communicate with light and effective signals, it’s crucial that we are able to follow and feel our horse’s movements without interference.
The main reason to avoid pushing with the seat is that when we tense or press with our pelvis, we force our horse’s back muscles to tense and contract. This prevents our horse from correctly swinging its hind legs under itself, resulting in an unbalanced and inefficient movement where the horse primarily pulls itself forward on the forehand.
Such movement not only places strain on our horse but can also lead to long-term injuries and discomfort.
The challenge is that we are often taught to drive with the seat, and it works! We may frequently find that our horse stops when we stop pushing with the seat, but we need to be aware of how our seat biomechanically affects our horse. A horse that moves forward in response to the seat must instead learn to move forward on its own, allowing us to sit still and follow its movements so it has space to use its back correctly.
Therefore, the first step is crucial: being able to sit still and follow your horse, as this opens the door to the next levels.
The challenge with pushing from the seat is that it’s a habit we often don’t notice — we push or tense without even being aware of it!
The solution is to become aware and stop pushing, either accepting your horse’s pace or giving it a signal to move forward. I usually start with a voice cue, then a light pressure with my legs, and finally, a gentle tap with the whip until my horse picks up the pace—I often say that it’s the horse’s hindquarters that should do the work, not you 🙂
Sit straight over your horse so that your nose and navel are always aligned directly over your horse’s withers. You can help your horse by sitting in a light seat, leaning slightly forward to place more weight on your inner thighs rather than on your seat.
Completely relax your legs so you’re not gripping with your thighs or knees, and relax your ankles so that your feet only rest in the stirrups.
From your navel down, you should relax enough that your pelvis follows your horse’s movements, but from the navel up, you need to stay still.
It’s essential not to sit with tension, as this limits your breathing to shallow breaths, which can make your horse tense as well.
On the other hand, it’s also important not to sit too relaxed, as this will cause your upper body to lose balance when your horse loses balance or changes direction.
You can keep your upper body still without tension by imagining someone gently pulling you up by the hair at the back of your neck. It might also help to picture space growing between your vertebrae.
Test if Your Horse is Self-Propelling: This exercise is about identifying how much you’re actually pushing with your seat. Start by allowing your horse to walk at its own pace without interference. Carefully observe if you feel the urge to tense your seat to keep the horse going. This can be eye-opening and the first step toward changing your riding style.
Learn One Signal at a Time: When teaching your horse new cues, it’s important to focus on one signal at a time. This minimizes confusion and ensures your horse can understand and respond correctly without stress. Start with the forward signal and ensure it’s well-learned before adding more advanced exercises like changes in direction or speed.
When we drive with the seat, it often means we’re unconsciously pressing or tensing in our pelvis, which can cause our horse to tense and contract its back muscles. This prevents the horse from reaching forward and down and from moving its hind legs correctly under itself, resulting in unbalanced movement where the horse primarily pulls itself forward on the forehand. This is not only taxing for our horse but can also lead to long-term injuries and discomfort.
A training method for the rider who wants to train their horse to move in balance with light aids, tailored to both you and your horse’s level, no matter what your training goals may be.
