I found this site interesting:
http://www.happy-horse-training.com/riders-position.html
At the moment I’m probably guilty of being in either position 1 or 2, also possibly tilting too far forward, I’m trying to correct my position but with neither mirrors nor eyes on the ground it can be difficult, and having been drummed into “do not adopt a chair seat” approach, psychologically there’s a real barrier to overcome. But is the article correct?
I think the comments below the article are more informative than the article itself.
Keep in mind, too, that your saddle has a huge impact on your position by either supporting or disrupting your balance.
I find it quite condescending and I don’t think it’s worth the read.
There are better books out there about biomechanic.
I don’t find this particularly useful. I’m interested in biomechanics and have spent a lot of time observing and mulling over the various position flaws people fall into. The final position here looks OK. But the rest of it is overcomplicated and probably also oversimplified too.
People start where they start. Many people have physical limitations or asymmetry that limits their position. If you want to know what you look like get a friend to video you in all the gaits plus transitions and watch that video multiple times in private.
Here are the tips that made the most impact on my riding.
Drop the thigh down rather than force the heel. Lift the chest through the rib cage, don’t force the shoulders back. Follow the movement side to side with your hips. Velcro your elbows to your sides. Don’t look down, look at the horizon.
Mary Wanless work is much better than this.
In addition to the above comments, remember that a rider with a short femur will have different leg position than one with a long femur, and a wide horse will cause a different leg position than a narrow one.
IMO the most important aspect of “position” is to think of leading with your hips not your shoulders, and have your pelvis in as close to “neutral” - straight up and down - as possible. Lengthen the lower back and think of raising the pubis. (but dont sit on your pockets except as a “learning to sit the trot” trick -which did not work for me anyway…)
As for me, I lean forward, and fight a chair seat, so… dont look my way for an example!! Saddles make a huge difference!!
Yoga and Tai Chi are the most WONDERFUL tools for correct body position. I have a zoom Tai Chi class every Tues and an Yoga zoom class each Thursday. Also a wonderful thing: Zoom…i can take a class and it’s ok to smell like a horse!
omg Zoom Tai Chi, I really want to try that
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