I'm not fully sitting down in the saddle

[Annie&Dixie]

So I've been starting to realize this for the last few months. I don't sit down well in the saddle anymore, I brace my body with my weight in the stirrups. What would be a good way to improve this? Stirrupless work?

[vicklynn]

Sounds like a plan to me. Are your stirups to short?

[mustangluver]

Ditch the stirrups, if you feel comfy.
Also put something under ur butt and if you lose it you know you were standing.

Also lengthen your stirupps.

[Annie&Dixie]

My stirrups are very long, maybe too long. I can't adjust them any shorter so I kinda find myself reaching for them sometimes, I think that's what started this. I hate that I have something wrong with my seat that I've actually gotten into the habit of doing a lot, I used to be really good at sitting and everything! Ugh!

I think I should be able to go without the stirrups, it makes me a bit nervous cantering Dixie like that but that's where I need it most.

Thank you Vicky and mustang!

[Dakota Sunrise]

Bareback! :D LOL, jk.:p But bareback riding really does give you a good seat. Obvously there is no stirrups and the trick to bareback riding is too let your legs hang long and loose and really sink your weight into your seat, and sit up straight.
I ride Dakota bareback constantly and it really had improved my equitation.:) I really have to concentrate on sitting deep in the saddle when I ride Beauty, because her gaits are so rough.:rolleyes:

Of course stirrupless work would help too.:innocent:

[JackieB]

My stirrups are very long, maybe too long. I can't adjust them any shorter so I kinda find myself reaching for them sometimes, I think that's what started this.

That's your problem. I can just about guarantee it. Proper stirrup length is so important.

You could certainly go without stirrups, but for me, that's too dangerous at the fast gaits. So, I focus on my seat during riding sessions fairly often and also remind myself to make quick mental checks to see if I'm still in pretty good shape now and then.

I wouldn't worry too much about the fact that you picked up a bad habit. As long as you are aware and work on it, you shouldn't get stuck in a rut.

[Annie&Dixie]

Dakota, I love bareback too but I just don't feel super comforatable riding Dixie extensively bareback. I love her very much and I do trust her but she still has her bad moments and I don't often know what day she'll be having one. :)

Jackie, thank you. I hope it won't be that much of a problem. Now that I've gotten my own saddle and everything, I can make all of the adjustments custom for me. It's just that the saddle that I've been riding in is not mine and obviously I can't punch any new holes or anything.

[Me'N'Chic]

It's good that you noticed that and can be aware and work on it. I think I may do that on CHIC sometimes. There have been times when we are trotting and I don't think she is exremely rough; but I catch myself kinda bracing myself with my legs and I have to mentally think about relaxing them and putting my heels down! Guess there are lots of things to concentrate on when riding!!

[TLC97]

Can you take a picture to post for us to see??

Sounds like you also need to find your seat bones again to sit on.

[EnglishGuy]

Are you having trouble at the sitting trot or the canter?

Sorry if it was posted, didn't see it.

[HeartofSteel]

Sounds like you may be pinching with your knee's and maybe thighs. Stirrupless would be good but if you already pinch with your knee's in could make it worse... You can shorten your stirrups and starting at a halt take your feet of the stirrups and lift your legs/thighs off the saddle, this will give you an extreme cramp/pinch in your upper thigh so be aware of that lol. That helps you keep your legs loose and sit on your seat bones. You can move onto this at the walk and trot and eventually canter

[alittleoffkey]

Last time I rode I did that towards the end of the ride... 'cause it hurt (stupid chipped pelvis). :doh: But since you didn't say you were in pain, then I'm going to guess that's not your problem.

I'd work without stirrups. Or at least work on dropping your stirrups while you're moving - that'll really stop the "Oh my gosh, where'd my stirrup go?" anxiety that usually starts the stirrup-leaning. :)

[GrungeEquestrian]

Ah I am just starting to get over this. I used to also use my stirrups to sit in the saddle, my legs were too far forward. I did some work without stirrups and also worked on rotating my hips to keep my butt where it belonged.

[EnglishGuy]

Theres a lot of stuff to try.

I know just recently I realized that I was squeezing far too much with my knees and that caused problems. I didn't get far enough out of my saddle when jumping because of that and I took a couple spills because of it.

Ideally when your in your saddle you want your stirrups to be just above your foot in front of your shin when you let your legs hang down. With your foot in the stirrup you want your heels way down with your toes pointed slightly out. Your contact needs to be even all up and down your leg, but your main point of contact should be your calves (you do not want to be pinching with your knees, but with your toes out you shouldn't have that problem as it will keep your contact at your knees light). You want very little weight in your stirrups.

I'm assuming your having trouble at the sitting trot and the sitting canter. Just remember to be flexible in your pelvis and go with the horses motion. Relax, have a good grip like I said above and go with the flow!

[Annie&Dixie]

Thanks Mary, I'm usually pretty aware of things unfortunely that's not always a good thing ;) I think I need to check myself more often, like you were saying.

Tanya, I've got videos, does that work? They'll be at the end of this post.

EnglishGuy, I'm fine at the trot, sitting or posting. It's mostly the cantering and believe it or not, I do it while whoaing. I have been improving on the whoaing because that's such a big thing that you neeeed to sit down.

Thank you for the suggestions! I think I definitely need to relax more at the canter and I think it's partly because Dixie can be a little touchy while cantering and considering how sensitive she is on her sides, it makes me nervous sometimes about my movements.

HPH, Oh yeah! I remember doing that in my lessons, I will have to practice that more now, I've forgotten about all of my exercises and I've just been completely focusing on Dixie's exercises. I'm trying to think about it and I think I'm pinching with my knees...I think.

ALOK, that would be good, thanks for the suggestion!

Grunge, yeah I've always the problem of putting my legs forward...I've got short legs, it's hard for me to push them back! I'm not sure if I'm still rolling my hips under myself or not...maybe the video will tell somebody who has a good eye a.k.a not me.

ETA - Whoooop! I forgot the video....here it is!

YouTube - Western Equitation Contest Entry

[AUEquine]

I had this problem when I first started riding western! So many years of being perched on my pubic bone riding hunters... it's a hard habit to break!

First off... the stirrup length is key! Recently I was riding in a borrowed saddle for a few weeks and the stirrups were too long. So to reach them and keep my feet in them I found I was having to rotate my hips forward to lengthen my leg! I was loosing all seat contact and having to rely way too much on my knees for balance and control!
Ask the owner of the saddle if they mind if you put another hole in it. I've never had someone mind! Most horse people would rather you have a saddle that fits so that you're safe, than care about two more holes! They're not seen and it's not like there aren't 10 holes already there!

The way I had to break this habit was over exageration! I literaly had to go to "chair sitting" posistion. I would concentrate on riding like that with my feet way in front of my and every inch of my butt in that saddle! I didn't pay too much attention to what the horse was doing, I just focused on my posistion. I did this at the walk trot and canter. After a few days of this, it started to become more natural. So as I went back to my regular work my body found a happy medium between the exagerated chair seat and the forward english seat I was used to.
I'll also remind you that this all starts with your head! No, not your brain power... but your head posistion! If you're head is always looking down (this happens to many of us when we focus so much on our horses training) then the rest of your body/posistion is going to tip forward with it. Starting at the shoulders, the chest colapses, the hips roll forward, and the butt comes up! So really focus on sitting up, and sitting back! Just being conscious of what you're doing will help, the more you practice you, the more it will become second nature!

[FlitterBug]

I agree with auequine after seeing the video. One of my students came with a similar problem. I was telling her to find her seat bones and she was having some trouble with it. Finally, the light bulb went off in her head and she said "Oh, I get it, you want me on my buns and off the taco!" So now, it is a bit of a joke, as soon as someone tips forward, they are either called a taco rider or someone yells out, "don't crunch the taco!"

Also, think like you are pressing out in your rib cage and pulling in through your belly button. A strong core is key. As you sit forward, you are using more of your back and less of your stomach. Everything works best when in balance, including your body, so straighten up! You have nice, quiet hands, just make sure your chest stays open, but don't pull your shoulders back, think more like you are pulling your shoulder blades together and letting your shoulders drop. I would look for a little more movement in your post and make sure you find those seat bones every time you hit the saddle. You will feel proper posting in your thighs and lower abdominal muscles.

You seem like a steady rider and should get this in check in no time. Don't forget to close that third barrel!;)

[Annie&Dixie]

AU - Thank you! That helps a lot. I used to be a lot better when I had lessons to prepare me for showing, I haven't shown in over a year though. I did actually ask the saddle's owner if he could punch a new hole but he never did and I haven't asked him again because for one I feel weird doing that anyways but mostly because he's had a lot of health problems within the last 6 months, he was just diagnosed with cancer and it's not just a simple hole punch for leather, it's nylon so he would need to heat something up. I just bought a saddle though last week, a BM treeless, and it will be arriving on Thursday so I can now work with my stirrups more :)

Flitterbug - Thank you for the encouraging advice and comments :) I really do know exactly what all of you are talking about and I've done it successfully before (2nd place out of 18 in western horsemanship!) so hopefully I will be able to go back once I start doing the exercises and I get my stirrups in order ;)