Serving Horse Owners Across the State

Vol 1

Quick Fixes: Shifting saddles and loose seats
by Randi Thompson

About the author: Randi Thompson

In 1979 Randi created the Horse and Rider Awareness® program. The demand for her unique approach led to the development of the Horsemasters™ programs for professionals in the horse industry. Randi is a published author, horse show judge, speaker, expert witness and consultant, educator and trainer.

Her method -- the Horse and Rider Awareness® program -- has received national recognition including headlining with presentations at the U.S. Pony Club National Convention, and two Florida Pet and Horse Expos. Randi has introduced the Horse and Rider Awareness® teaching techniques to the Horsemanship Safety Association (who have been teaching and certifying instructors for over 30 years) and her successful techniques are now being taught to their clinicians and instructors throughout the United States and other countries.

Quick Fixes: Shifting saddles and loose seats

Many of us have felt the uncomfortable feeling of a saddle slowly slipping towards one side of the horse while we are riding.  Numerous riders also know the frustration of feeling of their seats bouncing all over the saddle.   

Are you tired of slip sliding away?  Now you can quickly learn how to keep your saddle, and your seat, where they belong.   

Let’s begin with the slipping saddle.

Try this the next time that you ride a horse.

Look down to see if the front of the saddle, (either the center of the pommel, or the saddle horn) is in line with the horse’s mane. That is an easy way to see when the saddle is on the center of the horses back, where it is supposed to be.  As you are riding, pay attention to which side the saddle has a tendency to slip more towards, especially at the faster gaits, and on circles. 

A saddle usually slips to one side when the rider is placing more weight in the stirrup on that side than the other.  You will now learn how to keep the saddle from shifting by balancing your weight evenly in both stirrups.

If the saddle is shifting to the right, step softly into the left stirrup and carefully reposition the center of the saddle back in line with the horse’s mane.

Some riders find it easier to shift the saddle by holding one hand on the front of the saddle as they step into the stirrup.

If the saddle is sliding to the left, step into the right stirrup to bring the saddle back into line.

You may be surprised at how often your saddle will slip out of line with the horse’s mane.

Most riders discover that their saddles will slip more often to the outside of the horse’s withers on corners and circles.  This can be corrected by placing more weight on the inside stirrup.

If the saddle is falling to the inside of the horses withers on a circle, try placing more weight onto the outside stirrup to bring the saddle back into line with the horse’s mane

You are than ready to learn how to balance your weight evenly in both of your stirrups.  To do this, begin by choosing a safe, quiet horse and begin walking.  Walk around for a few moments and notice which side the saddle has shifted towards.  Than, carefully take your foot out of the stirrup on the side that the saddle keeps slipping towards and continue riding.  At first, you will feel very unbalanced.  This is because you have become comfortable being unbalanced.

Before long, you will feel comfortable as you trot or canter in correct balance without shifting the saddle to either side.

Than you are ready to practice keeping the saddle in line with the mane with both of your feet in the stirrups.

Sounds easy, right?  With a little patience and practice, you will easily be able to keep the center of a saddle and the horse’s mane in line with each other.

A slipping saddle is not uncommon.  In fact, now that you know what to look for you will see many other riders’ saddles slipping to the side.

How to stop those sliding seats

Have you been riding horses for years and still are not sure where your seat should rest in the saddle?  How many frustrated riders do you know whose seats are still sliding and bouncing all over the saddle after they have spend hundreds of hours trying to get a secure seat on a lunge line? 

First, let’s take a look at how the seat of you saddle is shaped.  Saddles are built so that the rider’s “seatbones” are placed in the hollow, or the deepest point of the saddle.  That means that the front of your pelvis, or the crotch area, will rest slightly higher, and up on the swell of the saddle or the “hill”.

If you are like the majority of riders, your seat will tend to slide back and rest on the back, or the cantle of the saddle.  This seems like the right spot to rest your seat, but it is not.

Seatbone position

Your seat will move less when you can keep your seatbones in the deepest part of the saddle.  Your job is to learn to stay in that position by becoming aware of how to feel and adjust your seatbones.

It is easiest to feel the position of your seatbones on a chair first.  To do this, sit on a chair and place a hand, palm up, underneath one side of your seat.  Rock back and forth until you can feel the bone that is located under your seat.  This is called a seatbone.

To become aware of how much your seatbones can move, begin by pointing your seatbones towards the back of the chair.  You will feel more pressure on the front of your crotch as the back of your seat lifts off the chair.  Now, place your hand, palm facing towards your back, on your lower back.  You will feel that your back is hollow.

Next, gently slide your seatbones forward.  Notice when your weight falls behind the seatbones and unto the fatty part of your backside.  Place your hand behind your lower back and feel how your lower back becomes round.

To adjust your seatbones to the center position, bring your seatbones back underneath your seat.  Check your position by placing your hand, palm towards your back, on your lower back.  Your lower back should feel flat.  This is the correct position that will allow your seat and back to follow the movements of the horse’s back. 

Repeat the three seatbones positions until you know where they are and how to adjust them.

Now you are prepared to feel and adjust your seatbone position in a saddle on a horse.

Riding on the hill

Begin by feeling your seatbone positions in the saddle with the horse standing still.  Sit in your saddle the way that you normally do, than slowly slide your seatbones to the back of the saddle.  Feel how the front of your pelvis drops into the deepest part of the saddle or the “bottom of the hill”.  Next, place your hand behind your lower back, palm towards you, and feel how your back is hollow.

Now, adjust your seat by gently sliding your seatbones forward until the front of your pelvis is resting slightly resting on the hill.  Your seatbones will be pointed down in the center position and placed in the deepest part of the saddle, or the “bottom of the hill”.  This is where your seatbones should remain.  Once again, check to see if your seatbones are correct by placing your palm on the lower part of your back to check it is flat.  This is the correct position.

At first, this position in the saddle my feel a little strange.  This is because you have become comfortable with the wrong position.  Before long, you will wonder how you ever stayed in a saddle with your old position

Start feeling if your seatbones are in the center position and if your are “on the hill” at the walk.  You will probably find that your seatbones will slip back every three to five steps in the beginning.  This is a normal.

When you can stay “on the hill” and keep your seatbones positioned in the center at the walk, you are ready to practice at a slow trot.  Start slowly, as you will probably fall down the hill many times before you learn how to adjust your seat and use your lower back and thighs to keep your seatbones in the correct position in the saddle.  You will soon be amazed at how much better you will be able to sit to and follow the movement of the horse’s back.

Than you are ready to “ride on the hill” at the canter.

You can now easily teach yourself or show anyone how to ride more safely and effectively by keeping their saddle from slipping and their seats “on the hill”