Transitions and Halt

puzzles

New Member
Nov 11, 2006
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This is really basic, I know :eek: . . .

Are you 'supposed' (for want of a better word) to ligthen or deepen your seat, as while I have heard that from, say, walk-halt you "stop riding" and still/deepen the seat, I have also heard that this can encourage the horse to hollow. Yet it is often recommended that a rider lightens/deepens (which oen?!) to signal to the horse that a transition is about to occur. At the moment I lighten and still my seat to halt, deepen it to canter (which is always followed by a rubbish transition) and lighten it from walk to trot. :eek::eek: What's the correct way (if, indeed, there is one)?

x
 
Thanks Clava! And I always find the line between tension and stilling the seat very difficult to judge. Is there any way of knowing/feeling? And how do you bear down? I usually tense my stomach muscles - is this a similar concept?

x
 
I had to really think of this & "ride" my chair :eek:.

I put my weight into my thighs to hold the horse & that in turn lightens my seat, this is also what I do to half halt & warn the horse that something is going to happen such as canter. Having said that both of mine, although at very different levels, are naturally forward going so upwards transitions just need containing! Possibly my biggest downwards aid is a quiet "aaannd" combined with a weight shift so to be honest a seat aid is often unneccessary or so slight that it's unconscious.
 
Ooh interesting! So through putting weight onto your thighs, do you grip with your knees at all (I tried this once in the past and founf it impossible not to)?

Sorry for all these questions (I wasn't taught to ride the 'BHS' way :eek:) I really appreciate your replies. :)

x
 
No, no gripping with the knees. I sort of push forward into my thighs which lightens my seat & moves it forwards as well as firming my stomach muscles. Oh I'm hopeless at explaining! Try sitting astride a stool & giving it a go .....
 
Pushing down/bearing down into the horse's back can cause them to hollow away from you, there is nowhere for their back to go. It also makes you sink where you should be sitting taller. The best way that I've been taught is to squeeze your butt which is very effective for everything from half halts to canter to halt (depending on the strength of the squeeze). You have to play around with it as every horse reacts to a different strength of 'squeeze'. When you squeeze you lift and lighten your seat which allows the horse to bring their back up underneath you.
 
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