[JumpsxGlory]

I got my new issue of Dressage Today in the mail today, so excited , and found a very good article by Michael Klimke (a grand prix trainer) on riding off your seat to improve your horses gaits and thoroughness for more expression from your mount.

When talking about doing basic work in upward transitions he sais to "Sit toward your hand as you close your leg and expect a quick reaction from your horse..." He also says that whole doing downward transitions to "Sit against your hand without bringing the hand back..."

He does not explain what sitting toward your hand and against yur hand means, and I'm not going to lie.. I'm confused! lol If anyone could rephrase this and let me know what he means in lamins terms that would be amazing!

[imjustjoking22]

I think he means resisting the movement- like when you are posting the trot and want to slow it down, your hips should kind of thrust forward and "block" the movement, instead of allowing. It sounds (from the article) like he wants you to push your seat forward a little and stop following the movement, which would indicate a halt or change in gait.

But I am in no way sure, and I don't know if that was even more confusing... so if it was, sorry!

[JumpsxGlory]

Originally Posted by imjustjoking22

I think he means resisting the movement- like when you are posting the trot and want to slow it down, your hips should kind of thrust forward and "block" the movement, instead of allowing. It sounds (from the article) like he wants you to push your seat forward a little and stop following the movement, which would indicate a halt or change in gait.

But I am in no way sure, and I don't know if that was even more confusing... so if it was, sorry!

So, just finished the article... Wasn't as good as I thought because it left a lot out, IMO articles should be indepth and explain as much as possible.

With thrusting hips, wouldn't that cue to the horse to lengthen his stride as you as pushing foreward with your seat rather than minimizing the motion by restricting with your seat, which i guess would still have push and thrust other wise you lose impulsion but is lessed to block motion.

Ok, so the use of the seat has always been confusing to me and I have no idea why. lol

Let me see if I have it...

When riding an upward transition you wont to open up your seat and push foreward in a motion similar to if your were wipping the seat of your saddle to clean it and add leg to move the horse foreward and out. You also use rein aid (as it is always seat, leg, rein in that order) by closing your outside rein to hold that energy and recycle it back to the hind end while giving a couple squeezes with your inside rein.

In a downward transition you sit up and deep in the saddle, restrict the horses movement by restricting your own flow in your seat, and use supporting rein aids to back up your primary seat aids.

Same goes for collecting or extending gaits... Drive forward with seat and add leg aid, with supporting rein aids to recycle energy back to the hind end to keep the impulsion going to ask for lengthening and for collecting a gait restict the horse movement with your seat, backing up with leg slightly on horses side to let them know you are asking for a smaller stride and not a downward transition or halt and also use supporting rein aids.

Of course, you release when the horse has given you what you asked for and give a good old pat or scratch

Does that sound pretty much right? lol

[pippy]

WOW jumpsxglory- i think you have explained transistions with your seat in the best terms i've read before - Congrats. I hope you don't mind - but i'm going to steal that to teach to some students as i've got a couple who find it hard to comprehend what i'm trying to say (i must over complicate it in my gibberish to get my point across) - and that was so simply put i'm impressed lol.

[JumpsxGlory]

Originally Posted by pippy

WOW jumpsxglory- i think you have explained transistions with your seat in the best terms i've read before - Congrats. I hope you don't mind - but i'm going to steal that to teach to some students as i've got a couple who find it hard to comprehend what i'm trying to say (i must over complicate it in my gibberish to get my point across) - and that was so simply put i'm impressed lol.

Well, I'm glad I could be of assistance! I've read so many books and magainzes explaining collection, using your seat, etc and all in such complicated terms it was hard to understand and so complicated. Kinda just leaves trhe reader scratching their head instead of thinking "amazing, I got it!" I try and keep things sweet, simple, and to the point. Leaves less people with headaches lol

For me personally, I have always learned better if someone could give me something to relate it to. In this case, use your seat in the same motion that you do for cleaning your saddle or swigging on a swing! You have to pump your legs and give a push with your seat to go higher. That higher is like the impulsion from the horses hind end.

I would be honored for you to seal it and use it, let me know if it helps your students in understanding!

[Rhythm 'n Blues]

I'm so very anti useing your seat to acheive forward!

I see more people over-using their seat then anything else! So it's something that I do my best to get people away from doing.

Yes, you have to use your seat to allow the forward, but that is much different then "thursting" forward with it. When you see a rider doing that, the horse and rider do not look as one, and the rider is making it look hard to acheive.

I like the train of thinking that you sit lighting with your seat, and use your leg to acheive the forward, while your hips remain VERY quiet and loose allowing all the forward energy (created by your legs) to travel up the horses' spine (ie: horse rounds their back) and then you are steady in the hand, using as needed half-hats to recylcing the energy back to the inside hind leg.

The above creates a much more harmonious ride between horse and rider, and the horse usually moves forward more willingly.