What does Equiseat Aid do?

We all sit wonky in the saddle, either because of long-term cognitive habits, or because our horses and ponies make us that way.

Whatever the reason, wouldn’t it be great to be able to sit straighter, be more balanced and give your horse the best chance of moving correctly and fundamentally reducing the risk of injury and wear and tear? Of course, that’s what we would all love to achieve, right?

To understand how much a rider can compromise the horse’s movement, think back to moments when you’ve seen your horse or pony move around in the field without you on board. Do they struggle to canter on the correct lead? Do they move freely and track up straight? The answer is yes. So introducing the rider to the horse really is what can compromise the horse’s movement.

Having recognised how much a rider impacts the horses movement during coaching clients and riding her own horses, Vickie Dennis wanted to change that. Over the years, Vickie has developed a talent and methods for encouraging rider’s to sit correctly and allow freedom of movement through the horses’s body. Her part in that was to make sure she could do her absolute best to get out of the horses way and allow it to move freely and correctly underneath her. Vickie was determined to find a way to help other rider’s do the same; to improve their straightness and balance in the saddle, therefore allowing the horse to move more freely and uncompromised by the rider.

And so, Equiseat Aid was born. Quite simply, the founding principle of the product is exactly what Vickie set out to achieve with all her clients and their horses, but sadly her success in achieving this was impacted by a rider’s physical or cognitive limitations. Equiseat Aid has changed that.

Given a balanced seat was her focus, Vickie had established through her coaching and research that most rider’s become unbalanced because we have a stronger and a weaker side and our stronger side tends to force us to grip or brace with our legs. When we grip or brace with our leg it forces our weight to the opposite side which of course, encourages the horse to move away from where we are applying the pressure. Also remember, our legs are attached to our pelvis and when we brace or grip with one leg, our pelvis becomes twisted to one side, thereby engaging one seat bone and dis-engaging the other.

The impact of this on a horse can very clearly be seen in the first photo, which is twisting badly over the jump. Notice, on the second photo the rider and horse are both straight over the fence. The rider started using Equiseat Aid in the summer 2021 and the second photo was taken in December the same year. Such an improvement! 

 

Vickie established that by attaching something to the rider’s leg on their stronger side that prevented them bracing their leg, it helped the rider open their hips symmetrically, straightened their pelvis and engage both seat bones in the saddle evenly. A secondary benefit was that the attachment also helped straighten the rider’s upper body and more importantly, allowed the rider to use their upper body in a more effective and balanced way.

Vickie tested the attachment, then a prototype, on many clients and riders, including riders using a mechanical horse. The common result was that ALL riders sat straighter and their horses gait hugely improved in straightness, even after only a few minutes of using the attachment.

Today, Equiseat Aid is the finished product following a 2 year testing and research period. We are a registered Trademark and the product is also registered for a UK patent. Being a UK company we are also delighted that Equiseat Aid product’s are manufactured locally here where our Headquarters reside in North Yorkshire.

The product is so simple to use; it fits on the rider’s leg (we’ll easily guide you through which leg) and just works, without the rider having to think about it. You don’t need to read complicated instructions or engage in any kind of training programme and the best part is, you can wear Equiseat Aid in all your riding disciplines. The product straps around the rider’s leg halfway between the knee and inner thigh and that’s it. It can be fitted either on or off the horse and doesn’t need anyone else to help get it in position or stay in position. Beautifully simple.

We are so excited to be able to help ALL riders, regardless of their ability or chosen discipline. Equiseat Aid has been developed with equine welfare and ethics very much in mind. We want to encourage more riders to take action when it comes to our responsibility for the direct impact we all have on our horse’s freedom of movement, minimising any injury or wear and tear and vastly improving the overall longevity of the ridden horse.