Position

[Lissie]

Following on from @newforest 's thread about stirrups length it's got me thinking about position. I think I've got an awful seat and position, something that really bugs me and I'm trying to work on. I feel like I sit too far back but struggle not too. Anyone got any tips on position? Length of my stirrups?

I find this happens, I sit too far back? Irritates me so much! I feel like I have the worst seat ever but this is a new thing I feel like I used to sit quite well. Ignore Lottie's lama impression, no crit on her, this is one of the first times I jumped her in a school and she is very very keen.

 

[carthorse]

I'd say your saddle is giving you very little choice about how you sit. You thigh length means you can't move forward unless you drop your stirrups, but the knee rolls mean you can't do that unless you ride so long that you can't stay in balance over a jump. If you take your stirrups away so your leg just hangs do you find you sit in the middle of the saddle?

 

[Lissie]

Thanks for the reply @carthorse yep if I loose my stirrups, which I'm doing regularly when hacking to improve I feel like I'm sat more centrally but for hunting, jumping I feel like I need them up a bit. It's really annoying me and I feel like I've gone backwards. It was worse in an Albion K2 as they have a small deep seat when I put my stirrups up I was out the back of the saddle! Often when I ride I feel like my thighs are too long I just can't get comfy, I know that sound silly and loads of tall people mustn't have the same problem so it must be something I'm doing.

 

[Jessey]

That looks like a perfectly normal hunt seat to me I was taught by the hunt mistress so am very prone to slipping to this when I'm not working at it

 

[Bodshi]

I have the same problem and it drives me nuts too. RI is trying to train me out of it but in truth I don't feel half as secure in the saddle if I ride in a more correct position. I also have the same issue in that my saddle doesn't really accommodate my leg length if I want to ride short enough to be able to touch Raf's sides, but Raf can't take a bigger saddle. Although I agree you can't use it as a total excuse for bad position, I do look much better when I ride OH's big bodied 16.2 in his big saddle - my legs can rest against his sides which feels much more stable.

I do wonder how important a really correct position is for a leisure rider like me though. Plus when you see the old-school hunting folk riding out in their hunt (chair) seat it makes you wonder if it's just fashion that has changed. They seem to cope perfectly well in their hunting position and if it's good enough for them who am I to argue lol.

In fact I have to admit my main desire to have a lovely position is that so I look good in the photos

 

[Lissie]

I feel like I struggle to sit and there's often too much air between bum and saddle but I struggle not to do this. See photo below, why am I not sat on my bum, but I find it really hard now to. I don't feel secure sat like this!



Maybe I need to try with longer stirrups but when she gets into turbo mode I find I need the shorter stirrups, ideally I'd like to do a lot of trotting and cantering without stirrups/bareback but there's no way I'd stay on her. To add on horses with a smoother movement I do find it easier to keep bum in saddle. Instructor says it's not that bad, she's hard to ride and very bouncy.

 

[Lissie]

@Bodshi I feel much comfier in a bigger saddle! Lottie is too short to take over 17" though. I don't feel secure in my seat atm. I'm trying to do lots of work without stirrups but can you imagine trying to sit to Lottie's huge fast trot I do try and hold my breastplate there's no way I could canter her though but I think this shows I've got worse!

 

[orbvalley]

Hmmm - I can see your point but don't know the solution! Longer stirrups looks like would help but I know what you mean about the turbo mode as mine has one of those buttons too and you can't switch it off!! I think you need a made to measure Lissie/Lottie saddle

 

[carthorse]

I'd start by getting a good saddler out & seeing what they can do, though I suspect they'll advise a change of saddle. It's difficult if she can't take more than a 17", but it might be that a different style or one with smaller or moveable blocks will help.

 

[Jessey]

I think modern saddles with knee rolls can mess you up, my saddle is old and doesn't have any, every time I try a saddle with them I remember how much I hate them as it forces my leg away from where it naturally wants to be and then I am fighting my body to put it where it 'should be', can you remove your knee rolls by chance? or adjust them? replace with slimmer ones? that might have as much of an effect as changing your stirrup length

 

[Lissie]

@orbvalley yes when she does the I'm not meant to be cantering so I'll trot like valegro at 100mph I'm not moaning about her she is fab just not the easiest to ride.

@carthorse Ahhh I felt like someone might say this but I had so many problems getting the saddle I've got now, multiple fitters none had second hand and hardly any jumping saddles to try on her. So I never got to try a great range and of course they all want to sell you what they've got. That's an Ideal Impala I bought new, so it was quite expensive. I didn't want new but no one had anything and I wanted to buy from a saddle fitter not online. Yeah she's only 15hh although looks bigger in photos tacked up. I'm only 5ft4 so it shouldn't be that hard.

@Jessey I don't know if I'd stay on jumping big stuff without them though and in GP's feel like I can't turn my knees in and hold her from my seat/legs. No unfortunately the knee rolls are fixed so can't have a play around with that.

 

[Jessey]

@Jessey I don't know if I'd stay on jumping big stuff without them though and in GP's feel like I can't turn my knees in and hold her from my seat/legs. No unfortunately the knee rolls are fixed so can't have a play around with that.

It still might be worth talking to a good saddler (not just a fitter) as they may well be able to adjust the flock in the knee/thigh rolls to better accommodate your leg

 

[Lissie]

@Jessey I'll look into that, I think there's saddler who hunts near me so she'd be a good person to speak to.

What do we think then more of a bad rider or saddle issue? Probably a bit of both maybe. I'm going to try dropping my stirrups and see if that makes much difference.

 

[Lissie]

Another pic, too far back? Stirrups too short?

 

[Jessey]

You look like you have room for your knee to come a little further forwards there, if your stirrup were a sniff longer, and that would in turn sit you a little further forwards in your saddle, def worth a play about with I do think the 'hunt seat' gives a tendency for us to push ourselves further back in the saddle, I often find after faster work I have scoot my bum forwards an inch to be sat correctly, I'm hoping improving core muscles will help with this but I'm twice your size all be it the same height

 

[Lissie]

@Jessey defo going to try longer stirrups but when she gets uppity I find she bounces me around and feel like I could loose them. This is where I think I need to re work on improving my seat. I'll do lots of no stirrups whilst she's off games. Yes that's what I find I just end up being sat too far back.

 

[Jessey]

I do think the fashion has changed in terms of seat, Newforest wrote about it in one of her old book review threads, it was very interesting to hear the different descriptions. Regardless, a correct hunt seat is to keep you in the saddle over big jumps at a fair pace, a good dressage seat when hunting would likely see you out the front door on landing or at the least with 'personal' injuries, so I wouldn't be too worried if its working for you and what you do

 

[Lissie]

I feel like it's not working though, I feel like I'm sat out the back and I need to be sat on my bum with my leg more underneath me heading down to a fence. I just don't feel secure as I used to. It's not her though she's really safe (if you know her) I feel like I've gone backwards.

 

[MrA]

A neckstrap could help you feel more secure. To me your stirrups look too short and you look tense? which is perhaps why you are hoovering above the saddle and your lower leg pushed forward. But I am certainly no expert!

 

[Lissie]

Thanks @Ale I do hunt with a neck strap usually, never really grab it though. I don't feel tense when I ride her, I am very confident on her and know her well now. But interesting point, I think it's to do with stirrups being too short which makes me feel like my thighs are too long and then I feel like I'm sat out the back of the saddle which I suppose could make me tense especially when she takes a hold and locks on.