"I do
not approve of a seat which is as though the man was sitting on a chair,
but rather as though he was standing with his legs apart."
Xenophon,
355 BC, Athenian philosopher and cavalry leader.
A Good
Posture
In a chair
position, the points of gravity in the human skeleton are not aligned. In
a standing position, a straight vertical line can connect the points of
gravity. The points of gravity start with the ear, then the point of the
shoulder, then the second sacral vertebra, then the hip joint, and
finally, the ankle.
What
Xenophone implied in his writings was to maintain the straight vertical
line while in the saddle. To put the picture together, stand with your
side to the mirror, shoulders square, back straight, legs slightly apart.
Now bend your knees as they would be if you were in the saddle. Make sure
that you keep your back straight and your shoulders square. You will
notice the vertical line connecting the points of gravity has not changed.
This is the ideal posture that leads to harmony between you and your horse
as it places the rider in responsibility of their own weight.
Why
That Particular Seat?
Horses are
sometimes unpredictable. A good confident seat will provide the rider with
security and safety in case of emergencies. A chair position in a saddle
can result in an insecure seat and inevitable falls. With your legs
forward in the chair position, you are loosing contact between your inner
thigh muscles and the horse. These muscles, when assisted with a proper
leg position (i.e. maintaining the vertical line of gravity) act as a seat
belt - holding you in place - when an emergency occurs.
The Chair Seat
Stirrups are short and the leg is too far forward, which
causes uneven weight distribution and a weak seat |
|
The Correct Seat
The shoulder, hip, and heel can all be connected by one
vertical line. This is a truly balanced, secure position. |
There are
several benefits resulting from a good seat. Among them are safety,
control, comfort, elegance, confidence, and harmony with your horse.
"There
is nothing more beautiful than a correct classical seat which naturally
sets the horse at his best. Horses trained in this way actually grow in
beauty as they develop the correct muscles and transform from mere
vehicles into gymnasts."
Sylvia
Loch, "The Classical Seat"
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