An excellent seat is at the core of all good riding.   The "Perfection of the Seat" courses use innovative exercises to quickly train your body to balance better and follow the horse.   From initial exercises on the lunge, without reins or stirrups and introducing the baton, to "mise en selle" work off the lunge, to jumping grids in advanced seatwork, there is a huge range of fun and effective exercises which will revolutionise your riding.

Inside out learning - faster and safer

Traditionally the seat and riding position are improved from the outside - by correcting the rider's position.  This works reasonably well while the rider's attention is on the "correct" position, but it takes a long time to become habit.  Also, during a spook or shy, the body's unconscious survival reactions tend to kick in, which usually leads to leaning forward and clinging on in a foetal crouch - which as we all know is not a safe position.

In "Perfection of the Seat" lessons, we use exercises to challenge your body and your unconscious mind so that they work together.  Pretty soon, you will find that in an unexpected situation like a spook, your unconscious mind will automatically move your body to a safe position (ie shoulders a little behind hips, instead of the intuitive foetal crouch).

A method that shows you "how" to relax

French Classical dressage is all about lightness - in both horse and rider.  If the rider has any unhelpful tension in the body, she will tend to "block" the horse's movement.  Many horses who are thought to be slow and unresponsive, become much more forward when the rider learns not to block with the leg and seat.  It's pretty much impossible to do seat exercises with any part of the leg clinging to the saddle, so it's a great way to learn true balance and "active" relaxation.  You'll find that your horse is more forward and your control is better because the aids are really clear.

Clearing the "static" from your communication

Clear communication requires one thing to be said at a time.   Say your right leg is giving an aid - for it to be really clear to the horse, your hands, seat and left leg need to be perfectly quiet.   Ultimately all your aids will come from the seat - but each aid needs to be perfected individually first.  Seat training cuts out the "noise" and makes it easier for the horse to hear your communication.

Confidence building for riders and horses

What are the main causes of low rider confidence?  Fear of falling off and being out of control.  Horses also lose confidence when an out-of-balance rider tries to stay on by gripping - which feels exactly like a predator attack and can turn a spook into a bolt.    Seat exercises directly address both of these.   Firstly your balance and unconscious reactions improve, so you are more likely to stay on.  Also, you learn to stay on through relaxation instead of gripping, so the horse is more likely to stay calm and trust that you will take care of him.

How it works

All riders start on the lunge doing the same exercises.  More experienced riders usually progress more quickly.  There are 5 basic exercises to learn, which are performed first at halt, then walk, trot and canter.  Variations are introduced to make the exercises harder and improve your coordination.    The instructor's skill is to observe any clinging or blocking in the body, and choose an exercise which cannot be done while clinging/blocking with that body part.  Your subconscious will quickly find a new way to do it!  

Shortly, exercises with the baton are introduced, and more advanced trot exercises, then the stirrups are gradually re-introduced at all paces.  Attention is paid to the way the legs act with and without the stirrups.   Later riders can practise "mise en selle", the same exercises off the lunge with the rider in charge of pace and direction, and ultimately jumping exercises are introduced (without reins and/or stirrups) to further refine the seat.

Seat training clinics/lessons

See Clinics pages for details of seat training courses and lessons.

Videos

If you are too far away to attend a clinic, there are two DVDs by Craig Stevens which demonstrate the basic seat exercises.  This would at least enable you to start practising at home.   I also still have a few copies on VHS - email for details.