Riding Level 2: Basic Seat Position
I harp on it because it's so important. Everything you want to do on board a horse is so much easier when you start with good position. For Riding level 2 we want to see:
5. Basic seat position: walk & trot, sitting & rising with correct diagonal
This excellent video shows the key points of a classical, or dressage seat as well as a number of position problems and how to correct them. Much of this harkens back to the post on the independant seat from a few weeks back.
Although the riders in this video are using dressage saddles, the key position points are the same for a basic English seat, with the only change being the stirrups a hole or so shorter. No matter the stirrup length, the principle of ear, to shoulder, to hip to heel, and elbow, to wrist, to bit alignment remain constant.
At Level 2 we expect you to have a more natural feel for your good (not perfect!) basic position. You should, more often than not, find you are in alignment without having to think about it. We also expect that you know how to post, or rise to, the trot, and pick up the correct posting diagonal. This means you rise when the outside foreleg of the horse goes forward. To review posting diagonals, see this video from level 1.
Coming up at Red Colt
The final class of our current Cavaliere cycle is coming up on August 24th. This is a chance to get signed off on your riding and horsemanship before Carosella!
For those of you not going to Cascadia North this year, but still wanting exercise in the fresh air, you are all invited to our barn-raising, part II on Saturday August 31st and Monday September 2nd. Last year with the help a gang of fabulous volunteers we put up a shedrow on the east side of our paddocks. This year we want to do the same for the west side, so if you're handy with a hammer, a shovel, or saw, or just like putting your muscles to work, come out and help put a roof over the the rest of the horses' heads.
Jennifer Landels heads up Academie Duello's Cavaliere Program. She has been swordfighting since 2008, and riding since before she could walk. She started the program as an excuse to combine those passions. Read more from Jennifer Landels.