30/ JUNE 2024 THE RIDER The Science of how Horses Think & Learn


Equitation Essentials. The hows and whys of a winning riding position. Part 2


By Lindsay Grice. Eques- trian Canada coach, horse show judge and specialist in equine behaviour.


Last issue I set out to


answer the question WHY is the classic riding position worth perfecting? Why is heads up and heels down sung by riding instructors through the ages and across riding disciplines? The essentials of cor-


rect rider position cross all riding styles – western, hunter seat or dressage. Why? There’s logic behind every essential. A quick re- view:


1. Stability is matter of safety. A secure position in


the saddle anchors the rider for jumping, spinning or stopping. Simply put, if your horse spooks east, a strong position keeps you from going west.


2. Your horse will thank you for going easy on his back.


Though horses must


adapt to the unpredictability of a novice rider’s weight shifts, a rider who “makes it look easy” moves less in the saddle- less distracting and annoying to their horse.


3. The judge will reward a strong, balanced seat. Aside from a low equi-


tation score, an unbalanced seat leads to “weightier” de- ductions on the judge’s card. Out-of-sync riding affects your horse’s performance. Horses don’t score as well when riders are left behind over jumps or left behind in reining spins


4. A secure seat keeps a lid on mixed messages sent to your horse. A strong yet supple po-


sition is a stable foundation from which to communicate with precision to your equine partner.


Equitation, head to toe. English, western and


dressage riders share most


of the equitation essentials with minor variations be- tween riding styles.


Eyes and Head Chin up! Eyes up! was


the second verse of my rid- ing instructor’s Heads up! Heels down! tune. Yet, I was never quite clear - Where’s up? In the air? At my horse’s ears? “Where you look, you


will go,” I tell my students. It’s futile to look down at the pylon you don’t want to run over or the fence post you don’t want your horse to drift into. Instead, locate a spot ahead, in the dirt, that you do want your horse to travel over. If you’re riding a curve, turn your head to follow the curve. Regularly expand your


gaze to locate a destination further along - the next jump around the corner or, for reiners, the arena centre. As a judge I often note


a rider staring too far ahead -directly across to the oppo- site side of a circle, for ex- ample. This looks unnatural and, practically speaking, detaches you from your horse. Soft eyes keep mov- ing, scanning and planning ahead.


Upper Body and Seat Sit tall and upright in


the saddle. However, there’s a fine line between straight- ness and stiffness. The AQHA rulebook describes it well - a flat, yet relaxed and supple back is to be re- warded. Your seat moderates


the length and tempo of your horse’s stride. Your hips should open and close with the swing of your


horse’s movement, similar to following the motion of a playground swing. Locking your lower back will cause your seat to bounce in the saddle. Practice without stir-


rups to sit deeply, feeling and following the motion of your horse rather than perching in your stirrups above it. I encourage the west-


ern riders I coach to practice posting trot, capturing the feeling of influencing the tempo of their horses’ stride.


Hands and Arms When riding with two


hands, the western or eng- lish rider should maintain a straight line from elbow, to hand and through the rein to the corner of the horse’s mouth. Riders who hold their hands either above or below this line sacrifice the sensitivity to communicate clearly to their horses. Suppleness in the all


joints -shoulders, elbows, wrists and knuckles allows your arm to follow the movement of your horse’s neck in the walk and canter. “Soft contact” is the stan- dard set in most equine as- sociation rule books. As a judge, I’m required to penal- ize lack of connection in eq- uitation and some western classes. Rein contact varies


across riding disciplines. Western riders operating with leverage bits will have more visible rein relaxation as shanks return to neutral. In neck reining (required with a curb bit)your hand re- turns to “home” position - in an imaginary box in front of the saddle horn. If it takes


About Lindsay Grice.


“Is it me or my horse?” Horse show judge, coach, trainer and specialist in equine behavior,


Lindsay Grice helps riders solve their “horse puzzles”, sharing keys from the science and research of how horses think and learn. She loves to help riders prepare for competition and just enjoy the


process of riding, not just the results! Lindsay enjoys teaching clinics and travelling to Ontario farms as


Here, I’m demonstrating maintaining a straight line from elbow, to hand and through the rein to the


corner of the horse’s mouth. Riders who hold their hands either above or below this line sacrifice the sensitivity to communicate clearly to their horses.


a freelance coach. She’s taught the science of equine behavior and learning for horse associations, courses for University of Guelph and therapeutic riding facilities. Lindsay judges multiple disciplines and breeds, holding judging certi- fications with:


more than roughly a six- inch hand movement to in- fluence your horse, your reins are too long. As AQHA horseman-


ship rules specify, “reins are adjusted for light contact with the horse’s mouth. At no time shall reins require more than slight hand move- ment to control the horse.”


Legs Why are riders in-


structed to keep their toes up and dancers to point theirs down? Standing on the ball of


your foot for posting or two- point position calls for ten- sion in your ankle. A tense ankle is unable to function as a flexible shock absorber as it would if you stepped down into your heel. On the other hand, I meet riders who’ve been coached to step down in their heels to the exclusion of other equi- tation essentials. Jammed- down heels may evolve from posting the trot and cantering in two point posi- tion, yet rarely riding those gaits in full seat. When I’m judging, I note these riders struggling with the sitting trot in equitation classes. When our heels are forced down, they lose their shock absorbing or communica- tion ability. The usefulness of the leg is diminished and the rider will not have the suppleness to apply subtle aids. I coach riders to allow their toes to turn out a little bit, flexing the ankle in and enabling them to communi- cate more effectively to the horse.


Practically speaking,


lowered heels help prevent lost stirrups. Aside from a


Here, I’m demonstrating riding with soft contact in a curb bit. If it takes more than roughly a six-inch


hand movement to influence your horse, your reins may be too long.


safety concern, a lost stirrup earns a five-point penalty on the judge’s scorecard in AQHA equitation or horse- manship or a low score in equitation over fences. Understanding


whys of correct riding posi- tion - balance, safety and


the


clear human-to-horse com- munication – makes equi- tation exercises more relevant. Your horse will thank you …and all your hard work may just reflect on the horse show judges score card!.


• AQHA • Equestrian Canada • Extreme Cowboy • Ontario Working Equitation • OE provincial Hunter/Jumper • OE provincial dressage She loves to share her own insights and stories learned from 25


years as a competitor and horse trainer. “Why do horses do what they do?” Lindsay says, “In the horse world, our traditions and the evidence


sometimes collide. I love to communicate the WHYs behind the HOWs of riding. “Equitation Science” – it makes life better for horses when we speak in a language they understand!”


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