The cross country seat positions By Jesse Campbell

The cross country seat positions 

By Jesse Campbell Derriere Equestrian Sponsored Rider 

It is easy to think of the cross country positions as being simplified to just the jumping position, and the ‘between fences’ position, but of course it is more complex than that. In recent years, we have seen a more popularised ‘chair-like’ position in cross country riding. British trainer Chris Bartle likens the ideal XC position to “Sitting in the back of the plane for take-off”, meaning that you should sit back and adjust your upper body weight further backwards. My trainer Erik Duvander also advocates utilising our upper bodies so the horse can lengthen its neck and raise the nose over fences, improving its balance, while my mentor Andrew Nicholson, whom I rode for, is renowned for his balance and anchored lower leg position.

So, cross country riders essentially have three main positions -

1.The light seat

Sometimes referred as the two point seat, for most riders, this is your ‘between fences’ seat, and involves your bottom being out of the saddle, with your weight down into your heels, and your ankle joints acting as shock absorbers. We can then become closer to the saddle so our seat bones are touching it very lightly as we approach the fence - and sometimes we will sit down much deeper into the saddle on the approach, depending on the situation.

2.The jumping seat

I would say that for the cross country element, this is more of a ‘sitting up’ seat than perhaps a ‘show jumping’ seat over fences, which folds forward more. As we jump an XC fence, the heels are down, our calf is on, and the rider’s body is anchored from the lower legs upward. This position itself is subjective, as different riders (with differing body types) and even riding nations have different styles - however if you look at photos of me riding, you will see that my upper body is often at a 45 degree angle over XC fences, so not too far forward, with my seat relatively close to the back of the saddle. The last thing we want to do is to ‘pitch’ forwards onto our knees and lose balance and security - so I would advocate avoiding gripping with the knee, as it then acts like an ‘unstabling’ pivot. One useful piece of advice is for your upper body position to reflect the face of the jump in question.

3.The driving seat

I would use this description for the approach to a jumping challenge that needs real determination and positivity. We are sitting back, at least at the vertical angle, kicking on and encouraging positivity and boldness.

As an advocate for Derriere Equestrian underwear, I like to think that I am aware of the importance of my seat bones! I always try to keep the weight down into my heels when jumping, as drawing up a leg puts more weight on the opposite seat bone. Additionally, keeping the upper back straight and using the core muscles helps to remove ‘dead’ weight from the seat bones, and helps with overall balance and posture over fences. Padded underwear from the Derriere range is a great asset to my riding wardrobe.

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