Re: RC: Sports Saddle question

[Linda Flemmer <bluwolf@earthlink.net>]

Deanna German wrote:

> My friend has a trainer model Sports
> Saddle with the stirrups set forward, and it still makes my hips hurt.

Is it the placement of the stirrups, or the large "twist" you find by riding
directly on  the wide back of the horse?  Where is your pain?  Outside or
inside of hips (muscles), hip joint, etc.

> I have always been more comfortable riding hunt seat rather than western
> and I have somewhat narrow hips -- could either of these variables cause
> me to like my stirrups forward?

Shouldn't.  English saddles usually have stirrups set back more than Western
saddles.  You should be in a balanced position so that if the horse
disappeared from under you, you'd land standing up.  You can draw an
imaginary drop line from your shoulders to hips to heels to picture what
this should look like.

If you legs are too far in front of you, the natural rhythm of the horse can
not help you post.  You'll find that you incline your upper body forward and
use your abdominal muscles to force your seat up and forward.  It's very
tiring and you loose the advantage of using the horse's motion to help with
the posting movement.  You'll be constantly trying to post "uphill" so to
speak.

I've seen riders struggle to put their legs under them when they were
sitting wrong in the saddle, too.  Some riders sit on the "back pockets of
their levi's" - they sit back and into the saddle rather than sit erect on
their seat bones.  In this case, their legs are so far in front that they
can't adopt a balanced position if their life depended on it.  Watch out for
that.  You'll recognize someone who does that in a heart beat.

To feel an "ideal" stirrup position, try most dressage saddles.  Most are
pretty much on target for being in the right spot.  It might give you a feel
for what you're looking for.

You may find the stirrups way too forward on your sport saddle if you
ordered them even more forward than their standard position.

Linda Flemmer


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