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By John M. Kays BASIC EQUITATION Associate Professor of Animal Industries

'EAATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE / COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES / THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT, STORRS

Hunter Seat By John M. Kays BASIC EQUITATION Associate Professor of Animal Industries and Hunter Seat

This booklet sets forth the major basic re­ The seat and legs are close to the quirements for saddle seat equitation and hunter without pressure, knees down and closed against seat riding on the flat. Riding over jumps and the saddle. The thighs, knees and calves are the finer points of more advanced equitation are in contact with the horse. The rider's lower legs not given here. are under his seat and rest lightly against the The material presented can s upplement that the horse slightly behind the girth. in the booklet entitled AND HORSE­ leathers should hang vertically. The ball of the MANSHIP. It is part of the Horse Publications rider's feet should be on the . His ankles Series published by the Federal and State Ex­ s hould be well flexed, his heels down to the tension Services. Anyone who wanes to become limit, his toes out slightly, at an angle best proficient in riding horses should take serious suited to his conformation. If the rider looked training under a competent riding instructor. down, he would not see his toes. The stirrup leathers should be long enough so that the tread of the stirrup will strike at or just below the rider's ankle bone when the rider's legs are hanging naturally out of the stirrup. Seat and Hands The elbows bend slightly just forward of the body, but hang from the shoulders naturally. The Equitation, or horsemanship, IS the art of forearms are extended to make a straight line riding a horse intelligently, gracefully, and well, from the elbows through the wrists and to with the greatest degree of comfort and enjoy­ the horse's mouth. The hands, separated evenly ment to both rider and horse. The two funda­ over and in front of the horse's withers, are mental principles of horsemanship are a good closed lightly on the reins and feel the horse's seat and good hands. Good hands, being the mouth by flexing of the fingers. rider's means of control and communication, are The reins should be held in both hands not perhaps the more important. However, since one only for balance but also to obtain the best re­ cannot have good hands without first having a sults from the horse. Sympathy, adaptability and firm, comfortable, steady seat, the more funda­ control should be evident in the hands. The mental requirement for riding in good form is a hands should be held with the little fingers good seat. down, the thumbs up and the knuckles about 30 The rider should sit balanced on the horse, degrees inside the vertical. in the lowest part of the saddle, leaving a space Many hunters have a rather low head carriage. of a least a hand's breadth between his buttocks Therefore, hunter seat riders carry their hands and the cantle. His body should be easily erect, low, near the horse's withers. American saddle balanced on a base consisting of seat, thighs , horses and others commonly shown by saddle knees, and stirrups. The rider's back is hol­ seat riders have a comparatively high head car­ lowed, his waist relaxed, head erect, and shoul­ riage. Their riders consequently hold their hands ders square. higher. However, both the hunter seat rider and the saddle seat rider have proper length of and his back to keep the horse in forward mo­ when their reins and forearms make a straight tion . If the horse is kepr moving strongly for­ line from the to the rider's elbow. Study che ward, he cannot kick, or rear, or s hy , or run s ke tches of the ideal hunter seat and saddle backwards, or suddenly stop. All of these actions seat. not only are unsettling to the rider, but also are The method of holding the reins is optional. dangerous. All of them can be quite largely pre­ However, one acceptable method of holding the vented by vigorous application of the leg aids. reins of a double-reined is as follows: the snaffle reins are passed under the lietle finger and the curb reins between ehe little finger and Mounting and the ring finger. Both reins pass through the Dismounting hands, come out over the forefinger, and are held in place by the thumb, with the bight falling to There are two main ways of mounting and the off side. gathering up the reins preparatory [0 mounting.

Every effore s hould be made [0 keep rh e Both are considered good form , but (he method hands and wriStS soft, pliable, flexible , and always seen in the s how-ring is as follows. yie lding to the horse's mouth. The wrisrs s hould The rider stands, half facing to th e rear, oppo­ work like a hinged door, and should give and site the horse's left s houlde r. He takes the reins take with the horse's head. The control of the in [he left hand, adjusts them so as to have gen­ horse should come largely from tbe movement of tle contact with the horse's mouth, places the the wrists and fingers, while the arms should left hand on the horse's withers wirh the bigh t remain quiet. of the reins falling to [he off side. He rhen This basic position balances the rider on his grasps the stirrup with his right hand, places his seat in exactly the right spot on the horse's left foot in the stirrup, brings the left knee back, just to the rear of the withers. The rider's against the saddle, and places his right hand center of gravity is almost over the center of upon the cantle. Then, aided by his left foot in gravity in the horse. Therefore, the rider repre­ the s tirrup and his grasp on the saddle, he rises sents the least possible load to the horse and by springing off his right leg, swings his right s hould feel himself " parr of the horse. " leg over the horse, and settles gencly into the The rider who has acquired this seat finds saddle. Las t. he puts his right foot in the s tir­ rup and takes the reins in borh hands. th at a minimum use of aids is necessary to get immediate and correcc response from the horse A second method of mounting, one that is at any gait. A good rider has a workmanlike easier for most short or awkward people, follows

appearance, light, supple seat and hands, and these steps. The rider stands half facing [0 the gives the impression of. effective and easy con­ front, opposite the left s tirrup. He grasps the crol. reins in his right hand with the bight falling off The aids for the rider are his legs, his hands, co the off side. He then places his right hand on his weight, his voice, spurs, and riding crop. A the pommel and adjusts the reins so as to feel very common fault of the beginning rider is fail­ the horse's mouth lightly. With his left hand, he ure to use his leg aids. The rider controls the grasps the stirrup, places his left foot in the horse's forehand with his hand and reins; he stirrup, brings his left knee against the saddle, controls the horse's hindquarters by using his and raises his body erect in the stirrup with [he legs. Impulsion comes from the hindquaree rs. heels [Ogether for an instant. He then passes the Therefore, the rider MUST use his legs, hi s sear right leg over the horse and s its lightly in the

2 saddle. He puts his right foot in the stirrup and At the walk the upper body is inclined for­ takes the reins in both hands. ward only slightly more than a[ the halt. As a re­ The description of mounting takes much sult the rider remains in balance. He does not longer than the act itself. The important thing is s louch, lean back on the cantle, or get' 'behind to mount quickly, efficiently, and quietly while his horse." The upper body should have the the horse remains still. same erect, alert appearance as the halt. For To dismount, [he rider may either step down good form, safety, and concrol, the rider s hould or slide down. However, it is safer to s lide down always keep his head and eyes up and look for­ because the left foot has been removed from the ward in the direction he is riding. He should not stirrup. look down at his horse because looking down bends his back, disrupts hi s seat, and lessens Riding at the Walk his control. The rider should keep the horse up in the bridle and swinging along at a good bris k, Whenever the rider wants to move out from the flatfooted ground-covering walk. To do this, the halt, he must first attract his horse's attention. rider mu s t use his seat and his waist. Thus, he This is called "gathering" the horse. The rider has slight motion in the saddle. He cannot be gathers his horse by settling in the saddle, by stiff and rigid. His hands mu st follow the motion moving his hands a bit, and through his leg of the horse's head. action gets the horse's legs so disposed under him that he can move readily. The rider s imul­ taneously releases somewhat his hold on the Riding at the horse's mouth and either presses with his calf or boots the horse lightly with his heel. To trot his horse, the rider first takes a The rider is said to be "with his horse" or shorter hold on his reins. He then gives the "in balance" whenever he so disposes his horse a sufficiently firm signal with his leg to weight as to require the least mu scular effort to cause the horse to trot. remain in his seat, and when the weight dis tri­ At the trot the rider's center of gravity under­ bution interferes least with the horse's movement goes more varied displacements than during any and equilibrium. This condition of being "with ocher gait. With this two-beat diagonal gait there the horse" is the keynote of good riding. The is a decided impact that throws the rider from the rider's balance should be entirely independent of saddle. The correct way to ride a trot is by post­ the hands and reins. The rider must fit into the ing. Posting can be described as "rocking" to th e saddle and so be attached to the horse. Thus, trot. More comfort for both horse and rider is boch rider and horse can move in rhythm , grace­ achieved by rhe rider posting or rocking gently fully and comfortably. from th e saddle and easing back inco the saddle When the horse is in motion the rider's upper with th e two beats of. the [rot, When his horse body is inclined forward to a degree determined [rots the rider's body is inclined forward more by the speed of the horse and gait. This forward than at the walk. inclination should always be such that the rider Balance and grip are the principles of a good remains in balance over his base of support and seat. At the trot the rider uses his balance from never gets "behind his horse." For unforeseen his s tirrups about fifty percent and contact with movements by the horse, such as shying or boh­ hi s knees and thi ghs about fifty percent. The ing, which tend to unbalance or unseat the rider, knees and thighs must at all times be in contact security is provided and balance retained by an with the saddle if a secure seat is to be main~ increased grip of the legs. tained. The rider's legs will not swing as he

3 posts to the trot if his weight is evenly distri­ cling to the left and on the right when he buted between grip and balance. Posting should is reversed. This is necessary for balance, com­ be a gently rolling motion in coordination with fort, and safety. Hence, in show-ring competition the horse's trot, not a forced, labored rising from a horse cantering on the wrong lead is penalized the saddle to stand in the stirrups. in the judging. In show-ring competition in the United States Here is the simplest method to take a canter riders are expected to post to the trot on the on the left lead. When riding at the walk to the proper diagonal. This involves posting in rhythm left hand the rider positions his horse at an with the horse's foreleg that is next to the rail. angle to the rail. He then uses his right leg Thus, if riding to the left hand (counterclock­ against the horse's side, shortens the right rein, wise), the rider should post with the horse's and lifts slightly at the same time. This is right foreleg. When the horse's right foreleg is called using the lateral aids for the canter de­ advanced, the rider posts; when the right fore­ parr, To take the right lead the rider uses his foot hits the ground the rider is in the saddle. left leg and left rein. Conversely, the rider posts with the horse's left Speed is not a requisite of the canter. A foreleg when his horse is trotting in a clockwise horse chat looks animated enough to run, but direction around the ring. Posting on the proper which restrains himself at the will of the rider is diagonal rends to keep some horses more square performing properly. This happens when the and balanced in their trot, especially in a small horse hits the ground lightly in front, sustains enclosure. more of his weight in the hindquarters, and can­ When the horse the rider muse try to ters ae a rate of speed very little faster than a keep his hands as steady and quiet as possible, fast walk. The old horseman saying about "can­ because at this gait the horse's head and neck tering all day in the shade of an apple tree" remain steady. expressed the desire for a slow, restrained "rocking chair" canter, easy on both horse and rider. Riding at the Canter Although the rider may [Urn his horse either towards or away from the rail when he reverses The canter is a restrained collected gallop, direction, most show riders turn towards the rail. a three-beat gait. When riding at the cancer the A good rider on a responsive horse will often rider sits as close to the saddle as possible, execute the schooling figure known as a half­ with his knees, thighs, and seat in close con­ tum in reverse to change direction. tact with the saddle. The upper body should be relaxed bm erect and not inclined forward quite as far as when the rider is posting to the trot. To regulate the speed and ride at a collected Riding at the Gallop canter the rider must use his hands in rhythm In the United States the term canter is used with the horse and' 'take the horse back" grad­ to refer to a slow form of the gallop. The horse ually. Then the horse will canter in harmony goes at a rate of speed no faster than he troes , with the rider's hands and not against them. No and perhaps even more slowly. When the requires such light hands as does the canter. is allowed to gallop on he moves his legs the The canter can be done on either the right same way as at the canter. However, he takes a lead or the left lead, that is, with either forefoot longer stride, hits the ground with greater force, leading. If a horse is ridden in an enclosed and goes about twice as fast as he normally ring, he should canter on the left lead when cir- trots.

4 The rider on a cantering hotse sits deep in Hunter Seat the saddle and maintains contact with the sad­ dle. He sits more neatly upright than at the Appointments posting ttot. At a gallop the rider should take up a bal­ Riders in hunter seat classes should wear anced position by putting his weight on his stir­ coats of any tweed or melton for hunting (con­ rups and raising his buttocks a little out of the servative wash jackets in season), saddle and pushing them to the rear. His weight (or ) and boots. A dark blue or black is brought more sharply forward at the waisc. hunting cap or a black or brown derby must be The reins, consequently, are held quite short worn. Spurs of the unrowelled type, crops or bats but without restraining the horse's head. This are optional appointments. balanced position takes some of the weight off Horses shown in hunter seat classes may be the horse's back and provides greater comfort for brought out with snaffle (with or without the rider when the horse is going at a strong dropped ), pelham bridles, or full gallop. bridles. Martingales are prohibited in classes not to jump, but are optional in classes over jumps and in classes requiring both jumping and Saddle Seat hacking. Forward seat are used. Appointments

Riders and horses competing 10 show-ring Class Routine competition should be properly turned out. Neat­ ness is the first requisite of a rider's attire. Horses in saddle seat competItIon enter the For informal saddle seat classes conserva­ show-ring at the trot and proceed to the left ti ve and solid colors are required. Solid colors hand (counterclockwise) around the ring. On the include a black, blue, gray, green, beige, or judge's command the entries go at least once brown jacket with matching jodhpurs (white around the ring at each gait. Then, on command, jacket in season) and derby or soft hat ~ Boots they reverse direction and repeat. The order to and breeches also are acceptable but they are reverse may be executed either towards or away not often seen in saddle seat classes. from the rail. The entries line up on command Even more conservatism is required for even­ and any or all riders may be required to execute ing wear. Solid colors include a dark gray, dark any appropriate tests included in the class brown, dark blue, or black tuxedo-type jacket requirements. with collars and lapels of the same color, top In hunter seat classes not to jump, the con­ hat, jodhpurs to match and gloves. A dark­ testants enter the show-ring. At the judge's com­ colored riding habit with appropriate accessories mand, they proceed to the left hand at least once is also acceptable. around the ring at each gait, then reverse and re­ Horses in saddle seat classes must be shown peat. The order to reverse may be executed ei­ in full bridles. Martingales, or similar tie­ ther towards or away from the rail. Light con­ downs, are prohibited. Saddles must he of the tact with the horse's mouth is required. Entries flat English type. Forward seat and Western line up on command and any or all riders may be saddles are prohibited. Spurs of the unrowelled required to execute any appropriate tests in­ type, whips, or crops are optional appointments. cluded in the class tequirements. FAIRFIELD COUNTY NEW HAVEN COUNTY EXTENSION SERVICE EXTENSION SERVICE

R.D. 12, Box 165A, Route 6 Agricultural Center Bethet, CT 06801 322 North Main Street Tel. 797-4176 Wallingford, CT 06492 Tel. 269-7788

HARTFORD COUNTY NEW LONDON COUNTY EXTENSION SERVICE EXTENSION SERVICE

1280 Asylum Avenue 562 New London Turnpike Carriage House Norwich, CT 06360 Hartford, CT 06105 Tel. 887·1608 Tel. 236-6151

LITCHFIELD COUNTY TOLLAND COUNTY EXTENSION SERVICE EXTENSION SERVICE

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MIDDLESEX COUNTY WINDHAM COUNTY EXTENSION SERVICE EXTENSION SERVICE

Extension Center Agricultural Center Saybrook Road Wolfden Road Haddam, CT 06438 Brooklyn, CT 06234 Tel. 345-4511 Tel. 774-9600

The Connecticut Cooperative Extension Service programs and policies are consistent with pertinent Federal and State laws I"~I and regulations on nondiscrimination regarding race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or handicap . ..WJ Issued by the Connecticut Cooperallve Extension Service, E.J. Kersting, Director, in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 14, 1914. The Unlvers1!y of ConnectIcut, Storrs, CT 06268.