how do you lighten your seat?

[Barcie]

The question is in the title how do you lighten your seat. Do you clench your bottom so that you lift yourself slioghtly from the saddle or do you put the pressure in your balls of your feet. Any help and tips appreciated.

[galadriel]

With your shoulders "back" (not exaggerated, just enough to make your spine fairly straight), inhale and lift your chest cavity up. At the same time, try to lengthen your whole body--stretch your legs down as well as your chest up--and put more weight along your legs than in your buttocks.

The concept ofcarrying your weight in your legs instead of your seat is a tough one to describe, but once you hit on it in your riding, you can *feel* it and you'll know what you're looking for in the future. This is one of those things that trial & error--and a good riding coach--can help you work out better than you can understand by just reading.

Squeezing your bottom actually puts more pressure directly along the horse's back, and does the opposite of "lightening the seat." It lifts you out of the saddle a little, but it does so by pressing hard against the horse's back.

[mokiegal180]

this is how i learned


inside leg back arch her back slightly and lean forward a bit.some of your weight will then not be there to make you have a heavy seat