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Seat & Hips

Seat depth, hip mobility, sitting trot, and moving with the horse.

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For riders thinking

“I can't sit deep.”
“My hips feel tight.”
“My seat feels braced.”
“I bounce in sitting trot.”
“I struggle to move with my horse.”

A tight or unsettled seat is not always solved by stretching more. Often the body also needs support, control, and usable movement so the pelvis can follow the horse without gripping or bracing.

This often connects to

hip freedom · pelvis control · adductor tension · seat bones · lower back support · sitting trot · moving with the horse

Explore Hip Suppleness

Seat & Hips articles

59 articles found

Strength & FitnessSeat & HipsBalance & Core

Why Riders Need Strong Glutes (And Why Weak Glutes Change Everything In The Saddle)

There’s a certain feeling riders are always trying to create.

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Seat & Hips

Why You Can’t Sit Deep (Even When You’re Doing Everything Right)

That feeling of almost… There’s a stage in riding that’s hard to explain, but easy to recognise when you’re in it.

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Balance & CorePosture & AlignmentStrength & FitnessSeat & Hips

Why Your Hands Aren’t Steady (And Why It’s Not About Your Hands)

There’s a moment most riders notice. Your hands don’t feel as steady as you’d like.

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Balance & CoreSeat & Hips

Why Your Legs Won’t Stay Still (And What They’re Trying to Tell You)

There’s a moment many riders recognise. You’re trying to keep your legs long and still…but they don’t quite stay there.

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Seat & HipsPosture & AlignmentBalance & Core

Why You Feel Crooked in the Saddle (Even When You’re Sitting Straight)

There’s a quiet frustration many riders carry.

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Seat & HipsBalance & CoreStrength & Fitness

Why You Bounce in Sitting Trot (And What Your Body Is Really Trying to Tell You)

There’s a moment every rider knows. You ask for sitting trot… and instead of feeling connected, you feel like you’re being gently — or sometimes not so gently — bounced out of the

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Seat & HipsBalance & Core

5 Signs Your Hips Are Closing in the Saddle (And What It Means)

When riders talk about having “tight hips,” what they’re often feeling is something slightly different.

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Seat & HipsBalance & Core

Why Riders Have Tight Hips (And What Actually Helps)

Discover why dressage riders have tight hips and what you can do to create more freedom and support in the saddle.

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Seat & HipsBalance & Core

Your Hips Are Listening to Your Nervous System

Why Riders Often Feel Tight — and What’s Really Happening One of the things riders rarely realise is this: Your hips are constantly listening to your nervous system.

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Seat & Hips

Train Your Seat: Why Glutes Matter More Than You Think

When we think about riding posture, it’s easy to focus on our core or upper body — shoulders back, sit tall, engage your abdominals… But there’s a powerhouse working quietly behind

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Strength & FitnessBalance & CoreDressage BasicsSeat & Hips

Why Strength Training Is the Missing Piece for Dressage Riders Over 40

If you’re a dressage rider over 40, chances are you’ve been told to stretch more, do more core work, or simply “ride more” to get stronger in the saddle.

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Seat & HipsBalance & CoreStrength & Fitness

Why Your Legs Slide Forward in the Saddle & How to Fix It for a Balanced Seat

Learn why your legs slide forward in the saddle and how to fix it so you have a more balanced and stable seat in the saddle.

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Seat & HipsStrength & FitnessBalance & Core

Struggling to Swing Your Leg Over When Mounting? Here’s How to Fix It!

Learn what's limiting you and how to fix so that mounting your horse becomes easier and much smoother every time you ride.

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Seat & Hips

Your Hamstrings And How They Affect Your Position In the Saddle

Why do dressage riders have tight hamstrings? Learn why and get stretches to improve your hamstrings today to help overall hip suppleness.

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Seat & HipsBalance & CorePosture & Alignment

Understanding your pelvis and how it relates to riding balanced and soft

Learn how to create a soft independent seat in the saddle by learning more about the structure and balance of your pelvis Everything in riding is about balance, working with gravit

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Seat & HipsBalance & CorePosture & AlignmentStrength & Fitness

Learn about your deep six and why they matter for dressage

Discover your deep six muscles and why they are important to understand as riders.

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Balance & CoreSeat & HipsPosture & Alignment

The Corset Of Your Abdominals : Your TVA

The Corset Of Your Abdominals : Your TVA, learn its role in your dressage position and how you can begin to strengthen it today.

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Seat & HipsBalance & CorePosture & Alignment

8 Key Muscles Involved When We Ride

Learn what muscles horseback riding uses and discover the key muscles involved for creating a good dressage rider posture and how to improve.

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Strength & FitnessBalance & CoreSeat & HipsPosture & Alignment

Strength Building For Equestrians

Learn all about strength building for equestrians. Get workout ideas and discover the best sort of training to do as a rider.

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Posture & AlignmentSeat & Hips

Sit better, sit different, sit less

Understanding how your body adapts to your environment is a fundamental element in helping you improve your position in the saddle, and maintaining the overall health and longevity

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Posture & AlignmentSeat & Hips

Lower Cross Syndrome In Dressage Riders

Learn about lower cross syndrome and how this can affect your position in the saddle. Discover exercises you can do today to help.

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Seat & HipsPosture & Alignment

Flexor Chain Stretches For Dressage Riders

Here are 14 stretches for dressage riders to help improve overall posture by focusing on their flexor chain to help lengthen their body.

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Strength & FitnessBalance & CoreSeat & Hips

Glute Strengthening Exercises For Dressage Riders

Here are a selection of glute strengthening exercises for dressage riders to help strengthening and improve your seat while riding.

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Seat & Hips

Yoga For Dressage Riders - Improve Your Hip Mobility And Suppleness

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Seat & HipsPosture & Alignment

Yoga For Dressage Riders - 5 Minute Warm Up Routine To Help Your Riding

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Seat & HipsPosture & Alignment

Yoga For Dressage Riders - 5 minute Routine To Help Loosen You Up Before You Ride

Here is a great 5 minute yoga routine for you to try.

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Posture & AlignmentSeat & Hips

Beginners Yoga For Dressage Riders : 2 - Improve Your Riding Posture And Loosen Up Your Spine

This beginners yoga is a routine to help improve your posture.

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Seat & Hips

Beginners Yoga For Dressage Riders : 1 - Open Up Your Hips And Release Your Lower Back

This beginners yoga for dressage riders is designed to help open up your hips and loosen your lower back so that you can create that nice deep seat in the saddle.

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Seat & Hips

Improving Your Dressage Mobility With Full FREE Video Routine

Maintaining a healthy range of movement throughout our entire body is one of the key’s to aging well.

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Seat & Hips

5 Stretches That Every Dressage Rider Should Do

Dressage Stretches that every rider should do. Improve suppleness and mobility in the saddle to help you move freely with your horse.

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Posture & AlignmentSeat & HipsDressage BasicsBalance & Core

How To Improve Your Dressage Position

Here I explain how you can improve your dressage position and give you insights as to how it should feel when you are both in and out of the saddle.

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Strength & FitnessPosture & AlignmentBalance & CoreSeat & Hips

6 Dressage Exercises To Help Improve Your Riding Posture

Here are my top 6 dressage exercises that you can do at home to help improve your position and posture in the saddle. Including step by step video to follow

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Seat & HipsPosture & Alignment

5 Stretches To Help You Lengthen Your Leg For Dressage

Here are 5 dressage leg stretches to help improve the length and position of your legs in the saddle. Gain a deeper seat and improve alignment.

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Strength & FitnessBalance & CorePosture & AlignmentSeat & Hips

Pilates For Equestrian Athletes And How It Can Improve Your Dressage Posture

Why pilates for equestrian athletes can improve your core and overall stability in the saddle. A must for dressage riders. Including exercises you can try.

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Strength & FitnessSeat & HipsBalance & Core

Mounting Exercises To Help Improve Getting On The Horse

Flexibility is crucial to making mounting your horse much easier.

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Posture & AlignmentSeat & Hips

Stretches For Riders With Tight Shoulders And Upper Back

Here is a series of stretches to help improve tight shoulders and upper back in riders.

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Seat & HipsStrength & Fitness

Soothing Stretches To Help Improve Sciatica In Riders

Sciatica can be common in horse riders. This article will show you stretches to reduce your sciatica pain for good.

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Seat & HipsStrength & Fitness

Yoga For Dressage Riders - Routine To Improve Your Mobility Before You Ride

Yoga is a really powerful tool to help you become more supple in the saddle.

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Seat & HipsStrength & Fitness

Stretches To Help With Hip Mobility In Dressage Riders

Hip mobility in dressage is a crucial element to creating a deep seat. Here are some great mobility routines you can start today.

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Seat & HipsStrength & Fitness

How To Stretch Your Piriformis & Why It’s Important For Dressage Riders

Learn how to stretch piriformis, where it is and why it is an important area for dressage riders to keep healthy. With a step by step guide to stretching.

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Seat & HipsPosture & Alignment

12 Stretches to Release Lower Back and Hip Pain In Riders

Try these rider back stretches to relieve lower back and hip pain in riders with a specific target to dressage riders. Video breakdown.

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Balance & CoreSeat & Hips

Finding Your Centre Of Gravity

When it comes to dressage one of the aims is about improving the balance of the horse.

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Seat & HipsStrength & Fitness

Improve Hip Mobility With These 6 Stretches

Here are six hip stretches for horse riders with a focus on dressage. Improve your mobility and suppleness so you can feel morse stable in the saddle.

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Seat & HipsPosture & Alignment

What Is Foam Roller And How Can It Help My Dressage ( Plus 8 Ways To Use It)

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Seat & Hips

How to Create a Quiet Seat in Dressage?

How to create a quiet seat in Dressage? In order to create a quiet seat it requires strength of your core, flexibility of your spine and proper balance. It is a balance between strength and relaxation.

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Posture & AlignmentStrength & FitnessDressage BasicsSeat & Hips

Dressage Position – What Is Alignment And Why Is It Important

Dressage position – what is alignment and why is it important to understand as dressage riders. Get the exercises to improve yours today

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Strength & FitnessSeat & HipsDressage BasicsPosture & Alignment

Exercises To Keep Your Heels Down

Ever since being a little girl bouncing around on my welsh pony "Smokey" at pony club, the words heels down have been drummed into my ears as I am sure you can relate.

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Seat & Hips

How To Keep Your Hips Healthy And Mobile As A Dressage Rider

Part of being a good rider is having mobile hips.

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Balance & CorePosture & AlignmentSeat & Hips

How The Office Chair Affects Your Core Strength

I’m sure you’ve experienced the feeling of tight shoulders, lower back pain and stiff hips after sitting for a period of time at your desk.

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Strength & FitnessBalance & CorePosture & AlignmentSeat & Hips

How Mobility And Yoga Can Help Your Riding

When you’re in your twenties, it seems you can go a 110 percent at the gym, a charity run, or a boot camp with ease.

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Posture & AlignmentSeat & Hips

Dressage Exercises For Toe Position And Correct Leg Alignment In Saddle

Here are some great dressage exercises for toe position when you are in the saddle. Improve how your leg sits by adding these exercises to your regime.

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Balance & CoreStrength & FitnessSeat & Hips

Using A Balance Ball To Improve Your Seat In Dressage

Establishing balanced seat bones and a strong core is vital for dressage riders to move freely with their horse.

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Seat & HipsBalance & CorePosture & AlignmentDressage Basics

How To Relax When Riding

I dislike like the word relax when it comes to riding and being around horses, because the truth is they are a natural flight response horse.

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Seat & HipsBalance & CoreDressage Basics

Why Do You Bounce

Today I wanted to carry on talking about sitting trot and provide you with some more information on how to improve it.

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Seat & HipsBalance & CorePosture & AlignmentDressage Basics

How to Improve Your Sitting Trot For Dressage

Do you find sitting trot hard work? Discover how you can improve your sitting trot so it becomes effortless and soft for your horse's back.

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Seat & Hips

How The Psoas Affects Your Pelvis Stability

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Seat & Hips

The Role Of The Psoas Muscle In Dressage Riders

As we progress our dressage posture and balance its important to get a good understanding of what muscles can really impact your riding.

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Seat & HipsStrength & FitnessPosture & Alignment

The Best Stretches For Dressage Riders (In Less Than 5 Minutes)

Here is a selection of the best stretches for dressage riders to help loosen them up before a ride. Do this as a routine and notice the change.

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Posture & AlignmentBalance & CoreStrength & FitnessSeat & Hips

5 Yoga Poses To Improve Your Dressage

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