Exercises for an Independent Seat
An independent seat is a most prised possession! The ability to stick to your horse like glue, zig when he zigs, zag when he zags, stay in tune with his motion, up and down hills, over jumps…and not ever accidentally pull on the reins or bump him with your leg no matter what is what it’s all about.
You can’t get an independent seat by studying theory. It takes hours of experience both in the saddle and bareback. its all about learning to become a part of the horse, a horse-man.
Techniques
FreeStyle Riding
By riding without contact because you have long, loose reins or no reins at all, you learn to develop your seat and not depend on those reins for balance. As you progress Stage by Stage and Level by Level your seat will improve dramatically.
FreeStyle Riding also causes your horse to find self carriage. If he can’t lean on your hands, he has to find his own balance in all kinds of situations and gaits.
Bareback Riding
Nothing can compare too this for developing your seat! You have to do it right or you fall off!
Start your bareback riding gently, especially if you’ve never done it or its been a long time.
- Use a bareback pad. It’s like velcro for your butt! It will help build your confidence very quickly and its a great transition for the saddle.
- Start by laying over your horse’s back so you can jump down the instant you want to. Have your horse just standing still and it will help the both of you get used to the feel of “no saddle in between”.
- when you first start riding bare back, be in a small round yard.
- Practice jumping off. This is a great thing to have automatically occur to you if you need to get out of there before anything gets to go really wrong. Bend your horse then jump off to the inside of the bend.
- Slow and right beats fast and wrong. Build to different gaits as your confidence grows.
- If you need to hang on to anything, hang onto the handle of the bareback pad or your horse’s mane…not the reins.
- As you grow increasingly confident you’ll be able to do all gaits, transition and even jumps with ease. Even ride bareback with Carrot Sticks.
- Then you need to start weaning yourself off the pad! It can still let you get away with some things, so start doing some sessions a few months down the track without the pad at all. You then can choose the pad to keep clean rather than keep you on!
“No hands” in the round corral
This is a great safe place to practice passenger lessons at all gaits without touching the reins at all. Do this both with the saddle and the bare back pad. Get to where, one day, you can do it totally bareback, and you could do it in progressively larger areas.
At first, the more your horse ducks and dives the more it will improve your ability to stay with him. Of course, always start slow and don’t influence direction at all.
Ride a minimum of one hour per week…bareback!
Interesting exercises and tests
Here are some things to build up to:
- Ride with one foot out of the stirrup. Do a rising trot like this. Change feet.
- Change feet in and out of stirrups, one then both then non, etc. Get to be able to do it at walk, trot and canter.
- Try the above without holding on to anything.
- Ride with no stirrups.
- Toss a Carrot Stick up and catch it at walk, trot and cater. If you are riding with friends, toss it to each other.
- Toss your reins (casual rein) from on hand to the other, get good at this at all gaits.
- Rub you horse on the neck, on his sides, on the top of zone 4 while walking, trotting or cantering.
- Swing your Horseman’s String over you head rhythmically at walk, trot, canter.
- Sit, post, bounce and stand in your stirrups at walk, trot and canter, without losing your balance.
Summary
An Independent seat help you become a part of your horses no matter what he does.
It helps you not to accidentally pull on the reins or bump with your leg.
FreeStyle riding develops and independent seat because you cannot depend on the reins for balance.
FreeStyle riding develops self carriage in your horse.
Bareback is the best way to develop your seat. If you don’t do it right, you fall off!
Start slow, don’t over do your limits. Stay safe and move ahead as you gain confidence.
Use a Bareback Pad to help you get used to it.
Lay over your horse’s, it helps both of you get familiar with being closer, against each other!
Practice jumping off.
If you need to hang on, use the handle on the pad or your horse’s mane.
Get to where you can ride bareback at all gaits, even over jumps.
When you are really confident, wean yourself off the pad.
Ride with no hands in the round corral. Build gradually to bigger areas.
Resolve to ride a minimum of one hour a week bareback!
