Equitation: More than looking pretty

For the majority of my life, I have found myself riding horses that are green, difficult, or a combination of the two. This has been the case for a number of reasons. First off, I enjoy the challenge of figuring out what makes a horse tick, and I live for the feeling the comes along with making a frustrated and confused horse enjoy its work. Because of this, I have always been drawn to riding difficult horses, and for the same reasons, riding instructors have always been inclined to put me on horses that no one else wants to ride. The result of this has been that much of my lesson time in the past was spent focused on the horse, and very little time was focused on me. While riding so many green and difficult horses was good for my riding in several ways, it has kept me from developing some basic skills that separate the good riders from the great riders.

This past year, my primary mount has been a horse named Flame, a 19 year old, Country English Pleasure, Arabian gelding. While Flame is far from an easy ride, he is extremely well schooled in the basics, and very sensitive to subtle changes in rider position. I have also been riding with an instructor that is adamant that I have proper equitation.

So what have I learned from all of this? Well first and foremost I have learned that correct equitation is "correct" for a reason. The geometry of a rider's leg position directly influences the geometry of the horse's rib cage, and the overall outline of the horse. A rider's seat can be unbelievably influential in terms of controlling the energy of the gaits. I have also learned that bad equitation can have an adverse impact on a horse's way of going just as much as good equitation can improve a horse's way of going.

Riding a horse such as Flame has allowed me to focus on improving my leg position and I am FINALLY learning how to properly sit the trot. The sitting trot is the ultimate test of a rider's seat in my eyes. I have always been told to "follow" the horse's movement while sitting the trot, but if you strive to "follow," you will always be behind the motion. I have recently learned that they key to the sitting trot is to actively move WITH the horse's motion by engaging your core muscles. I have been shocked and amazed by what I am able to do with my seat now that I am no longer just struggling to keep my butt in the saddle.

I guess the crux of the biscuit here is that good equitation is really important. Listen to your instructor when he/she says "heels down!" or "sit up straight!" because it really does matter. If you use the excuse that you are an effective rider if not the most elegant, to avoid working on your equitation (as I use to), you are only inhibiting your ability to become even more effective and to look damn good while riding. And seriously, who doesn't like looking good?