Q: I’m worried that I’m not balanced in the saddle and that this is affecting my horse’s way of going, but how do I know if this is the case?
A: The best place to start when addressing any concerns about your riding is with a good coach, who can help you from the ground and spot things that you might not be able to feel from the saddle. A good coach will be able to identify and correct any weaknesses and give you exercises to do either on or off the horse to improve the situation.
Another option is to ask a friend to video you from the ground so you can see whether you are sitting straight. Ideally, you should watch the video in slow motion so that you can see the differences in weight distribution that are hard to see at full speed. For instance, you may notice that you put more weight in one stirrup or that you lean slightly more to one side than the other.
Finally, you can watch your horse move on the lunge. If he moves more symmetrically on the lunge than under the saddle, it could be that you, or the fit of your saddle or bit, are causing the issues you are experiencing.
Signs that imbalance may be an issue for you:
- Uneven wear in the stirrup leathers
- Differences in the lengths of your stirrups
- Uneven wear patterns on your gloves
- Uneven wear patterns on your jodhpurs
- Hair loss under the saddle or on one side of your horse’s body relative to the other