Rosie B wrote: Last night, every time I tried to sit and hold with my lower legs, Bliss would jam up even more. I realized that I was trying to hold everything too tightly and that made my seat bones positively grind into his back. When I released the holding in my lower legs to just a "breathing contact" and allowed myself to feel softer in the hips, my back could stay straight, my chest opened, my seat started feeling like it was floating up over his back and the up and down movement in his back was really exaggerated.
It also makes me wonder if I've been squashing/grinding his back in walk and canter as well. So I plan to play with it and see what happens.
Hope this is helpful.
This is helpful!! I have been realizing that my sitting trot is getting more correct as Emi's trot improves (or is it vice versa). I may have been less of a wiggler in the past, but I think I was a "squasher." I'm having trouble explaining it, too, but it's like some parts of me are more still while other parts are more fluid in movement. I also get the feeling more often of being "sucked into" the seat during trot. When I have this feeling, it is very easy to be fully upright with shoulders down the back.
) photos:
) All in all, it was a huge undertaking, but I'm incredibly happy for her. The atmosphere is quiet and all the horses have settled remarkably well and lessons have already resumed. She'll need to add the farm to her website once she has the tackroom completed, but I'm so excited for this next chapter.
He did it so smoothly and so quickly that I swear I never moved. That's when you know your horse is truly "on the aids." 
