Positional points
Derriere Equestrian offers some advice on how your torso affects your riding position.
For any rider working to achieve a consistent rhythm and outline with their flatwork, the torso is key. It can influence all aspects of your riding, in both positive and negative ways.
From a dressage point of view, judges are looking for a horse that goes forward with a good level of self carriage, rather than one with a false outline, whatever the level of competition. It is common to see people ‘hanging on’ to the rein contact, with a rigid hand. However, the hand simply connects the seat to the horse’s mouth, ideally in an elastic way. The seat and the elbow are the ‘anchors’ of the rider’s position – not the hand!
Self carriage
Equine self carriage is achieved through a soft, yet consistent rein contact, and targeted flatwork training to get the horse working forwards into the contact. The rider should aim to carry the hands and keep them level, without trying to interfere with the horse’s head carriage too much; it is also important to ensure the rider’s arms don’t straighten, which is an indicator of tense shoulders. Tense shoulders usually lead to a fixed hand, meaning the rein contact isn’t elastic!
‘Carrying the hands’ really starts at the shoulders – when you are schooling, try to think about establishing a good rhythm with sufficient self carriage, without ‘holding’ the horse – the hands can actually be quite light. For a good rein contact and a correct torso position, drop the elbow comfortably and relax it. This is the key to having a good rein contact; not a fixed hand!
A common fault for many riders is to collapse their hip – they usually drop their hip to the outside, which imbalances the horse. Remember, your body weight needs to be in the direction of movement. To correct or avoid a collapsed hip, sit up tall and make sure your back isn’t slumped. Relax your shoulders and check your arms – do they have a bend at the elbow? Carry the hands!
Remember also the importance of ‘personal comfort’ in the saddle - if you are working to improve your flatwork, good riding underwear is a boon. Consider padded underwear like the Derriere range; remember - when the rider is comfortable within the saddle, there is less likelihood of compensatory misalignment of the spine and pelvis, e.g. altering the body position to avoid pain to the sensitive crotch areas. And a comfy ‘personal area’ means a more effective partnership with the horse!
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