I’m just starting to ride again and think I have too much weight in the saddle while cantering. I had this problem a long time ago also. It’s almost funny because at the walk and trot (posting not sitting), I have to remember to sit on my back pockets. Just curious what everything thinks. Thanks in advance.
It’s all going to be non optimal 
until you get your fitness and balance back. Ideally for cantering in dressage you want to sit upright, drop your leg, and have your butt in the saddle not bouncing on and off. It’s hunt seat where you get out of the tack to canter. I would never call the dressage seat sitting on your pockets but perhaps that’s a useful corrective if you are tipping forward.
1 Like
The pelvis carries the weight of your torso. The stirrups carry the weight of your legs.
8 Likes
In the canter, you anchor your outside aids (outside seat bones and arm pits) with mobile inside hip that is more advanced than outside hip. That is to say, there is more weight on the outside seat bone. But this is created by “anchoring” and not leaning.The degree of weight difference between inside and outside seat bone will change as you and your horse advance.
if you are just returning to riding, this maybe too much to worry about though. One thing you may try is, hold yourself into the saddle with outside hand at canter, and feel the movements of your inside hip and how outside seat “sit into” the saddle.
By the way, in dressage, you sit “into” the saddle, while your upper body stretches upward. This creates a deep seat and makes you much easier for your horse to carry. I am not sure what you meant by “too much weight in the saddle.”
1 Like
Essentially I could be sitting in the saddle without any stirrups. For the most part, I’m barely feeling my stirrups. Thanks for all the responses.
If everything else was good, a light feel in the stirrup is OK. But if you are still working on getting back your balance and fitness, I expect that either your stirrups are too long or you are dropping your toes or your leg is sliding back, or all three. This could go along with tilting forward. Of course it’s impossible to really say what’s happening without seeing video of you riding.
But overall I’d see the stirrup issue as a symptom not a cause. Get your seat fixed and leg right and your stirrups will sort themselves out.
Did you ride bareback a lot as a kid? Good bareback riders can have excellent seats but not much use for stirrups.
1 Like
That’s how I ride. Just enough weight in the stirrups to keep them still.
In the saddle though, my weight is 40% into my knee and 60% into my seat. I think a lot of people put too much weight over their butt and get too far behind the motion
So overall for me it’s like 2% stirrups, 39% knee, 59% seat.
1 Like
Coming from hunter land I struggle to sit fully in the saddle, but when I do get my rear end situated, I tend to lift my feet a bit. I am trying to achieve what sascha said - saddle carrying my torso, stirrups carrying my feet/legs. If you can get some longe lessons - I have found them to be the best way to improve my seat.
2 Likes
I was taught to sit on the “kreuz”. The seat and pelvic bones. The legs lay softly along the inside of the calf so the energy points forward (from the toe). This way you can contract the abdominal muscles the hips to encourage the horse without too much actual movement in the saddle so I guess I would say the majority of my weight is in the seat.
Of course with a young horse you would ride in a lighter seat with more weight in the irons and less on the seat.
1 Like
Thank you so much. I think my stirrup length is good and my legs aren’t bouncing at the trot. I just think I should have more weight in the stirrups for aids.
