The torso, being the part in the middle of the body, is quite literally the central component of any rider. A well balanced, centred torso is fundamental for the effective use of all the other parts and the seat. Sometimes we focus so much on our hands, arm and legs we can forget how inportant this part of the body is.
The easiest way to describe a desirable position for the torso is to divide it into two sections. The upper torso is from the riders centre (near the belly button) upwards. With this part vertical and relaxed, with the shoulders rolled back and down and allowed to drop, we open up the chest. As with all the body parts while we want the torso to be vertical it needs to be relaxed and soft, not like a tin soldier, while still keeping the spine straight. This allows the motion of the horse to gently massage the vertebrae, which is beneficial to the spine. If the back is rounded (hunchback) or hollowed (lower back concave) the vertebrae are not aligned and this may cause back pain when riding. The upper torso belongs to the rider and is isolated from the lower torso (as in belly dancing). It remains still and lifted as the lower torso moves.
The lower torso is from the belly button down. The main parts of the lower torso are the hips and pelvis. We want the seatbones to be heading straight down into the saddle or just slightly forward, this allows them to rotate backward and forward with the horses motion. If we have a hollow lower back, our seatbones point backwards and are less mobile. Unlike the upper torso, the lower torso (the seat) belongs to the horse. When we sit on a horse our first job is to fit ourselves into the horses motion. Once we have achieved this we can then ask them to fit in with our motion. The seat needs to be relaxed and given to the horse, without turning into a sack of potatoes. Some muscle tension is required to maintain position, but within that the hips and pelvis are relaxed and allowed to follow the feel of the horse.
The upper body is light, lifted and still, while the lower body is relaxed, given to the horse and moving. In this manner it's a type of isolation of body parts. If any part of our body holds tension this will transfer to the horse and make our aids stiff and less effective. Relaxation is the number one place to start with for both horse and rider. Horses cannot learn or perform well unless their minds and bodies are relaxed and we cannot ride well unless we're relaxed.
The torso is used in our riding in a number of ways, it is central to all the other parts so if it is not balanced and centered our leg and rein aids will also be unbalanced and less effective. A centered, balanced seat means we’re more likely to stay on if our horse moves suddenly.
The weight and movement of the torso is used as an aid. Placing more weight on one seat bone indicates to the horse to turn in that direction, as does a rotation of the whole torso. We can look where we want to go and rotate the torso at the same time, ensuring it's a rotation, not a lean. This gives multiple direction cues through our whole body to the horse and is a great way to turn a horse. We can think of it as ‘pointing the hips’ in the direction we want to go. If our horse is falling in on a circle we can increase the weight on the outside seatbone to steady them.
Pushing down and driving forward with the seat indicates to go faster. If we move our pelvis backward and forward faster than the horse is moving, in the walk and canter, this indicates to go faster. When trotting posting faster than the horse is trotting indicates to go faster.
If we move our seat slower than the horse, we are saying slow down. When we want our horse to halt, we can take in a deep breath and as we let our breath out, sink into our seat bones, stretching the upper body up a little. If we also stop following the horses motion with our hips, stop pulsing with our legs and stop following with our hands, it's very hard for a horse to keep going. Once our horse knows this aid it’s a wonderful way to stop. If this is new to them, to begin we may need to follow up our body aids with the reins a few times, as they learn the new cue set.
Some riders have a naturally ‘hot’ or ‘stiff’ seat. The first is where a rider is so loose in their pelvis that their seat is constantly driving the horse. This type of seat can make some horses very nervous and toey, hence the name hot seat. A rider with a stiff seat is the opposite, their pelvis hardly moves at all, resulting in a horse that can hardly move at all. Both of these problems can easily be overcome once they are recognised.
One of the best ways to train the seat is to be lunged as this allows us to free up our lower back and hips without having to worry about controlling the horse at the same time. Another is to go on long relaxed trail rides where we can let the horse follow the track while we take our attention to the seat and torso. In the transition period while we and our horses are learning the seat aids, we just use the seat first before applying any other aid. Then if we don’t get a response we follow up with the hands or legs as supporting aids. After a while our horse will be responding more and more to the seat aids and require less and less hand and leg. This is the best way to introduce a new cue to a horse, we apply the new cue first, then follow up with the old cue until it's no longer required.
Developing our torso and seat position while riding horses has many advantages. It gives us a smoother flowing ride and is much nicer for both us and our horse. If we want to be one with our horse this is a great place to start and is a natural progression for anyone wanting to improve their riding. We start with fitting our body to the horses, and end with the horse fitting their body to ours.
Happy Horses Bitless
Considerate Horsemanship
Ph: 0401 249 263
Email: suzy@happyhorsesbitless.com
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