POINT OF VIEW “I
nvisible aids” are much talked about in equestrian literature. There is no such thing, as an attentive and experienced observer will notice the slightest ac-
tions made by the rider because the reactions of the horse will give them away. We can therefore settle for “subtle” or “discreet” aids as a worthy goal of rider education and horse training. Discreet aids can be defined as actions of the rider that are parallel to the horse’s movement (in space) and synchronized with his actions (in time). In short, we can call it harmony (or biomechanics symbiosis). In order to achieve this harmony that is often referred
to as the “magic” of the great riders, we need an effective method to create a physical lan- guage that makes sense to horse and rider. Because horses are capable of great speed on uneven terrain, they have to be extremely sensitive to their balance. By their weight, actions and the leverage of their height, rid- ers can affect this balance dramatically for better or for worse (notwithstanding the added constraints of equipment). Long be- fore we decide to adjust our hand actions (made neces- sary by the combined balance issues of horse and rider), we need to study the effects of our body leverage applied to the horse through the seat. This is why we need to study balance and the actions of our back. In the course of his/her education, the rider must strive
By JP Giacomini
The Ultimate Communication: The Seat In this two-part series, first we take an in-depth look at the attributes of a truly effective seat, and later, we will learn ways to get there.
acquire the sufficient skill, integrate what works in the tool box as a thinking rider. This is the basic principle needed to acquire the elusive feel that must govern every one of our actions as riders.
“Using the back effectively
does not imply its tight bracing or an upward tilting of the pelvis.”
Differences between Men and Women In a very general sense, women are more flexible in the waist and back than men and can follow the horse’s move- ment more easily. They can be lifted by the motion of the horse’s loins without stiffening or losing contact with the saddle. This relative suppleness becomes a challenge when the rider needs to push the horse forward by using the back to press the front of the saddle forward and creating the direc- tion of the horse by turning their hips and shoulders at once in the desired direction. Women need to work on developing the strength of their back, in a way very similar to the power needed to push a loaded one- wheel wheelbarrow up slight inclines and around turns.
to follow the horse so precisely that the rider seems to be as one with the horse. This is a passive skill based on the suppleness of the rider’s back, loins and hips. In the course of his training, the horse learns to follow the rider so pre- cisely that he will eventually seem to be as one with the rider’s body and mind. This a passive skill based on the suppleness of the horse’s back, loins and haunches. Ideally the rider needs many lessons on the lunge and
numerous lessons on different schoolmasters, under the guidance of a teacher who knows both the whys and the hows of equitation, not just the idea of it. The complex ac- tions that form “the art of riding” (equitation) must be di- rectly related to their effect on the horse. Learning it con- sists of observing one’s own actions, their effects and their value for training without any indulgence for style. I fre- quently advise my students: observe what you do, reflect on how it happened, select the best way to act, practice it to
Men, on the other hand, generally have stronger waists and back muscles, designed to push their hips forward. Strength implies an inherent stiffness that makes learning to maintain a supple seat more difficult at the beginning of their education. This power, however, becomes very in- fluential in the training of the horse as long as this power is used appropriately and not overused. Using the back effec- tively does not imply its tight bracing or an upward tilting of the pelvis. The human back has natural curves designed to ab-
sorb movement while protecting its long-term integrity. If the rider has an excessive sway back, s/he will be ineffec- tive at pushing the horse forward and the posture needs to be corrected—to a point. Excess in the opposite direc- tion (tucking the stomach in and tilting the pelvis upward to achieve an unnatural straight back) will create even- tual back pain for the rider and incite resistance from the horse’s back. Such a braced back can block the horse’s flu- idity of gaits. Riders sitting in that way feel erroneously justified in pushing more (by bracing excessively) because they feel stifled by that resistance. Because action begets reaction, the result is often a stronger resistance from the horse to the demands of forwardness, particularly in the
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