Last week’s article outlined the steps that need to be taken in order to gain anindependent seat. The article also stated that the first step towards gaining an independent seat isto learn how to stabilise the lower leg. A good balanced rider has a stable lower leg and can movethe upper body around over the lower leg without loss of balance. A not so balanced rider tends touse the lower leg to compensate for any upper body movements. This causes the rider to becomeunstable.

When the rider feels unstable they tend to grip, this lifts the weight, which raises the centre ofgravity. This is a big mistake when riding a horse as it makes the rider feel even more unstable andcan cause a loss of the stirrups (due to the legs sliding upwards).

So what can be done to gain a stable lower leg? To start with you need a quiet horse that will walkand trot with a good rhythm (not keep speeding up and slowing down). Any type of saddle can be usedwithin reason. A good dressage saddle is ideal as are Stock and Western saddles as long as they donot prevent the rider from standing in the stirrups. Jumping and all purpose saddles are OK but donot give the rider any help with gaining a correct leg position (because they are designed forjumping and therefore a different leg position). Fit the horse with a neck strap that is not toothick (plaited hay band is fine). Start in an enclosed area such as an arena or round yard. It isalso useful to have an assistant on the ground to describe to you what they see happening.

Initially take your stirrups up a couple of holes. At a standstill take hold of the neck strap andstand in the stirrups balancing on the balls of your feet. Initially play around with standing up onthe tip toes and then letting the heels drop right down until you find the middle ground where youfeel most balanced (which should be when the heels are just slightly lower than the toes).

Make sure that you have equal weight going down into each foot, that both sides of the foot areloaded equally, that the hips knees and ankles are slightly flexed and able to absorb any movement.These three joints act as shock absorbers when riding. The legs should not be griping at all andshould simply drape around the horse. Notice how the leg has to come directly under the body inorder for you to stand up and stay up. Also notice that if you move your leg forward even just alittle, you lose balance and fall back into the saddle.

When you do sit down for a break, think about kneeling down (which causes the knee to go forward anddown and the seat to be lowered gently) rather than sitting down (which causes the rider to sit moreheavily to the back of the saddle and the legs to come forward).

When you have mastered standing in the stirrups at a standstill, practice it at a walk (stillholding the neck strap). You should feel the muscles in the front of your thighs working and you mayfeel the tendons that run from the calf to the heel (the Achilles tendon), stretching. Make sure youdo not over do it at first, have frequent breaks.

As you may have guessed, the next step is to do this at a trot. This requires the correct amount ofsuppleness and tone in the muscles and the joints so build it up slowly. The eventual aim is to beable to trot around standing in the stirrups without having to rely on the neck strap.

Next week’s article will describe how you can use this improved balance to correct any instabilityin the sitting trot.

Disclaimer: While the author and publisher have taken all appropriate care to ensure theaccuracy of this articles content, no liability is accepted for any loss or damage from or incurredas a result of any reliance on the information provided in this article.

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