A recent post has alerted me - not for the first time (more like the 1000th!) - that there is great confusion about the use of the leg as an aid for forward movement as opposed to slowing up, dampening down or reining back. What few seem to appreciate is the fact that the position of leg affects the position of the pelvis. Our aids and how the horse feels our weight on his back is all down to gravity - i.e. Nature! Even an unschooled horse will respond to this powerful force. Simply put, a leg which hangs straight downward generally indicates a vertical pelvis (neutral). A leg placed behind the girth, tips the pelvis forward so there is more weight on the crotch and less on the seatbones (rein-back). A leg placed forward of the girth angles the pelvis back, so there is more weight in the seatbones and often none in the fork (driving!) All this is examined and explained in my small paperback - The Classical Seat. The secret to successful aiding therefore requires that we understand our own bodies, find a neutral position and then take time to refine each aid until it becomes a whisper, a nuance. Many people blame the horse when he is not forward going, but If their body is literally blocking him in front and telling him to slow - he cannot be blamed. We have to work with Nature not against it. Riders must be taught to let their legs drop to let their horse go forward and minimise their leg aids - until he listens to just the breath of a boot.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 11:55:08 +0000