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Cindy Collins said:

> My dressage instructor makes me ride without stirrups
> ?regularly as a form of torture. 
?
Riding in a saddle without stirrups, especially with an instructor, can be an 
excellent way to develop a great seat.
?
Riding bareback, however, may not be, as it is possible to develop all kinds of 
bad habits as a form of "self-preservation"?which can be hard to "unlearn."? 
Most notably, gripping with the knees.
?
However, a far better way than either of these is to take away the reins, 
because holding on to the reins with your hands (which is the other bad habit 
that lots of bareback riders pick up) is MUCH worse than holding on with your 
legs.
?
The disadvantage to using "take away the reins" as a method of developing a 
good seat is that it requires a horse that longes reliably, and somebody expert 
to hold the longe line.? I suppose you could do it in a round pen by yourself, 
but I don't know this for sure, since I don't really have any round pen trained 
horses...you would need one.
?
kat
Orange County, Calif.
:)

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