What Research Tells Us About Your Seat Position and How That Can Stress Your Horse

WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US ABOUT YOUR SEAT POSITION AND HOW THAT CAN STRESS YOUR HORSE.

Protecting and strengthening the horses back is essential to allowing it to get stronger slowly and therefore cope with the long term rigors of riding.  The latest research helps you understand how this works and how you can use this information to get the most out of your horse. 

Scientists at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna's Movement Science Group have measured the pressures created when an experienced rider rode 10 different sound horses at the sitting trot, rising trot, and in the two-point (jumping) position. Each rider held each seat position for 20 seconds.

The aim was to see which seat position provides the most stability for the rider and which was least stressful for the horse.

The researchers looked at rider stability by determining the movement of the centre of the rider's seat (or area of most pressure).  The pressure up and down was measured and side to side to see which most affected the horse in each position.  Statistical calculations were used to determine the highest and lowest points of stability in each of the three different positions.

The results were that sitting trot created the highest load on the horses back, followed by the rising trot and finally the two-point (jumping) seat. The rider's back is most stable in the two-point position, and places the least amount of load on the horse's back. In all positions movement on the rise and fall of the riders up and down accounted for the most differences in load. The rider's side to side movement had no effect at all on the horse.

The two-point seat puts less load on the horses back because the joints in the rider's legs, especially the knee and, to a lesser extent the hip and ankle, act as shock absorbers. As the horse's body bounces up and down in the trot, the rider's joints flex and extend to maintain the rider's back in a consistent position with the horse, moving up and down beneath him/her.  The rider's joints act to provide a cushioning effect and avoid large fluctuations in pressure on the horse's back as compared with the sitting trot, in which the rider's body moves with the horse.

So why is this important?  For young horses require time to grow and strengthen.  Many riders underestimate the time, consistency or importance of allowing their horses muscles to strengthen and develop prior to trying more sophisticated movements. 

Another reason why this information is crucial for riders to know is the effective rehabilitation of horses with back problems.  Most riders spend a fortunate on getting treatment for our horses when things go wrong.  Treating back problems are certainly no exception.  Horses recovering from back problems need to be bought back into work with as little stress on the horse as possible , a combination of the rising trot and two-point positions provides optimal training conditions without overloading the horse's back. Keeping the riders position stable is now scientifically proved to be the least stressful for the horse.

 

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