How I fixed my alignment*

Long LONG-time blog readers may remember I used to look this this in the saddle:

*Please excuse lack of helmet photos. They were around 2006-2007, before I got wise
and started wearing one every single ride. I was dumb. I realize.

And this:

I think this was 2008. Ha - approved helmets not even required yet!

I didn't even start seriously riding dressage until about 2003. I started lessons with JK, with basically a hunter seat, no core and piano hands.

A hunter seat isn't WRONG, it's just different. Definitely not effective for the sport of dressage. I had started with saddleseat as a kid, then switched to hunter/jumpers through college and finally committed to dressage.

Basically, I had/have some bad habits from a plethora of disciplines! Sweet!

I started taking regular lessons with JK, who started to mold me into a better dressage rider very very slowly. My shoulders started to come back, my hands came up and I started to develop a core. A wee bit of one. I also started riding in an actual dressage saddle which helped tremendously.

T-Bone. My position starts to get better. My leg is longer, but I'm still weak in the core and unable to truly get
my horse to connect over the back.

The evolution of my position is interesting to me. There hasn't been one day where I was like "Oh duh!" and started sitting better. It has been YEARS of work, tweaking, studying and mental imagery.

But, there was one clinic in particular that really changed how I sat on a horse. That was Jeff Ashton Moore. I was riding my Morgan, T-Bone. He was young, and both of us were stupid.

He had me lift both knees and thighs off the saddle and hold them there. So that your seat bones "plug in" to the saddle. I dropped my stirrups and did this over and over and over at the walk, trot AND canter. (Would not recommend on a squirrely horse). Which I am sure most people are aware of this exercise. But he had me do it over and over and over.

Then I would do this every time I rode.

Riding Marshall. This was after the J. Ashton Moore clinic. You can see I am learning to tuck my tail bone now, and
not jam my heels down so badly. I am still sticking my chin out, but alignment over all is better.

And slowly, my seat got a little better. A little heavier. A little more effective.

After I sold T-Bone, and got Hampton, I took about a year off from seriously working on my position because when you are riding a 3 year old and breaking one, the proper position does not matter so much. Mostly you just need to stay on and steer.

Even though I am sloppy here, my overall alignment is STILL better than it was.
(fall 2009, Hampton's first trot under saddle)

And through training Hampton through the levels, I have learned that you EARN this position. And I am not perfect BY FAR, but far improved from where I started or even just 10 years ago.

JJ Tate had the great words of "Anchor yourself down in that saddle." That really struck a chord with me. Not only to anchor, but connect to the horse with your butt, core and to the bridle.

A couple years later (2012), My seat is more solid, but my shoulders are
unplugged.

Recently I've started to take pilates classes, because my shoulders come "unlocked" in the saddle constantly. I am becoming more aware of when I need to plug them back in, so I use my core more honestly. And not my lower back. I also need to leg my legs drop down, instead of pulling my knees up and/or gripping with my knee.

First/Second level. I start to realize this kind of work isn't going to happen unless I
learn to use my body better. I am slouchy, weak in the core.
And my horse reflects that.

Oh hey I start to get a little strong.
My horse reflects that also.

And be straighter in my torso #collapsesleftallthetime

It's a never ending pursuit of perfection. And body awareness.

If you make just a little improvement each day, then after 30 days look what you have accomplished! That goes for horse and rider. Just inch by inch.

Lessons, lessons, lessons. I carry my hands better, my core is starting to stabilize.
(Apparently I lose my head, too. har dee har)

Keep working, keep building those blocks.

And that is the story of how I learned to put my bum in the saddle.

What a difference from the first photo to this one!
Inch by inch!
(2018)

*And by fix I mean improve. It's not perfect. I'm no Charlotte! :)