position and different horses

[blob]

For those who ride multiple horses, curious to hear how your position varies on different horses. I've come to realize that event hough I use the same saddle on both RP and MM, I have different position challenges/flaws.

On RP, i tend to stick my butt out/arch my back. He's the first horse I can remember ever doing this on and I"m curious about what it is about his way of moving or riding that makes me want to do this. As a result of this, i often find that I am sitting forward more than I should be.

With MM, sitting up and back and on my pockets is no problem. But with her I can get into a bit of a chair seat if i'm not careful (so almost the opposite of RP). I also try to ride her with 'legs off' which means my leg looks looser.

On both I tend to have an unruly right elbow, so that's just purely on me

[Moutaineer]

The horse's conformation would seem to me to be the determining factor, particularly if you are using the same saddle on both--not to say it doesn't "fit" but that how it fits can make a difference--and this can be pretty granular. perfectly level or not.

It sounds to me as if your saddle is tipping forward on RP, and maybe a little back on MM.

[exvet]

I see a difference in my position on all 3 of mine despite riding in the same saddle as well. I use my western saddle on all 3 and because they are very different shapes/widths that my position is not the same from horse to horse but for me my 'flaws' are. When riding Ace, his widest point falls right at my knees (or vice versa). He's very easy to sit, keep the perfect position and is absolutely no effort to ride or maintain what I want/doing. Right now Brandon is very slab sided and quite frankly being a greenie I'm much more 'on my crotch' ready to take the fetal position at any time. It is also easier for me to keep my leg down and long and gently against his sides even if I want to be ready to assume a two point position on the greenie meanie. Junior is the easiest and the most difficult at the same time. Height-wise he suits me great but I have a much harder time keeping my legs long and not creeping my heels up due to where is barrel is and his barrel shape. Nnw if I ride this guy bareback he's super, super easy to maintain a 'safe' position. My flaws though really gravitate around my upper body and that doesn't seem to be affected at all by which of the three I ride.

[Tanga]

I agree with Mountaineer that it's the saddle. I ride both of mine in the same saddle and no issue. When I rode in the Wintec Pro I used to tip forward. I don't have the issue in the Albion.

But, mine are sisters, even though built differently, so the saddle probably sits similarly on them. As exvet says, if they are very different, the same saddle could be a problem.

[blob]

My saddle has a flexible tree, it adapts to the horse it's on. I've done other threads on it, so I won't go into detail here. Both horse's backs have transformed with the saddle, so fit isn't an issue, pics of that also in other threads. These position differences were the same even in previous saddles. So it's not about the saddle, but the horse.

The issue is less about problem solving my issues and more that I was hoping to have a dialogue on your different types of rides, conformation, and movement interacts position.

For example RP is more sensitive and a back mover, does that make me want to arch my back?

[khall]

Interesting blob. No my position pretty much has the same issue regardless of what horse I ride (even riding the horses in Spain or Portugal). It is exasperated by more difficult to sit horses (Rip) that hollow low back a d my legs especially my left wants to slide back. Riding bareback helps tremendously but you could not pay me enough to ride Rip bareback!

Blob is RP downhill? I know MM has a lovely more upright neck though I’ve not seen either go in video just pictures that I remember

As an aside blob I’m having a dynamic saddle shipped to me Thursday to try! Eager to see how my 3 feel in it

[Chisamba]

well, I ride multiple horses. three wide draft x.. Two petite about 15 hh possibly medium width, and two around 16 ' 2 . then Caliburn who is very tall and narrow. and an OTTB who is narrow too. I find myself riding a bit more torso forward on Caliburn. the others I feel more upright on. anyway the biggest difference is length of stirrup. I ride longer on the wider horses and shorter on the narrower horses and in do think it depends on where my knee is relative to the widest part ofbthe horse.

[Flight]

I was going to say where you leg fits around/on the barrel of the horse can change how you sit. My legs wobble around a lot more on my smaller horse but are more still on my big horse.
I sit more chair seated on the big horse (can be due to saddle) but also because his shoulder is so big.

[heddylamar]

I sit and ride differently on both of my mares and mom's geldings.

I too use the same saddle on both mares (it really does work, per the fitter). On Maia I ride with a long (for me) leg. Teensy Anzia gets a more compact leg. I think I sit the same otherwise — a bit on my pockets, a bit vertical. I used to ride more on my pockets, but riding after tearing everything in my hip changed my position a bit. I need to sit back on my pockets a bit more, as yesterday's acrobatics showed.

Mom's geldings both get a long leg. If I'm in my western saddle, or one of my old jumping saddles — v. Mom's dressage saddle — I sit back on my pockets. Mom's dressage saddle is a bit small, and far too deep for me, and I end up tipped forward.

[Tanga]

Oh. I do ride differently. The younger one is much tenser and tighter in general, which makes me want to lean forward and lighten up. My problem in general is I overarch my back, which hurts, so I lean forward to relieve that. It's a lot of focus for me to sit on my pockets, and on the tense one, that becomes very hard.

[blob]

Interesting to hear these thoughts and reflections!

Another interesting point to show how different their barrels are--I ride RP in 3 stirrup holes shorter than MM. And yet my leg wraps all the way around him--he is much narrower than MM.

@Khall MM is more uphill than RP. She both has a naturally uphill carriage and is further along in her work. I think RP is at that point where I need to start riding him more like a real horse and less like a baby/green horse and so I likely need to fight my urge to be a bit lighter/more forward with him. Also--I'm excited and curious to see how the saddle works for you and your horses--do let me know!!

[khall]

Blob I understand your feeling of being lighter on RP. I feel the same about Joplin but that is not doing them favors. I know I’ve got to sit more on my seat with her it helps her to balance better and helps me to be clearer and more subtle with my aids.

I will let you know how the saddle rides for me and my 3. I’m not sure if I want it to be this miraculous saddle or not. It is definitely worth a try though.

I tried my Adam Ellis on Rip and it was a no go. I’m concerned the dynamic will slide forward on Joplin. Right now she has a point billet on the Ellis to keep it in place.

[Summer91]

khall, please keep this thread updated on how the Dynamic saddle works for you. I really like the concept of this saddle and know 2 people who ride multiple horses with their saddle and love it. I rode in a 17.5" Dynamic and felt absolutely trapped. The position of the front block and the shape of the seat just did not work for me. Also, at the trot, my knees for some reason, lifted up and over the block. Very strange.

I talked with the saddle rep in Ocala and she said that among the newest generation of these saddles, the 17" saddle had a completely different seat (more open) and measures as a true 17" but I have not tried this yet. FWIW, I did purchase a new earlier generation of the saddle, marketed as a 17" but measures as a 16.5". It is not a monoflap but is overall a very minimalist and comfortable saddle. However, no matter what I do, the saddle almost immediately slides forward onto my horses' shoulders. The saddle rep said that the seat is most likely too small and I am probably sitting too far back in the saddle which was pushing it forward. I'm going to try it with a non-slip pad and see what happens.

[khall]

Well I’ve ridden in the Dynamic on 3 different horses. I rode Joplin in it first and while I loved the way my leg lies in it but the seat felt too scoopy and deep so I pulled it to finish the ride. Then talked to the saddle rep and she said give it more time the seat will accommodate me and change. So I rode Rip and Gaila today in it and sure enough the seat is opening up. I was surprised. It fits all of them well. Did not move forward on Joplin at all. Did a bit on Gaila but only on line. So I’m going to ride in it the next couple of days see if I continue to like it. Gulp it’s expensive

[Boudicea]

My position flaws stay the same regardless of the horse but do get worse and more obvious with horses that are dull to the aides.