The “Driving Seat”

There is another riding habit that appears frequently in modern dressage: the rider who is constantly driving. Instead of allowing the horse to organise and carry its own balance, the rider pushes continuously with the seat and legs in almost every stride. From the outside, this may look energetic, active or even powerful. Biomechanically, however, it creates a very different picture.

When the rider constantly drives with the seat, the pelvis gradually loses its ability to follow the horse's back's natural oscillation. Instead of receiving the movement, the rider begins to push into it. As a result, the horse no longer organises its movement from the hindquarters but starts reacting to the pressure coming from above.

The consequences are both common and predictable. The rhythm becomes quicker, the steps lose their elasticity, and the horse begins to run rather than carry itself. What may appear to be impulsion is often nothing more than increased speed without improved balance.

This is because impulsion is never created by constant pressure. True impulsion develops when the horse organises its own balance, engages the hindquarters and pushes from behind through a supple, elastic body.

A good seat does not drive the horse every stride. It follows the movement, allows the horse to find its own balance and intervenes only when necessary. The rider does not manufacture impulsion.

The rider allows it to emerge.

Because impulsion is created behind, not pushed from above.

Many of these problems exist simply because nobody has ever explained how the rider's seat actually works. This is exactly what I explain, step by step, in The Young Rider's Manual. My aim is not simply to teach riders how to ask the horse to go forward, but to develop a seat that supports balance, encourages self carriage, and helps the horse rather than blocking it.

If you would like to explore these principles in greater depth, discover:

The Young Rider's Manual

https://www.dressage-isaac.com/young-rider-s-manual/buy

The Professor at Home

https://www.dressage-isaac.com/q-a-consultations-with-isaac/buy

You can also follow my work on YouTube:

https://youtube.com/@isaacaresdressage

The eagle doesn't learn to fly by following the flock.

Isaac Ares

Classical Trainer. Independent Observer. Critical Voice. For the Horse. For the Truth. For the Art.