# Bad Chair Seat and Leaning Forward



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Dear, Youtube blocked your video. Did you use a copyrighted song?


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Can't see the video but most of the time when I've see a chair seat it's because someone is bracing against the stirrups which makes them totally tight and unable to flex with the horse, especially at a canter.


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## RaiRaiNY (Feb 19, 2010)

I agree with Dreamcatcher. When I was getting back into riding I had a terrible chairseat from bracing on my stirrups. The only thing that really fixed it was lots of jogging / trotting without stirrups. It really forced me into a better position.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I was thinking about the leaning forward and it depends on HOW you're doing it whether or not it's a bad thing and your discipline. For instance, I've ridden all my life, Hunt Seat. Now I'm switching over to Western Pleasure or Stock Seat. I have a tendency to want to roll forward into a more forward seat which is incorrect for WP but not a bad thing in Hunter classes. If you are closing your hip angle and falling forward at the waist, that's a different issue and one that loads of practice will help, just like the chair seat thing. Once you're more secure in the saddle, I'd expect both things to improve somewhat if not be totally erradicated.


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## HorseLoverHunter (Jul 17, 2011)

that's really weird... I can see the video, and I bought the song from iTunes. It said when I posted it that it would work in most countries. I can post it a different way If you would like to see. And not things to hard, what do you mean by bracing on my stirrups? Sorry for such a stupid question.


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## HorseLoverHunter (Jul 17, 2011)

Sorry, I guess it is because I have been logged in to my youtube the whole time. I will fix that in a little while and make it more fun. =D


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## avjudge (Feb 1, 2011)

When you buy a song from iTunes you just have the right to play it for your own listening, not to make it available for others to listen to. That's probably why the video was blocked. (The song will "work in most countries" in the sense that you can play it on _your_ devices - computer, ipod, etc - in most countries.)

Can you repost the video without music? I think all here care more about seeing your seat so they can help you than listening to the music. 

Anne


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## HorseLoverHunter (Jul 17, 2011)

Yes I can, and I will. Mostly the cantering you will see is in front or after a jump. I will post it on youtube because it loads a lot faster, then post a link.


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## HorseLoverHunter (Jul 17, 2011)

Video without music loaded. =)


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

HLH,

I do see improvement. defininte improvement over the last few vids you posted.! Bee is such a sweet horse. 

I am not sure how to describe specifically what to do, but somewhere in your body you are not absorbing the horse's movement, so you get tossed around a bit, like a doll would if you tied it onto the saddle. Not THAT bad, though. I wish I could see things better. IT's so far away, it;s hard to tell what is going on. I do see air behind your knees , so they must be coming off the saddle. Perhaps you are gripping up with the lower leg? What does your insructor way?

Its not really a chair seat, rather an overall lack of stability down through the legs. But, I definitely see improvement!


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## HorseLoverHunter (Jul 17, 2011)

Thanks! I am surprised that it has only been two months and I have gotten this far. Unbelievable for me! Sorry that it is far, the camera is in HD, so that's good, but it doesn't zoom in very far. =( My trainer said that I gripped with my knees to much, so it would cause me to lean forward, so I have been trying to not do that as much. Could that be a reason?


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

You are relying on the cantle to hold your bum from going even further back. Slide your pelvis forward about 3". This will get your heels in better alignment. At the canter you need to focus on relaxing your legs, pretending they are made of jello. You have too much tension in your knees and hips. If your coach would put you on a lunge line with no stirrups you'd find you sit the canter nicely.


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## HorseLoverHunter (Jul 17, 2011)

We actually are trying something a little like that this Sunday on a calmer, less green horse. I have ridden him before and he is really smooth, so I'm thinking its going to be a little bit easier. Thanks.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Before I list the things I saw and what I'd do to try to fix them, let me first say, you're not that bad. You're obviously just starting to learn to jump and you're not real stable at it YET. Yet is the word to remember because you will keep improving. 

1st, I'm not really seeing that much of a chair seat but it looks like you're alternating gripping with your knees, then your calves and back to the knees again. No thigh involvement in there at all. When you come up to the jump you're throwing away your reins, I suspect because you don't want to bang him in the mouth. That's a good thing to not bang his mouth but throwing the reins away in front of the jump is like if you and I were walking along on top of a wall and I was holding your shoulders to keep you steady and right before you stepped across a gap in the bricks I kind of gave you a little push at the shoulders and then pulled my hands away. He kind of drops on his forehand and wonders where you went. 

The little bit of cantering I saw you were bracing against the stirrups with your legs, butt and hips real tight and no give. First thing I'd do is either start wearing a tall boot or a pair of half chaps in the lesson. They'll help you hold steady and not feel like your leg is swinging all over the place. 

When I was where you are in training, I did cavaletti for hours, and my trainer had me work a grid, with and without stirrups. Trotting and cantering without stirrups for hours and hours was another exercise to develop the seat. She also would put cavaletti in front of and after the jumps and it was my job to hold the horse steady and not let him break from the trot. If you need help balancing bridge your reins on the crest of his neck before you get to the jump, or grab mane with one hand until you get the timing down. Those jumps are small enough that you don't need a big break and crest release, you should just trot up in 2 point and flow over with the horse. Instead of posting up to the jump, maybe go into 2 point as soon as you make the turn toward the jump, get settled and comfortable and by the time you get to the jump it will be no big deal.


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