Changes

How realistic is it that we can make a change?

Facilitating changes in our riding habits is an extremely hard thing to do, but as a rider and a horse lover it’s probably the most important.

I have spent years explaining to clients that where they sit and how they distribute their weight has a direct impact on their horse’s welfare, health, way of going, happiness and longevity. Having worked and successfully competed horse with a ‘dangerous’ label, which with me made positive changes, something was happening when I then tried to reintroduce the original rider to these horses. The answer was in my seat.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not perfect but I had developed a seat which I could pretty much use to support horses while riding and training. I would train the riders and I would position them in the correct place in the saddle. I would hold them there but of course this wasn’t sustainable. They were trying, they were frustrated and their horses were struggling to support them.

Think of it as your seat being like a triangle; it’s a strong shape but what if one of the points wouldn’t stay put? What if it had a muscle or group of muscles pulling it into a different position? The strong shape would be weakened and the stability of the seat would be compromised. Now, by saying ‘work harder’ it’s just about impossible. It’s easier to strengthen a muscle than it is to switch those muscles off to allow you to be strong and be level in your seat on both reins.

This is how Equiseat Aid was born; through years of frustration and people wanting to improve but lacking the strength or in most cases, the ability to disengage a group of muscles which as soon as a rider came under pressure, would subconsciously engage. I hear all the time from clients who have since gone on to buy Equiseat Aid and loved it. That they would have bought the product sooner but their instructor thought they should do it by themselves. How realistic is this?

Exercise and strength training can definitely help but how do you retrain your muscles to allow you to stay straight, support you while riding different movements and also just in everyday riding? This will help you and your horse and create a much more harmonious and happy partnerships. This is without taking into account the more stable you are the less damage and impact you have on your lovely horses.

The results are clear and simple; Equiseat Aid helps stabilise the rider, creates a more level posture and helps with a horses balance and way of going.