Ok first lets start with your saddle and stirrup leathers.
I would say you need to move your stirrup bar 1-2 places back. Stirrup bars need to be placed in the spot that allows the legs to hang with a vertical
line from shoulders, hips, to heels, with the stirrup leathers hanging perpendicular to the ground. If the stirrup bars are
too far forward it forces the rider into the undesired chair seat position. If the bars are too far back it pushes the rider
forward and the knee will be placed to far in front of the stirrup leathers. If the stirrups bars are in the incorrect spot
it prevents proper leg aids and the correct balanced seat. You want to sit in the deepest part of the saddle. You should have
about a hand's width of space between the back of your butt and the top of cantle. The stirrup bar placement will help you
keep your foot underneath you so you can have the ideal shoulder, hip, heel line.
Correct Stirrup Length and Stirrup Bar Placement. |

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Stirrup bar is bar far is back enough to help bend knee and keep foot underneath rider. |
Now you want to shorten your stirrup leathers. To get a ballpark figure
of the proper length you can use your arm from the ground. To do this place fingertips on the stirrup bar and place stirrup
in armpit. Then once mounted you get fine tine this length.
Once you have done all of this for me to fully help you please take a picture so I can help make anymore adjustments.
First you want to find your balance. Place your butt in the deepest part
of the saddle. Sit with your weight going evenly onto each seatbone. Right now you are sitting with your shoulders over your
hips but you are not sitting on your seat bones and are tipping your pelvis forward. What you want to do is find your seatbones
(which can be done by dropping your stirrups and lifting your thighs away from the saddle). You want your weight to go directly
and lightly downwards on to the seatbones. So think of straightening your back and bringing your butt underneath you more.
Remember to think of your pelvis as a bowl (Pelvis in Greek means bowl) full of water. If you sit with a swayback water will
spill on your horse's withers but if you round your back and bring your butt underneather you too much you'll spill water
on your horse's back. With your pelvis balanced your seat bones will help your legs support your body. This will help with
the shoulder, hip, heel line. Now instead of arching your back to open up your shoulders just take a deep breath and just
let your shoulders drop back and down naturally.


The foot rests straight in the stirrup with the ball of the foot firmly
placed on the pad of the iron. It is best to ride with the feet centered on the pad of the iron.
Where the foot should sit in the iron |

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Now the ankle is what makes the Saddle Seat leg different from all other
english disipline legs. Unlike dressage which has a flexible ankle in Saddle Seat the ankle is stiff (this has an advantage
that will be explained below).
I am currently in the process of writing a leg and foot position article.
I just don't have the time right now to put it together but here is some of the research I collected. So read and let me know
if you have any questions.
"Grip with the knees and the reply is to not to grip your knees, let me
explain: knee grip or contact is certainly a primary necessity, but to command a rider to grip with the knees results in the
riders pulling the knees directly into the saddle with the thigh muscles. This is a very tiring effort that results in rigid
muscles that rebound from the saddle during posting and force the rider into rising strictly from his own effort. It bears
repeating that posting is a movement that results from the motion of the horse, not a movement to avoid that motion. Of course
you will see riders who go through vigorous posting entirely under their own power but they are completely wrong. In order
to attain the proper knee contact which will permit the muscles to remain relaxed and workable, the position begins with the
angle of the sole in the stirrup. This stirrup iron hangs at a slight upward slant that requires the foot to assume the same
tilt with the little toe somewhat higher than the ball of the foot. Now in order to attain the necessary knee grip, we use
the stirrup as a lever, and by swinging the heel slightly down and out, we find that the foot actually pushes the knee into
position. This is assured when we realize that the entire leg worked as one unit from the hip joint and that the knee and
upper leg roll into the flap of the saddle. So many riders try to correct out turned toes by twisting the ankles. Not only
does this weaken the ankle buy it actually pulls the knee away from the saddle.
Stretching your ankle down and out will roll your |

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thigh and knee into the saddle without having to use your thigh muscles. Notice the iron angle. |
Here to watch that there is complete freedom of the knee to bend forward
and back during posting. Often this idea of a single leg unit will be misunderstood, and the rider will "lock" the knee at
the height of the post, which will result in his feet kicking forward while he is forced into the back of the saddle on the
descent. The beauty of the knee grip through the foot position is that it permits the greatest economy of effort with a maximum
of control and balance. Bobby Morrow, the great track star, explained his success as his ability to keep his muscles relaxed
so that they are free to do their work. This is certainly true in riding as well as it is in any sport.
Just how far the rider should swing his heel to the side must be determined
individually. Certainly the foot should swing out only enough to roll the knee and thigh into position. Swinging wider than
that is an affectation that results in awkwardness and ugliness. A good personal check for the rider is to glance down the
side of his leg and swing the heel down and out until he can see the entire side of the leg down to the sole of the boot.
To check the foot for the forward position it is generally practical to say that the stirrup leather hangs at a right angle
to the ground. Feet forward of this line will swing back under the stirrup hook at the height of every posting movement to
cause the same swing that a locked knee will cause. There is a well known phrase in riding, "the seat must be independent
of the hands." Certainly this is so but such phrase needs a lot of explanation for the young rider. Literally it means that
we must have such good posture and balance in the saddle that no matter what awkward motions the horse may go through we will
be able to keep our balance without hanging on to the reins to maintain it. It also means that our hands must be so thoughtful
flexible and adaptable the any head movement by the horse taking care of by the hands and will not pull the body out of position.

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45 degree angle |
From the front it may look too
“flared” but from the back one can see that the leg is correct because the calf really is not far from the sides
of the horse.
Without losing form or shape bring calf to horse and begin to squeeze with whole leg with most
pressure coming from calves. Remember the Saddle Seat leg is a single unit from hip to heel. So when giving leg
aids there is only lateral movement of the knee to bring the calf in for pressure, there should be no turning of the leg or
from the ankle.
It is clear that balance and control seat and hands are very dependent
upon each other. Balance starts with the foot in the stirrup and like the old spiritual, "the foot bone connected to the ankle
bone the ankle bone connected to the shin bone, etc.," your entire body balance depends upon the feet in the stirrups. Happily,
if the foot is right in the stirrup the knee will be right. If the knee is correctly placed into the saddle, the thigh will
be snug. If the thigh is snug, the seat will be in the right place in the saddle. So, you see, your position is truly built
from the foot up. How very important it is that we realize this!" (54) (Crabtree 50 – 54)
Page from the book Saddle Seat Equitation. |

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The rider should place the ball of their foot straight across the stirrup
iron so that the toe is pointed straight ahead. If the rider’s toe is not straight ahead, his weight is not being
properly driven into the iron, which will cause his leg to swing unsteadily. The stirrup leathers should be in a
vertical position when viewed from the side. The rider must push his weight onto the stirrup irons, but not onto the heels,
to place them in such a position, which will not only give the rider a more secure seat, but also help to relieve the horse’s
back. A common error is to hold the leg in this position by gripping hard with the calves and pivoting from
the knee at the posting trot and canter. Not only is this improper, it also compromises security as the rider is "perched"
precariously on the top of their mount. While the leather should appear to be vertical from the side, it should
not be vertical when viewed from the front. The thigh must be pressed flat against the saddle, therefore pushing the rider's
weight into the leather and altering its position.
http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/2070/ezine/discipline3.html
Saddle seat riding begins with a balanced and centered seat, sitting in
the deepest part of the saddle. Your seat should be squarely under you, with your weight distributed through your seat, down
through the inner part of the thighs and through the heel. The heel of the foot should be down and outward, which puts the
knee and thigh in a close and comfortable contact with the saddle. The heel should be lower than the toe. The foot position
should be almost directly below the hip joint.
To obtain the proper position, the rider should place herself comfortably
in the saddle and find her center of gravity by sitting with a slight bend of the knees without the use of irons. While in
this position, the leathers can be adjusted to fit. Irons should be placed under the ball of the foot with even pressure on
the entire width of the sole and center of the iron. The foot should be in a natural position, being neither extremely in
nor out from the horse's barrel. The stirrup irons should be just below the ankle bone when the rider's foot is out of the
stirrup and the leg is hanging naturally against the side of the horse. Holding the stirrup at about a 15 degree angle and
having the rider place her foot in the stirrup; will help her to attain the proper leg position.
http://www.joannemacbride.com/saddleseatarticle.html
"Before considering the foot position in the stirrup, it is advisable to
take a look at the stirrup itself. If the stirrup is held close to the horse’s body, the pad is parallel to the ground.
However, the only way for you keep the stirrup in this position would be to wrap the lower leg around the horse’s side,
thus opening up your knee and bringing your thigh away from the saddle.
When the stirrup iron is pulled away from the horse’s side, the inner
branch of iron becomes lower than the outer branch, causing the bottom of the iron to slant downward and in toward the horse.
When your foot is placed in the stirrup, it is of utmost importance that the foot assumes this same angle, making the big
toe lower and closer to the ground than the little toe. The foot should be placed in the stirrup tread so that pressure is
evenly distributed across the full surface of the stirrup. This is accomplished by having equal pressure across the full width
of the sole of your boot.
This leads us to the age old question of whether the rider’s toes
should be turned in or out. Most beginners ride with their toes sticking out. As you improve, the toes should gradually turn
toward the front. However, you should not be instructed to "turn the toes in". For 99% of riders this would be very unnatural
and uncomfortable. (Most people walk with their toes pointed slightly outward and when riding the legs are spread on either
side of the horse’s body, exaggerating this position. Watch your own feet the next time you walk, and as you keep walking
spread your legs further apart to see what that does to your toes.)
When you are forced to turn your toes in there maybe disastrous side effects.
It can cock your ankle out, causing the inner ankle to become cramped while straining the muscles around the outer sole of
the ankle. This will destroy the natural function of the ankle joint and the Achilles tendon, which allows for leverage between
the ball of the foot and the heel cord. It is this flexible leverage that allows you to stay balanced on a high-action, animated
horse. Without this flexible foot action, the reins will very often be used as a medium for maintaining balance instead of
as instruments of control, collection and flexion.
The lower leg position that bothers me the most is the knee pinched in
so tightly that the lower leg is propped out like a wing. This position usually causes you to turn the toes inward, with all
of the stirrup iron pressure only on the part of the ball of the foot that is behind the little toe, with no pressure on the
ball of the foot behind the big toe.
If a rider is forced to turn the toes in, putting extreme pressure on the
little toes, they frequently become numb. Not only does it become impossible to use the leg aids correctly if the toes are
turned in, but the rider will rarely develop a secure seat. (Please note that I did not say gripping against the saddle. Good
relaxed contact with the knee on the saddle is desirable, while a stiff, gripping knee acts as a pivot and causes the lower
leg to swing out too far.) A gripping knee about the diameter of the horse’s body will tend to push you up and out of
the saddle. Also, a gripping knee will become stiff and will lose its flexibility which is necessary for relaxed, balanced
riding. The most effective way of staying on the horse is through contact with the upper calves below the diameter of the
horse’s body.
Toes that extremely turned out are also undesirable, especially if they
are accompanied by gripping calves that are constantly squeezing the horse’s side. This position can quickly drive the
game, sensitive horse insane and is the cause of many a runaway. However, forcing the calves away from the horse’s side
(seen with the toe in ankle out foot position) is just as bad. The knees are forced into a locked position and the lower leg
is so far from the horse’s side that the leg aids are delayed. Also, when the legs are that far from the horse, it often
startles him when they come in to initiate a leg aid. Some horses might be frightened by a simple leg aid used in an effect
to merely help guide him. The upper part of the calf should rest in a relaxed fashion against the saddle and never be forced
away from it. The lower leg is useless and out of place if it doesn’t hand in such a manner that only the slightest
squeeze inward touches the horse’s side and receives an instant response from him. If the rider’s lower leg is
placed unnaturally, the rider can only maintain position and balance by extreme effort, producing stiffness and rigidity.
In order to be a secure rider, it is also very important to ride with your
heel considerably lower than the toe. With the foot in this position you will be a lot less likely to lose a stirrup, plus
the foot will have less chance of sliding all the way through the stirrup. If your heels are up, the result is slack useless
calves, but if your ride with the heels lowered, the result is harder calves that can quickly and energetically communicate
with the horse.
It is very important that the rider’s muscles be allowed to work
naturally. When the foot follows the lowered inner angle of the iron, the leg muscles and the ankle joint are allowed to work
efficiently. This position also causes the thigh to lie flat against the saddle where it should be, with the inner thigh muscles
stretched down, helping to place the knee comfortably against the saddle. This natural position of the foot not only looks
better, but is also more functional. Joints and muscles must operate smoothly and easily in a natural way before the rider
can be effective and graceful. Riding form must be functional before it can become beautiful. It should be remembered that
it is the legs that create the movement from the horse. The legs create the impulsion that the hands must then collect and
guide." Gayle Lampe
Very Good Leg Position. Notice where knee cap is |

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pointing, stretching the ankle down & out, weight in the ball of foot. No flaring of the calf. |
Lets review
Do not force the leg shape. Let your weight stretch down and out
through your ankle. This will roll your toes in so they are parallel with the horse, create the correct foot/iron angle (15
degrees) so the weight is on the ball of the foot and away from the pinky toe (it also helps to bring the big toe to the top
of the boot and the pinky toe to the bottom). Another tip is to try to put your knee cap on the saddle. This is impossible
but it helps bring the ankle away from the horse (and if you have the correct weight distribution in the iron it won't flare
your calf away from the horse which is undesirable). To bend your knee and bring your foot underneath you bend from your knee
like you are kneeling on the ground. Your stirrup bars should be adjusted so your knee is bent and your foot is underneath
you. When in the saddle you do not want to push your heel down so hard as to push your foot in front of your knee. Or don't
try to bend your knee so much so you heel is up and you forget to let your weight sink down and out through your heel. You
just want your heel lower than the iron. Remember like in any disipline you want that straight line from shoulder to hip down
to heel. Don't think of your weight in your heel and in your seat to stop at the horse think of in going down to the ground
and under the top soil.
To test if your feet are in the correct spot while in the saddle stand
up in your irons without using your hands. If you fall down you need to make an adjustment. While standing straight up in
the irons and you feel like you are falling forward your feet are too far back or if you feel like you are going to fall backward
your feet are too far forward. Now when your feet are balanced underneath you standing in your irons will be as easy as standing
on the ground. Another way to think about it is while sitting in the saddle if the horse where to poof! disappear how would
you land? If your feet are balanced underneath you you should land flat on your feet but if your legs are too far in front
of you then you would fall on your butt or if they are too far behind then you would fall on your face. Have you ever done
squats? Think of sitting in the saddle like doing a squat. You need your legs underneath you to keep you balanced and your
leg muscles are what hold the weight of your body up.
I also noticed that you post like a dressage rider. In dressage and hunt
seat the rider’s position and the horse’s movement have the rider’s hips swing more back and forth towards
the withers while going up with a loose lower back.
In Saddle Seat the riding position asks the rider to use their back as
a single unit and "the hips should stay under the body with neither a mechanical up and down motion nor a swinging forward
and backward."
English Posting |

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Saddle Seat Posting |

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Can you see the difference? |
Dressage posting
Example of Saddle Seat posting style (not ideal speed but you can see how to use your hips and back)
Can you tell the difference between the posting styles?
Can you please explain them to me.
Video of Lexington 2007 Saddle Seat Equitation Championship (with the best of the best)
With the height of your horse's head I would keep about a 90 degree angle
with your elbow. Space your hands about horse's mouth width apart with point your thumbnail toward your face and press your
whip on your horse's shoulder.
Since you are used to sitting up too high on the saddle sitting correctly
will bring you farther away from the horse's neck. Because you have shorter arms and with the height of your horse's head
you will have to ride with a little longer reins. This is ok as long as you do not ride with your hands behind pommel.
Hand and Arm Position Article

Good posture, sitting
with weight going perpendicular to the ground, ears lined up with shoulders, shoulders lined up with hips. As a rule do not let your toes go past (as in front) your knee.
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