I Can't See a Distance Without My A$$ in the Saddle

[phoenixrises]

This was brought up in the eq thread but I didn’t realize it was actually a thing thing and not just my broken brain. I’m old (46) and when I learned to jump in my youth we sat between fences and definitely during the canter on the flat. Fast forward to an adult I did eventing and dressage. And now I’m trying my hand at the hunters. Mostly I’m enjoying the switch, however I cannot for the life of me “see” the distance without sitting. I understand it shouldn’t matter, but for some god awful reason it does. For now trainer and I are working on other things and my butt stays in the saddle and we’re going along. But I’d like to not stick out when I do get around to showing so like how do I fix this?

Note I am doing more out of the tack on the flat, but it is still a struggle for me to not let us get underpowered in the canter, when it doesn’t happen if I sit.

[mika0116]

former dressage rider turned show jumper currently on a eq/hunter horse. I have a nice seat - im proud of it, I tend to be most effective sitting IN the tack - BUT I am learning to be more versatile at 34 lol

try instead of that huntery half seat…

try STANDING like really standing with weight on the BALL of your foot (heels not down but parallel to the ground) with your knee almost straight and your hip UP and in line with your shoulder and ankle. You’re completely vertical without any bend in your hip angle

It looks insane, but it forces you to turn your toes more inward and use your core and hamstrings to hold yourself.

Once you master that at WTC - do it to small fences. then you can close your hip angle & soften your knee to have that huntery American forward style half seat without needing to lean on the neck / wiggle to stay stable & you’ll see the distances based on feeling the rhythm without your ass in the tack (something I didn’t think was possible)

It was MINDBLOWING when this eventually happened for me. Horse is kick ride and he would f*cking trot or WALK when I first started to stand up like that in canter… it was exhausting until I got the mechanics, and honestly a HELL of a lot stronger core.

I’m gonna try to find photos for you or have my trainer video my warm up - I do this every lesson in addition to sitting and now I’m starting to be able to switch between the two – mildly exhausting at the canter / over a series of smaller fences. I haven’t made it past 2’ -something riding like this because I am chicken shit perfectionist, but this only started in June/July for me.

[phoenixrises]

That’s funny that’s what I did to finally be able to properly sit the trot for dressage. I hadn’t even thought about using it for the opposite thing! And I was worried someone was gonna say you need a stronger core. Why can’t it be something easy like eat more doughnuts?

[mika0116]

I am in the process of losing some covid cheese eating weight, but I do a lot of reformer pilates and kettlebell work and I have… through this process of desperately wanting to be able to do this… tiny ab lines that I don’t think I’ve seen since I was a LD runner in my early 20s.

I am so serious about how vertical you need to be - vertical enough where putting your heels down is what lowers you back into the tack - you should feel a stretch in your hip flexors and abs that’s how straight up you are. I was shaking for weeks trying to do this for minutes on end

even weirder to do this and approach a (small) fence - I recco a neck strap (I like correct connect) or having a long mane this winter so you don’t do weird ish with your hands during this relearning process.

[phoenixrises]

I have the correct connect neck strap attached to the 3 in 1 breastplate. I have no qualms about using it.

[mika0116]

I think correct connect should hire me for prod development lol. That neckstrap is amazingggg and I think I’ve gotten most of my barn to have one

[Rumorhasit93]

Why do you think you’d “stick out” for sitting the canter in the hunters?

I sit (I do the 3’ adults) and win in good company…I also ride with a very, very well-known hunter rider & trainer who encourages me to sit.

On the flip side, I two-point on my jumper…at least until I get into the turn and then I sit. To your point, I cannot see a distance without sitting!

[phoenixrises]

I guess because every round I watch at the shows 99.9% are in 1/2 seat.

[Rumorhasit93]

I would say whatever canter you ride the best and that gets the best out of your horse (and gets you seeing those pesky distances the most accurately!) is going to be the best canter for you. I personally wouldn’t do something because it’s what others are doing if it isn’t natural and makes anything more difficult for me, as riding is already hard enough.

Rest assured you can certainly win, so just know the judges don’t care, it’s all about how the horse goes. Just like the hunter I show has full on whiskers too and is a conformation hunter who’s been to indoors!

[greysfordays]

@Rumorhasit93

I would say whatever canter you ride the best and that gets the best out of your horse (and gets you seeing those pesky distances the most accurately!) is going to be the best canter for you. I personally wouldn’t do something because it’s what others are doing if it isn’t natural and makes anything more difficult for me, as riding is already hard enough.

Rest assured you can certainly win, so just know the judges don’t care, it’s all about how the horse goes. Just like the hunter I show has full on whiskers too and is a conformation hunter who’s been to indoors!

Exactly this. I can think of a few of the more well-known amateurs who clean up at indoors spending more time in a full seat than half seat. You can always be in a lighter seat through the turn and then sink down smoothly on approach. I did that when I rode in the hunters and it didn’t hurt my placings.

That said, I am absolutely trying @mika0116 approach while my horse is coming back from injury. that’s brilliant.

[mika0116]

I think you’ll find it easier than most given how high you jump. I’ve jumped like a handful of single fences over 1.10 and they were out of grids or lines.

Most 1.10/1.20+ show jumpers likely already have this feel / balance as that is the most secure and freeing position over large efforts

here’s an example of what that exercise above helps one do - its the same as the exercise I mentioned just with the addition of strength and body control to fold (which I haven’t jumped high enough to perfect personally, LOL, working on it…):

[HJdaydream]

@Rumorhasit93

I would say whatever canter you ride the best and that gets the best out of your horse (and gets you seeing those pesky distances the most accurately!) is going to be the best canter for you. I personally wouldn’t do something because it’s what others are doing if it isn’t natural and makes anything more difficult for me, as riding is already hard enough

I agree 100%. My trainer is also a R judge and has encouraged me to sit at various points in my riding journey. It’s all about what the horse needs. I bet more people sit in the hunters then you realize. Do what works best for your and your horse and don’t worry about sticking out.

[DMK]

I did the modified 3 point* for DECADES because I can’t see a distance from a 2 point. Never could, never will. There’s many roads to Rome, you need to find the ones that works best for you.

'* get in a two point then lightly settle into the saddle. It’s not a deep seat like you would do dressage in, it’s not a defensive seat, it’s just your assinthetack.

[IPEsq]

Is the horse getting behind the leg when you get out of the saddle? Or are you getting in front of the motion? If these are happening, you won’t be able to see a distance.

[phoenixrises]

It’s probably more the first. But I can’t feel it’s happening as well.

[IPEsq]

This is where posting the canter can actually be useful. Not in the show…do it at home to get used to the feeling of the right rhythm and jump to the gait without sitting all the time.

[ThreeWishes]

Something that helped me see a distance in a light seat is to work on counting 8 strides rhythmically out. Over a single fence. Then loop around. And see 7. Then 6 then 5 then 4 finally 3. There’s really not much you can effectively do 3 strides out in the hunters without looking desperate. You train yourself to gauge 3 strides out. (Which honestly depends all on the rhythmic quality of your canter.) So if you hone your eye to see 3 strides out and just trust for me it’s made a world of difference. Do it over cross rails. Do it over 2 ft. Do it in increasing heights. Riding a hunter is like figure skating in between the jumps. Loopy and easy. Adjustments have to be minuscule. If you perfect your canter and improve your eye the jump comes to you. Not the other way around.

[NaturallyHappy]

@IPEsq

Is the horse getting behind the leg when you get out of the saddle? Or are you getting in front of the motion? If these are happening, you won’t be able to see a distance.

This… over and over. One needs to learn how to create a distance and I don’t know that can be done with either of these faults.

[paw]

Thing one: the horse needs to be in front of your leg and taking you. It’s easier to manage the stride in a full seat, especially if the horse isn’t forward (from behind, not just running on its forehand).

Get the canter, get the stride, and then ride that. But if you’re not riding a horse that’s going forward from its hind end, it’s a struggle.

[atl_hunter]

I have this same issue. A lot of the advice here doesn’t help me specifically because I can ride a light seat down a line when I know how many steps I need to get (I just don’t necessarily see it). The reason you can’t see the distance from the light/half seat is because your eyes are in a completely different place. Make sure you are not in front of your pommel when in your light seat - that will really throw everything off. Also, as you approach the jump, slowly sink down into your irons and seat - as you sink down, you will start to see. And yes, it is totally acceptable to ride a hunter round going to the jumps in a full seat. Also, the person who recommended posting the canter to help was spot on! Sometimes I have to sit a stride to almost a driving seat to establish the canter.