5 Things that Determine Where a Rider Sits From the First Ride

Where a student sits in the saddle has a direct effect on the rest of their position. Correct riding position is not just something that helps to win blue ribbons in horsemanship or equitation classes. It is the basis for all things we do on a horse. Being in balance with your own body on the horse, and then having control over your body and balance, not only makes for a safer and more comfortable ride, it allows the riders to independently and effectively use the aids. Where a person sits in the saddle influences their upper body and their leg position. It is a first building block.

Unless you are only giving a pony ride, the correct position of the seat is important from the first time the rider sits on a horse no matter their age.

These five things will automatically help the rider sit in the correct spot. From that point, the instructor adds the other aspects of foundation to develop  the muscle tone, muscle memory, and understanding it takes for a good position.

1. Type of Saddle
I’m sure it goes without my saying that you should choose the correct saddle for the seat you teach. Use common sense, and choose the saddle that is balanced and suited for your discipline.

2. Type of Horse
The type of horse will determine where the rider sits and how you position the saddle.

The natural center of gravity for a standing horse of average stature is behind the withers. The correct position for the seat/rider is over the horse’s center of gravity. This is the place that the rider is the lightest burden and in closest harmony with the horse. Center of gravity changes according to breed, build, and purpose for the horse. The goal is for the rider to be in harmony with the type of horse they are riding and in the discipline in which they participate.

The center of gravity on a horse that has an elevated front end (one that carries more weight on the hindquarters than the forehand, and has a more upright neck), whether it is through natural conformation or through training, will be farther back. A quality American Saddlebred is an example of a horse who is bred for a more upright neck which naturally helps it become more elevated in the front end. Consequently, its saddle is designed differently than the saddle for a hunter or quarter horse; horses built with lower head and neck carriage.

The more the horse carries his weight on the forehand, the closer to the withers is his center of gravity.

Incidentally, this is why you don’t need a dressage saddle for the early levels of dressage since the horse travels through stages of training and muscle development which lighten the forehand and seek to shift the center of gravity slightly rearward.

A rider who rides behind the horse’s center of gravity on a horse with a lower front end will fight leaning too far forward. One who sits behind the center of gravity on an elevated front end horse will sit straighter and possibly on their pockets. This rider rides behind the motion, and will likely use their upper body to influence the horse.

3. Saddle Fit for Horse
    Saddles that don’t fit horses are a frequent cause of lameness. A badly fitting saddle normally doesn’t stay in the sweet spot for the rider either. They may move side to side or slid back, requiring extra pads and breast plates, and overly tight girths. If you’ve ever ridden a horse whose saddle slides back, you know the effort it takes to continue in balance or the amount of times you must dismount and reset the saddle. If this is due to poor saddle fit, look for a better fit. Poor conformation in the withers is something to consider when you purchase your lesson horse. Horses whose withers do not hold a saddle well are more prone to back soreness and saddle slippage.

Saddles too narrow for the withers will cause the saddle to sit pommel high, shifting the center rearward and dumping the rider toward the cantle. This punishes the horse’s back. (Said position can also cause back issues in an older rider.) A common practice is to correct this with riser pads or towel, which usually results in more pressure on the sides of the withers and can cause lameness.

A saddle that is too wide in the pommel area can also create pressure directly on the horse’s withers and cause lameness. This is compounded when the rider’s weight shifts forward. A saddle that tips a rider too far forward, raises the rider’s center of gravity and causes them to ride forward creating lack of stability. If you combine this with lengthening the stirrups, your adult rider may complain that their crotch hits the pommel at the trot.

There are lot of things you can purchase to attempt to fix a poorly fitting saddle. They cost money and don’t usually solve the problem, plus they take extra attention during tack up. And they are obvious signs your tack doesn’t fit the horse.  Breastplates are not intended to keep a saddle from sliding back during normal riding. They’re meant to help with saddle slippage in extreme movements, like riding up a steep incline, taking a jump, or dragging something from the saddle horn.

Keep in mind that not all saddles are designed by horsemen, and they are not all made by craftsmen. Many are massed produced by companies that have little to do with correct riding. If the saddle doesn’t fit your horse correctly, you are wise to invest the money in a saddle fitting and a saddle that suits your horse. Sound lesson horses make more money for instructors than lame ones.

4. Saddle Placement for the Seat
Every well-designed saddle places the rider in the correct spot if it fits the horse and fits the rider. A well conformed lesson horse will have a sweet spot in which the saddle will settle.  (Interestingly, this is usually the spot you want to settle into when you ride bareback) If you put the saddle on the horse behind the sweet spot or in front of it, not only do you shift the seat away from the horses center of gravity, you change the seat’s position and angle. The pommel likely raises on a saddle placed too far forward, and the cantle will raise on one set too far back. This adds a major impediment to the rider for finding the correct spot to sit and balance.

5. Saddle Size for the Rider
You might think if the saddle fits the horse perfectly, it should fit your students. I wish this were true, but a saddle meant of an adult will not suit a child because the area for the seat will be larger. Likewise, a child’s saddle will be miserable for an adult. With school horses, you will choose an average sized saddle that will fit your youth and smaller adults. You will need a smaller saddle for lead liners and a larger one for bigger adults, but then again, the size of the horse will differ.

The Goal-
As an instructor, you can prearrange these things to help your rider automatically find the correct spot from their first lesson. Clearly, that doesn’t mean they will always be in harmony and balance, or even in the seat of the saddle, but when your student loses their seat, you have engineered the situation to help the student regain it. From that point, you’ll add the other foundation pieces that help students develop the muscle tone, the muscle memory, and the understanding required to become good riders. If you set these conditions up for your beginners, they will progress more quickly because they won’t fight against themselves due to the saddle.

Happy students who feel successful in their lessons love to ride. If they love to ride, they will return to you for more lessons.

Here's to great lessons and even better students,

Barbara Ellin Fox

TheRidingInstructor.net