Sitting trot is my jam. No matter what the horse! I definitely feel much better there.
Actually have an extremely arched foot as well as being very narrow. Actually causes some balance issues for me in my regular life…
I also read somewhere that thinking about spreading out your toes can help with the heel… So I’m going to try that too!
Thank you so much. I actually cannot do the hyperextended hunter jumper heel anyways. Like my ankle just will not do it! So I will be happy just to get level and have some shock absorption!!
If your jumping saddle is a better fit for you, don’t spend a year fighting the ill fitting dressage saddle, ride in the jumping saddle to practice dressage also.
We didn’t even have dressage saddles decades ago and rode fine in any other saddle, as long as it was a good fit.
The other way, jumping in a dressage saddle, that would be hard, those are very specific task saddles, but only worth if they fit well.
If you feel comfortable dropping your stirrups during your warmup, I would do that (might depend on the day with a youngster 
). Try to relax your thigh along the horse like a wet towel, and find your seatbones in the saddle. Think of stretching up through the crown of the head, which will lengthen your back and tuck your tailbone in. Think of your kneecaps pointing towards the ground just in front of your horse’s feet. Now pick up your stirrups with just the toes. Try picking up one at a time - can you lightly press your toes into the stirrup while keeping your knee pointing to where your horse is about to step? Next, rotate your hands so your fingernails are up and your thumbs are out. This will open up your shoulders more and help you find the bend in your elbow. Now pick up both stirrups and ride forward. Think you riding your horse up and in front of you, so he can step out to the bit. This will help with the urge to straighten the elbows in an attempt to pull the head down and into position. If your horse is coming up in front of you, this will also help you stay grounded in your seat with a more vertical posture. If you start feeling the need to straighten your elbows and take the hands back, that’s a hint that it’s time to shorten the reins and re-establish the connection. At any time during the ride, you can go back to walk and repeat these steps to re-establish the position and feeling. I honestly wouldn’t bother with the trotting without stirrups because I think the posting will just create more tension in the hips, and sitting would be challenging with a youngster and would likely impinge on the movement of his back. There is something uniquely helpful about the motion of the walk to help get tight muscles to release, so use that to help release the hips and any other tight areas.
Honestly I feel fine in both saddles… Compared to previous ones. But I don’t know what I look like in my jump saddle ha ha. I do know that I liked my dressage saddle best when I shortened my stirrups more than I thought I should…
Good tips. I’m not sure warming up without stirrups is a thing right now until spring isn’t so exciting. But I definitely could do it mid-ride. And definitely could do some of the other stuff you said.
He’s actually really easy to sit and used to it (he was started western) but he is still young so we do it sparingly.
I have my dressage saddle here at home to clean it so I sat in it sans horse. Even in baggy sweatpants, if I sit where I should (not back of the cantle), then I definitely have a full hand behind me. I have my leg relaxed and long, foot basically level, the flap comes about mid calve. I do think it puts me in a little bit of a chair seat although not nearly as bad as the saddle we were using before this.
Now I understand that doesn’t mean that the saddle works in use on a horse. But my riding is definitely giving an optical illusion.
I’ll try and get more pictures this week and play with stuff.
In the pic of you in the pink shirt, that is the best as far as vertical alignment.
Yes, you are tilted forward but only slightly.
In the other pics , you are definitely sitting toward the back of the saddle, so that your pelvis is tilted down and forward.
You have an arch in your lower back.
It looks like you are swaybacked.
You can ride dressage in a jumping saddle , the only cavaet being that a jumping saddle can also put you in a chair seat.
I think the main thing for you is to do some short exercises where you can focus on your vertical alignment.
Shoulders over hips, heel under hip. Eyes up , chest open.
Dressage is a great discipline, but it lends itself to the mind and the body lying to each other.
For example: I was schooling one morning and someone asked if they take a photo of me for a school project. I said sure.
Well, let me tell you , it was eye opening to say the least
I thought I was in the correct position, back flat and straight .
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I was tilted forward but my shoulders were angled back and I my fat a$$ pooched out behind me. My back was arched out, I am very surprised it didn’t hurt .
That was a very cringey moment believe me.
Trust me when I say that your position isn’t that bad.
I agree with your assessment about that photo being the best position. Coincidentally that is when I had my stirrups at their shortest! So I think I will shorten the backup at least for a while. It also felt like one of our best rides. Forward, free and flowing.
Yeah it’s always better sweet seeing yourself but it is so helpful. I definitely think I’m doing different things than I am!!
And thank you for the kind words. 
We are definitely having fun together, But of course I’m always in the pursuit of being perfect! Lol typical dressage rider!
Fwiw, I love your little horse!
He looks relaxed and willing, and cheerful.
I also want to say, that even though your position isn’t perfect, your horse is not showing any overt signs of tension or resistance.
That says a lot.
He’s a lovely youngster! And thank you. Everyone always says that, he just looks so happy during our rides. Even though he can be a push ride, he is a worker bee. You just have to get his engine started but then he’s great And I always try to be very consistent and very fair with him.
You are welcome.
Dressage is great for building that partnership with your horse, but don’t forget to have fun!
You know one if the biggest things I’ve learned teaching is that you can temporary fix a students leg in the saddle, but if they REALLY want to fix it and fix it faster than having it repeatedly repositioned in lessons, you fix it out of the saddle.
My best advice is to fix it with a lot of lunges that get you driving through the heel. After that make them weighted lunges with weights in each hand. After that add I. A little kickboxing to drive through that leg and build the cross coordination.
Or you can do the frog thing and pendulum thing and move the thigh back under your leg thing repeatedly, but I think it really boils down to strength.
I rode in the jump saddle last night (I needed to try a new girth with it anyway.) I like my stirrups short. I ride with probably what other people would jump in. But I made sure my feet started out better. I only had to fix one stirrup from sneaking back once.
I had read a tip about thinking about spreading out your toes helping your heel. Seemed to work. And two point
Tonight if I get to ride, I’m taking out my dressage saddle but shortening my stirrups. Not jumper length obviously but not as long as before. We shall see.
If it is any comfort I also have to ride with “jumping length” stirrups.
I have not jumped in decades. When I lower my stirrups I lose my leg stability and my balance gets worse.
What’s the problem with shortening your dressage stirrups? If its more comfortable and you can maintain a correct position better then go for it! Even among dressage pros, no one rides babies/greenines with a long straight leg. You need a bit of thigh angle to absorb the motion. This is also why posting trot is allowed/encouraged at the lower levels and sitting isn’t required until 2nd. As you and your horse gain core strength, he will lift his back more towards your seatbones so you can really sit deeper into him with a longer leg, but that’s not something you can force to happen by just lengthening your stirrups, anymore than you can teach a horse to jump by putting the jumps high. Ride with them as short as you like until you start to feel that they are too short for your leg to be effective. Long stirrups are earned, just like the ability to wear spurs or use a double.
I think, other than your foot being too ‘home’ in the stirrup (probably from it being too long) that your position looks very balanced and appropriate for a 5 year old in light work at his level of training. You’re doing great!
Ps- don’t worry too much about the saddle. Some saddles make it easier or harder to maintain your position, but a good rider can manage to ride in a variety of saddles. This is why pros aren’t usually as picky. They have the strength to hold their own position instead of needing the saddle to help them. There are some things that are really deal breakers, but I think (maybe encouraged by comission-based saddle reps) people get very princess-and-the-pea with their saddles. I teach at a busy lesson barn and the good riders can be beautiful, correct, and effective in any of our 10+ lesson saddles. The people who still have a way to go can’t do that in any saddle. The saddle doesn’t fix your position, you do.
That’s how I’m thinking now. Not ready to lengthen them. In fact, I was using shorter stirrups but then the saddle fitter wanted them much longer. My Dressage trainer is fine with them a bit shorter though. She lets me pick what’s comfortable.
I think a few years ago I was stronger and able to ride with them longer but I’m not there right now. Oh well.
Thanks for your insight and kind words. I will keep working at it but not stress over it either
The saddle looks like it doesn’t fit you. It’s too small. Your sitting on the back of the seat and not in the balance. Your foot needs to move back in the stirrup, move your shoulders back and think about pushing your belly button out over your horses ears.
Mary Wanless has an amazing podcast on rider position that’s worth a listen.
Your height and weight really don’t have a say in the seat size. It helps for a first guess but your leg, the saddle brand and your horses shape will determine what seat size you need.
There isn’t really any point continuing riding in a saddle that puts you in a bad position. You’re better off selling or riding bareback until you can get a saddle that places you in the proper position. Otherwise you are spending all your time fighting your position and if you can’t get where you need to be you are training your body in the wrong place and making it hard to get the horse to move correctly under you.
See the saddle fitter said me sitting to the back of the saddle was a me issue. Because I did it in multiple saddles. I like my new jump saddle from feel but I bet you I do the same damn thing. It’s been a problem for years. I do think a certain saddle could help but I’m not able to do that just yet.
I have overcome position problems before but it took lots of no stirrups work and two point. I’m older now and with the EDS, physical therapy might be needed.
That being said, I follow you in Instagram and noticed you seem to also be a short rider? And you use a much shorter stirrup than I have considered. I do think I’ll bring my stirrups back up as I think that helps considerably.
I was having numbness when riding, in any saddle, but that seems to have worked itself out so hopefully that will help me as well.
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