Being able to relax and brace at the same time. And body alignment.
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This is always a touchy subject, so I’ll start by saying I’m not body-shaming anyone, I recognize that losing weight is not easy for many, there’s all kinds of body types out there, etc. etc…. but for me, the leaner/lighter I am, the tighter I am in the tack. I’ve never been overweight, but even a 5-10lb fluctuation translates into a noticeable difference in my ability to sit a buck or spook or how tight in the tack I am over fences.
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Man am I feeling this lately! My weight has fluctuated around 10-15 lbs for the past 3 or so years and yes, when I’m at the lower end I’m MUCH more stable in the tack, whereas currently I’m at the higher end and just last week got bucked off my TB for the first time ever in the nearly 15 years I’ve had her. This thread has been a great reminder that I need to make time for weight lifting, yoga, and general movement in order to make my time in the saddle more efficient and more enjoyable (no one likes being bucked off!!).
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Just in time for New Year’s resolutions! 
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It’s kind of amazing (to me, at least) what a difference a small amount of weight makes. For various reasons, I’ve had less saddle time in the last four months than probably any stretch in the last 20 years, but feel good in the tack because I’m at a pretty low weight. I need to back a youngster this year so I better stay at this weight!
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I was a long time skier before riding. Having an independent seat and hands just came naturally. Also balance was there naturally. A key to skiing is about staying on the center of your skis, kind of like your irons. Having a solid strong position is key to be tight in the tack, just like a good position in skiing.
I think an often overlooked key is core strength and fitness. So many people I see riding these days lack core strength and fitness. So when something goes wrong, they only recourse they have is to try to balance off the reins. Unfortunately for them the horse is using its head and neck for balance and they just get pulled out of the saddle.
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I actually took a ballet class in my early 20’s, when I started eventing, to learn body alignment and gain strength.
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I’ve experienced the flip side of this with ice skating—I’m not particularly great as a skater but I got on the ice for the first time since I was a kid a few years ago and was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t have to work very hard to find my balance since riding made me so aware of my center of gravity.
As a general response, for me, my “tightness” in the tack is something that hasn’t changed a ton over the years, even as my fitness level has fluctuated, since the seat boot camp I was put through as a kid. I wasn’t let loose at the trot until I could both post and sit on the lunge line with no reins, no stirrups, and my eyes shut, and I’ve never lost what I got from that.
If I feel like I’m getting a little wobbly I actually like to take my tack away. Even a couple of 20-minute w/t bareback rides can be enough to re-balance me since I can’t lean unless I want to fall off. Fitness definitely comes into play with ease of sitting the trot or my lower leg stability, but I honestly haven’t found it to have a huge impact on my ability to stay with my horse when things get a little hairy—it all goes back to being forced to develop a proper seat as an 8yo and all the time I spent afterward messing around bareback on my lease in middle school.
I did, however, almost pass out when I dismounted after my first proper XC course due to a lack of cardiovascular fitness, so I do try to cross-train and stay in shape for reasons other than staying on my horse, lol.
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Very annoying when you discover your other half, who has never ridden a horse before, has a better seat than you because he was a teenage dirtbag (said lovingly) and his center of balance is innate… moving on!
To me, “not tight in the tack” happens when I fight what’s natural to my horse or try to force more rather than create it. I have to deliberately do less (because I am very mechanical by nature) so that I can feel more.
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