80/20
encourage them. If you have a horse that’s very ener- getic, a bit of a looker, a bit intimidated by the fences, then you have to stay light to let the horse move naturally and freely, but you have to be ready to sink in or touch in to support the horse as they become intimidated by the fence. For me, I like to be as light as I can as much of the time as
possible. That’s just my style. I save my seat for when I need it. The way I school my horses on the flat, the way I train them over fences at home allows me to stay light for most of the course. You can touch the saddle with
no weight whatsoever, touching lightly, and you can sit deeply with all your weight in your seat driv- ing the horse forward if need be. There are varying degrees of being out of the saddle—lightly touching into your crotch or ‘absolute air,’ riding above the saddle. Or sitting lightly, or sitting deeply. The best riders use their feel to determine how much weight they need in their seat, if any. The riding style as far as lightness in the ride is directly
related to the breeding of show jumpers. We rode Thor- oughbreds mostly here in North America. They were very ‘bloody’ horses, some of them very hot horses. Some of them couldn’t cope with seat.
Then we got into the Warmbloods. When we first started
importing Warmbloods, they were colder Warmbloods than they are now. Now the breeding has evolved and they are trying to breed more Thoroughbred-type Warmbloods. As the European horse becomes more bloody, more light, more forward going, then we have to adapt and start riding lighter. Speed is a big part of the sport. Quickness is the way our
“I save my seat for when I need it.”
sport is going. Light materials, flat cups, light, bloody horses and forward-riding jockeys. The seat is directly related to the energy and impul- sion in the canter or the gallop. As the canter or the gallop loses animation and loses power, then legs and seat help to re-energize the horse. If you have a horse that has to be driven and pushed
through those tight turns, then you have to know how to sit and drive the horse through the turns. But if you have a Thoroughbred-type horse that’s keen to go to the jumps, you may not have to sit on the turn. Your horse may main- tain the energy on his own, and you may just interfere by sitting down on his back, or stiffen his back or flatten his back.
I think the most important thing that comes from being
aware of riding light on the horse is that it’s easier on the horse. It makes the movement and the jumping easier for the horse. Any time you can do anything to simplify the job of the real athlete, everyone benefits including the potential results.
Sunset Valley Metalcraft
877-389-0844 • 436 Concrete Ave. Leola, PA 17540
www.pacustomhorsestalls.com • email
sunset@pcfreemail.com
Photo courtesy of Shannon Huxtable Prattsburg, NY
Customized to Your Specs
Direct from Lancaster County, we specialize in custom stalls for all breeds of horses with each individual job getting its own special attention.
16 May/June 2017
Alum. Dutch Doors & Sliders
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Photo courtesy of Carolyn Hotes Medina, Ohio
Standard Stall Kits Alum. Doors Customized to Your Specs
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