Cooling off the "hot seat"-ed Rider?

[4BranchFarm]

I have a dear friend who has the stereotypical HOT seat- and can turn a normally ho hum horse into a bit of a mess in short order. They’ve ridden H/J most of their lives and have beautiful equitation. Now that they are doing more catch riding (and sitting on more OTTB’s) the Hot seat has become more noticeable, and more of a problem

We’ve been discussing the differences between our biomechanics, riding techniques and training techniques, riding theory, annectodal experiences etc… (and working with a variety of trainers). All to try and dissect what about their riding style could be adding to the issue/what they can work on to help reduce the effect of the hot seat…

So, is anyone a former “hot- seated” rider? Do you have any thoughts or suggestions for us? Anyone have any other thoughts?

(for the sake of discussion all horses in question are sound, sane, UTD on all maintenance and have no significant physical/behavioral issues beyond green-ness)

[Foxglove]

This happened often when my older children were riding 3-Day and my granddaughter rode WP and I rode a rock solid QH to fox hunt (Steady Eddy). When the 3-Day kiddos rode the other horses (WP and QH), there was a difference --big time! It was more than contact with the bit (QH tossed DD into a fence when she tried to tighten his cavesson --QH had one on his bridle, but preferred it very, very loose). I always thought it came (as you noticed) through the seat. The older girls were “tight” riders --tight bodies, tight thighs, tight knees. GD and I were “sloppy” riders to a point with contact only when we wanted horse to do something different --turn, speed up, stop —

But it was distinct to the point where I discouraged the older kiddos from riding our to slow-pokes. We LIKED them slow.

Meanwhile, both older kiddos did a whole lot of soaring over fences at break-neck speed! WP horse and QH could jump, and I rode my QH first flight for years --but in between fences, he was asleep.

GD riding English:

DD riding English:

Me riding English:

[Obsidian_Fire]

My own experiences with hotter horses and colder ones, is it is the amount of energy you bring to the table (saddle). I can get on a cold, ho hum horse and have it moving quite smartly along pretty quick. I can also get on a hotter nervous one and have it breathing quietly pretty quick.
It isn’t something I learned overnight. A lot of it is emotional control, and giving your entire self over to riding that horse, that moment, that day. And it is very fluid. Look up, lift your chest, mind focused, bam… you’re going to create more energy - especially in a hotter horse. You do that too many times on an OTTB that hasn’t been taught the nuances of managing its energy and you will be in a pickle!
I really truly think this is more about what’s in the brain, deep, than it is about ‘riding style’ (which comes from what’s in your brain, really).
I had an instructor years ago. It always flabbergasted me how she could be so calm when the horse/rider she was teaching were going every which way, and hollering about it. She’d just stand there, quietly, gradually make her way into the space, things would calm down. But she could get on a horse and go ride a cross country course too. It took me years to understand, mentally, how to bring my core energy up and down like that to the point that it actually affected the horse how I wanted to.

I don’t know if that helps or not, but that is how I view it. Your physical body often mirrors your emotions. Animals are really good at telling on us.

[Alterration]

@Obsidian_Fire

It isn’t something I learned overnight. A lot of it is emotional control, and giving your entire self over to riding that horse, that moment, that day. And it is very fluid. Look up, lift your chest, mind focused, bam… you’re going to create more energy - especially in a hotter horse. You do that too many times on an OTTB that hasn’t been taught the nuances of managing its energy and you will be in a pickle!
I really truly think this is more about what’s in the brain, deep, than it is about ‘riding style’ (which comes from what’s in your brain, really).
I had an instructor years ago. It always flabbergasted me how she could be so calm when the horse/rider she was teaching were going every which way, and hollering about it. She’d just stand there, quietly, gradually make her way into the space, things would calm down. But she could get on a horse and go ride a cross country course too. It took me years to understand, mentally, how to bring my core energy up and down like that to the point that it actually affected the horse how I wanted to.

THIS!

I was trying to figure out how to describe it without writing a treatise and you’ve done such a lovely job.

I have taught students this using task-oriented analogies. So, for instance, riding to a target while thinking about “jogging over to pick up my credit card that I had forgotten” vs “going for a lovely amble in the park”. That change in energy has an immediate impact on the horse, if the horse isn’t completely tuned out. The more sensitive the horse is, the bigger the reaction is from the horse.

We practice bringing our energy up and down in lessons - it takes some time. And that emotional control takes a LOT of practice riding many different types of horse.

[Obsidian_Fire]

Thank you.

[fivestrideline]

Hello! Certified former “hot seat” rider! And not in the “can get a dead sided schoolie to sharpen up” way

The first contributing factor? Weak hip flexors. I swear that working on my hip mobility and flexor STRENGTH (not just stretching) got rid of the need to get super tight and thus light the horse up. Also breathing is good.

However, a lot of my electric seat was rooted in anxiety - not the fear of getting hurt but rather a deep-rooted perfectionism. I grew up in H/J and I think the discipline feeds into this mentality actually. I would overthink and lock up - almost a freeze response to the overwhelming pressure I was putting on myself. The horses would pick up on that anxiety and the tight as a tick rider on their back and understandably get hot! (I’ll point out that I hid this anxiety pretty well - no one ever picked up on it. And I didn’t really know what to call it either.)

Anyway, what helped the mental side of things was switching to eventing for a bit actually. The get it done and then make it pretty mentality really helped me release the perfectionism to the ether. That and some time riding friends’ western trained horses really unlocked my seat - nothing like a loose rein and long stirrups to force you to go with the motion or fall off .

Lastly, I rode a lot of green OTTBs during this time - they’ll teach you to let go or end up in the next county! It really was a combination of a discipline switch and moving my goals from “win the 15-17/Medal” to “get this young horse a positive experience even if we have to trot half the course” that cured most of my performance anxiety.

[Ajierene]

I think there are a few different places where “hot seat” can be created.

-leg - if you are used to riding horses that require more leg to stay in the same gear/speed, then you are likely in the habit of squeezing with your leg more, which can cause a more speedy horse to think you want more speed. This can also come from a novice rider getting nervous or it happened once with a field hockey player, her “light leg” was not what it seemed because she was so muscled - never saw that horse go so fast!

-incorrect/inappropriate use of aides - for a novice, it may be lack of knowledge, for a more experienced rider it may be not knowing what buttons to push. The first time I rode a seasoned dressage horse, he was going ALL OVER THE PLACE and I knew I just didn’t know the dressage buttons but it was frustratingly hilarious when I couldn’t get him to stop backing up or turning on the forehand or something. I was riding him to test him when I rode at a sales barn and no dressage instructor in site to help me. We figured it out. I also saw this on my mare when I put someone that swear they knew how to ride on her and next think I know they were cantering around because she kicked to hard with her outside leg.

• rein use - believe it not…some horses that are used to “contact means fast” will pick up the pace when you pick up contact. A lot of times that means individual then pulls back to slow down but horse keeps going faster and “hilarity ensues”. It can happen with to light contact but I see it more commonly with more contact than less.

-anxiety - causes all sorts of muscle tensions that can lead to holding with leg tighter, harder contact, leaning forward, all the above at once. This one usually has a perpetual positive response - anxiety causes X, causes horse to start picking up the pace, causing more anxiety, causing X to increase, causing horse to think even faster is the way to go, etc.

On a side note- leaning forward/curling, is often then least addressed issue and the one I find the most helpful to fix. Lean back, look up, kind of forces people to relax and everything else falls into place. Maybe just the distraction of finding a treetop to look at, I don’t know, but it works.

[fivestrideline]

@Ajierene

On a side note- leaning forward/curling, is often then least addressed issue and the one I find the most helpful to fix. Lean back, look up, kind of forces people to relax and everything else falls into place. Maybe just the distraction of finding a treetop to look at, I don’t know, but it works.

It’s the fetal position! Humans curl up into the fetal position as a defense mechanism - uncurling by sitting up and back forcibly breaks the cycle as well as allows for deeper breaths. Like a biological reset button.

[JBCool]

@Foxglove

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I LOVE GD’s mount! Just adore a QH you can do whatever you want on.

No advice on the subject, but I have to add in the laugh my trainer used yesterday. A friend is half-leasing a wonderful but lazy mare from a fellow client but has a little trouble getting her awake. She asked trainer why the owner doesn’t have that trouble. She replied, “because owner has a seat that could wake the dead.”

[CoffeeLover]

I’ve never been called a hot seat, but I rode a very hot OTTB. My trainer would say, “Don’t light him up” and I’d whine “I’m trying not to!” It took me a while to realize that he didn’t need “aids” - he could and would go from the “idea”. So instead of asking for the canter with inside leg at the girth/outside displacing leg, I thought about the canter and lifted my inside seat bone. And he would step quietly into the canter. Great reminder - maybe to the hot seated as well - to only use as much aid as you need to get the desired response.

[4BranchFarm]

Thank you all for these fabulous responses! I look forward to seeing more, and a hearty discussion with my friend!

[NaturallyHappy]

I’ve known people who tho k they are “following” the horse’s motion when they are actually chasing the horse w their seat. Teaching them to listen to the rhythm of the horse can help.

[endlessclimb]

Also those who are chasing the horse with their body but block with their hands - that can really ramp a horse up. If in doubt, GIVE an inch or two of rein and think of being lazy up there. Get behind their motion, take your time on the rise of the post and dawdle on the way down.

[rulex]

@fivestrideline

The first contributing factor? Weak hip flexors . I swear that working on my hip mobility and flexor STRENGTH (not just stretching) got rid of the need to get super tight and thus light the horse up. Also breathing is good.

This has been a contributing factor for me. Years ago when I was horse shopping with a friend, she commented that I had a bit of a hot seat based on how the horses would go for me vs her. And I think nerves also played a part in it. I like to think my riding has improved since. Last round of horse shopping I don’t know that I had the hot seat anymore. I’ve also been told that I bring a good calming energy that works with more sensitive horses.

[MaidenRiderCali]

Great observations - thanks!