The “Holding Seat”

There is another riding habit that appears remarkably often in dressage: the rider who is constantly holding the horse. The hands gradually become the primary tool for controlling the movement, and from the outside, this may even look like good control. Biomechanically, however, something far more significant is taking place.

When the rider continually holds with the reins, the horse is no longer free to organise its own balance. The neck begins to stiffen, the back loses its natural oscillation, and the energy generated by the hindquarters can no longer travel freely through the body.

The horse then responds in ways that are both common and predictable. The poll becomes tight, the neck shortens, the back grows rigid, and although the hind legs continue to push, they can no longer carry the horse's weight effectively. The rider feels the horse becoming heavier in the hand and instinctively responds by holding even more.

A cycle begins.

The more the rider holds, the less the horse is able to carry itself.

The less the horse carries itself, the more the rider feels the need to hold.

But true dressage has never been about holding the horse together. Its purpose is to educate a body that is capable of carrying itself. The rider's hands should organise the conversation, not imprison the movement. They should clarify, refine and communicate, but they should never become a substitute for the horse's own balance.

When the horse genuinely learns to carry itself, something remarkable happens.

The rider no longer needs to hold.

The horse holds its own balance.

Many of these problems exist simply because nobody has ever explained how the rider's seat and hands are meant to work together. This is exactly what I explain, step by step, in The Young Rider's Manual. My aim is not simply to teach riders where to place their hands, but to help them understand how the seat and the contact function as a single system that supports the horse rather than restricts 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.