Learning 2-point... Help!

[zaparaquah]

I’m primarily studying Dressage right now, but I really want to learn to jump. Since I can’t afford any more lessons at the moment, I’m trying my best to learn the basics on my own.
I’m trying to learn how to ride in 2-point on the flat and over poles. I know what it’s supposed to look like, but I can’t seem to hold the position very well and it feels very unbalanced and awkward - which of course it will since I’m just learning, but I want to make sure I’m doing it right. The main problems I have are that I either keep falling back into the saddle (or barely brushing it on the downbeat of the trot) and on the other end, when I try to fix that, I end up sitting almost in front of the saddle and hitting the pommel.

I guess what I want to know is

• How do you feel/ know when you have the right alignment?
  -Where should your weight be (I’ve heard in your heel, but I’ve also been advised to practice bareback/ without irons and I don’t see how that’s possible if you aren’t pinching a LOT with the knee)
  -What errors should I watch out for
• Any exercises (riding or at the gym) to help me build the muscle to do it properly?

Also - are half seat and 2-point the same? Some have said they are and others say a half-seat gives slightly more contact with the saddle. Confusing.

Thank you! Sorry for my basic questions! Haha

[KateKat]

are you trying to two point in your dressage saddle? That could make it a little more difficult. Your stirrups, in order to get up out of the saddle, need to be much shorter than you would ride in dressage, plus the balance of a close contact saddle is different.

You know you’re in the right place when you can balance on your own, without leaning on the neck for support. Weight should be in your heels, with your leg in even contact against the horse. I find it helps to imagine that you are performing a squat, as its essentially the same thing. Butt back, eyes up, hip angle closed, which will naturally bring your upper body forward a bit.

Two point is your jumping position. Half seat I think of more like “light” seat-where if you’re cantering around you are not sitting deep and your butt only brushes the saddle. You are getting off the horse’s back every stride and letting them move more freely.

[RugBug]

Proper two point really takes very little effort. If everything is aligned properly, you just get there. Think about how you stand on the ground: you don’t have to put much effort into doing that, right? That’s because your head, shoulders, trunk, buttocks, etc are all lined up to keep you at peace with gravity. If you leaned way forward and changed that line, you’d start having to expend a lot of energy to stay standing until you were at a point that you could no longer counteract the misalignment with muscle strenght and gravity would win, you’d fall. Two point is just the same.

If you are falling backward, your legs are too far in front of you.
If you are falling forward, your legs are too far behind you.

Be sure you are letting your heels sink. If you are standing on your stirrups or balancing on them, it will make the whole thing a lot more difficult.

If you are excessively tired, you may be fighting a saddle that doesn’t allow for natural alignment and you need to use a lot of muscle strength to try and counteract that misalignment.

No two point bareback or without stirrups until you really get it. You are right, it will make you pinch with your knees if you are not careful

As for the Two point/half seat question, you’ll get a lot of different answers. For me, they are the same thing. For others, they are not. If you have a coach, just ask how they are using the terms and then go with that.

[GypsyQ]

First, make sure you are practicing in a hunter saddle. They are designed to support a two-point (aka jumping position). Your stirrups will be much shorter than you are used to in dressage. The Rule of Thumb, by the way, is sit with your legs dangling long and loose. The bottom of the stirrup should hit you at your ankle bone.

Second: Don’t try to trot until you get it at a walk.

Now: Stand straight up and allow your ankle to flex. and all of the weight will try to go down. You want even contact all the way down the inside of your leg. You should begin to feel the stretching in the muscles at the back of your thigh and calf.

Bend your knees as if squatting, as suggested by KateKat. Your bum should not be very high out of your saddle.

Finally, bend ever so slightly at the hip to tip your upper body forward…Just enough that you can grab a little bit of mane in front of the withers. There is no shame in grabbing mane until you get used to the position.

Points to watch: Don’t slouch. Shoulders back.
Keep your crotch behind the pommel. Think about pushing your hips behind you a bit.
If you tip forward too much, that means your lower leg has slipped back. Push your lower leg forward and heel down.
Good luck

[OveroHunter]

Here’s a little exercise that might help you. Stand straight up in the saddle (do not lean forward) and sink you heels down. This is where your legs need to stay to keep you balanced. Sit back down and leave your legs in the same position they were in when you were standing with your heels sunk down. Next try your two point position with your legs in that same spot. Remember, you should keep your weight over the saddle and try to not balance on the horses neck.

[independentlyawesome]

Stand straight up in the saddle, then stick your butt out. That’s the simplest explanation to get you started, and you can adjust your balance from there. Sink into your heels, don’t pinch with your knees, just wrap your leg and relax. If you can find a safe situation (being lunged or on a super steady horse) to let go of the reins and stick your arms out, you will have an easier time finding your balance. I find that easiest to do at the canter, BUT you need to be careful how you set it up or you’ll just tumble off the side.

Set your smartphone on a post next to the arena, and take a short video if you can withstand critique.

[Zuri]

Core strength will help with balance in the two point. There are a variety of exercises you can do at home to build it up. If you go to the gym, the trainers there can point you in the direction with weights. I would also look into building up leg strength as well. There are a lot of good resources on the Internet on building up core strength and a variety of exercise DVDs for purchase. Good luck!