|
The Rider's Pelvic Area So
many mistakes in this area! The position of the pelvis is very important because it so much determines the quality of the contact with the horse, in other words the seat. A correctly positioned pelvis determines the rider's posture, the shape and position of his/her back and the position of his/her legs. Your pelvis
must stay straight and vertical so it can move in any direction with
flexibility. The kidney area is flat and keeps all it's suppleness.
The riders does not move more or less than the horse's back. When a rider works efficiently, he/she looks motionless, neutral… Any movement
that is accentuated with a tilt of the pelvis in rhythm with the horse's
stride bothers the horse, perturbs his balance and serenity. It is inefficient, useless and disgraceful! Riders who, without appearing agitated, keep their lower backs hollow or curved in excessively (a posture sometimes seen on Spanish riders), or the opposite, keep their lower backs slouched (it's sometimes taught that way) are stuck, contracted and frozen. Too much tilt of the pelvis, forward (ante version) or backward (retro version), is to be proscribed. It's hard, it's stiff, and it's inefficient! What to do? It's simple,
keep your pelvis straight and vertical, so that you can follow the horse's
movement either way. Do not sit on the back of your buttocks, but rather
on your seat bones, your lower back slightly curved in, and I insist
on "slightly". That is why I prefer to advise you to "push your belly
button toward your horse's ear", which is definitely not the same as
a hyper hollow and frozen back! I prefer a slightly hollow lower back
to a slightly slouched lower back. Of course,
your lower back will move one way or another depending on the required
balance and the requested exercise… Here like anywhere else, use nuance, be sober and relaxed. |
Posture-position / Walk / Trot / Canter / Shoulder-in / half-pass / Flying change of lead / Pirouette /