Source
r/Equestrian•
NegativeShade

Help with staying in saddle while posting

Education & Training

Hello! This community is wonderful and so knowledgable! I am new to riding. I’m an adult female and have been taking group lessons for about 7 months now. I can occasionally swing a private lesson, but mostly I’m in a group lesson once a week. I really like it.

My problem is with learning, or trying to learn, posting. I feel out of control and like I’m about to fly out of the saddle. I have a hard time feeling the natural rhythm of the horse, so I often count “1,2 1,2” out loud as I go up and down. It helps a little with the posting part, but I still feel out of control. My arms and hands are not quiet. I bounce a lot. I’m trying not to grip with thighs or calves, but to be balanced and not rely on stirrups.

I don’t have any video right now, so this may be too confusing. Maybe my bottom line is how to feel in some soft of control while posting and how not to bounce out of the saddle.

Thank you.

Posted Feb 4, 2022, 6:25 PM UTC

1021
Coolchiorkid•

First, I’d ask for a lunge line lesson so that you don’t have to worry about your hands and can focus solely on your seat.

Second, you should be feeling like the horse is pushing you out and forward from the saddle (the up in post) and that you and sitting down lightly back in the saddle (the down in post) without any extra work. What you are doing now, the 1,2,1,2 counting and practicing trot is all really awesome so keep that up

22
NegativeShadeOP•

Thank you. Good idea about the lunge line. And interesting to think of the horse pushing me out and forward and me going back down. I didn't know that, so that is helpful and makes me feel a little better. :)

6
peabody-parasolHunter•

If you aren't gripping with thighs or calves, and also trying to not rely on stirrups, how are you planning on staying in the saddle?

You shouldn't be pinching with any portion of your leg, nor only standing on the stirrups with no grip, but more like your legs wrap around the horse's barrel with even pressure (one trainer said like wet noodles lol) and your weight sinking into your heels.

Both two-point and no-stirrups work would help improve your balance and leg strength in the saddle, especially if on a lunge line so you don't have to worry about steering and speed.

Out of the saddle, you can sit "astride" an exercise ball like it's a horse, which also will help build up core strength for maintaining balance, and even gripping of the legs.

A lot of this takes time to master, especially building the independent aids of hands, seat, and legs, so you shouldn't feel down on yourself!

12
NegativeShadeOP•

To answer your first question, that is a good question! I guess my answer is "I don't know." Hah. Yes, I've been working on my two point, too, and that may be getting better. I started using a different saddle two lessons ago and that seemed to make a difference in my two point. Now I just want to get the posting down! Before they kick me out. (They wouldn't really.) Thank you.

4
mayblackbeak•

Heya!
I've been riding about the same amount of time you have. I've only trotted a couple of times but my instructor said something that really helped with my rising trot. Try to think of it as pushing your hips forward when you rise rather than upwards.

5
catscratchings•

Everyone's already covered what I would suggest, I'd also add - Are you able to comfortably sink your weight into your heels? If no, and you're balancing on your toes (which will tip you forward and off balance), you may want to try shortening your stirrup leathers a hole or two.

I have non-proportional legs, and have to keep my stirrups a little shorter than the usual 'measure to your armpit' method would suggest. :)

3
NegativeShadeOP•

I might not be sinking my weight into my heels. I might not know the difference between that and using the stirrups for the upward motion, which I know is not right. Maybe I should try shortening my stirrups. Thank you.

3
lkflip•

The stirrups are part of your base of support. The idea is that you don’t stand in your toe but the stirrup absolutely does take part of your weight as one of the points of contact with the saddle.

If you’re trying to pull your foot up off your iron and post I can understand why you’re having trouble making that happen.

1
catscratchings•

It's worth a shot! I think of it as... lifting up onto my toes like I'm reaching for something when I try to post.

It's hard (for me at least!). Good luck, the moment when you manage it and you don't feel like you're going to go flying out of the saddle is exhilarating. :D

1
NegativeShadeOP•

Based on many comments, I have a further question. What part of your legs do you use to support yourself or get yourself out of the saddle? I've always been told not to grip with thighs, not to pinch with knees or lower legs. I'm not sure now what to do! Just somehow thrust my hips upward? I sincerely appreciate all comments!!

3
Coolchiorkid•

It’s even pressure throughout the leg. If your pinching with your knees or squeezing with you lower leg or holding with your thighs, your causing a pressure point on the horse (and on yourself). This pressure point can be quite uncomfortable for the horse, give unclear cues, through you off balance and in some severe cases can actually damage your leg (pinching excessively with you knee for a long time can cause knee issues later).

What might help you think about this is dropping your stirrups and stretching your legs around the barrel of the horse, then trying to post at the walk while maintaining even leg pressure (this is very very difficult so don’t be discouraged if you struggle). If you feel like your pinching with the knee, sink into your heels a bit more and with the stirrups you should shift the weight from the inside of your foot to the outside (if not clear how I said it, roll the ball of your foot on the stirrup from big toe to little toe so you feel more pressure on the outside of your foot) this just helps realign your leg and wrap it around the horse without going toes out.

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NegativeShadeOP•

Thank you! Good suggestions.

2
Coolchiorkid•

No problem. We all had to start somewhere. The best thing you can do is ask questions so you are well ahead of most.

1
poniesrockJumper•

equal pressure with your inner thigh, inner knee, and inner calf. it’s called a supporting leg. your leg should be solid, not swinging around, but not clamped. two point will help your leg position as you are probably not secure enough for no stirrups. sink down into your heels and focus on keeping your weight in them as you allow the horses motion to move you forward into the post.

2
spectacularbird1•

What types of exercise do you do outside of riding? With only weekly lessons, it’s possible that you’re just not building strength as quickly as you need to feel in control of your posting. You should feel like the horse is helping you with the “up” part of posting in that their impulsion should help you to rise. The “down” part is more on you to use your quads, hamstrings, and glutes to lightly return to the saddle. It also takes a surprising amount of core strength.

Doing more two point and vertical when warming up at the walk will help to build the correct muscles. Outside of riding - deadlifts, squats, lunges, and planks will help a lot. You can also get a pretty cheap balance board and stand on that in 10-15 min intervals a few times a day to help with some of the smaller stabilization muscles and core.

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NegativeShadeOP•

Thank you. Until today I didn't know about the horses forward motion helping the rider up. That might help my thinking about it.

2
YouKnowYourCrazy•

When we were kids we learned to post at the walk before the trot. So you don’t worry about the rhythm so much as feeling how your body should work getting out of the saddle. It’s really hard! Do that with stirrups, and without. You need to rely on contact with your legs to support yourself. Once you feel comfortable with that, the. Try the trot. You’ll find it easier because the motion of the horse helps lift you out of the saddle. And add the 1,2;1,2 at that point. Good luck! Don’t rush it. Takes time to feel it come together!

2
Frogchix08•

Saddle makes a big difference too! Could be possible your saddle doesn’t fit.

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NegativeShadeOP•

Yes. That's quite possible.

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Frogchix08•

Yeah I feel like saddle fit can be overlooked, but when I started riding I was in a saddle that was way too small for me. And I had no idea for several months until a causal lesson watcher suggested to me trying a different saddle. My posting was a hot mess. I felt like I couldn’t quite balance properly. But as soon as I changed to a bigger saddle I was able to post like a rock star. Changed the game for me. It made me mad my trainer didn’t say anything to me about saddles sooner because I was wasting my time and money in an improperly fitting saddle.

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Moist_Lobster_2372•

I would recommend doing some bareback. Start just at the walk or even be led around at first. It is a great way to develop your seat and will help you be quieter with your leg. It definitely helped me, but if you don’t feel ready for that, do some exercises to strengthen your core and legs so you will feel like you have more control over your body

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