Tips for a Correct Dressage Position

Your rider position is the only thing that you can control on your horse, and the better it is the better you ride! This video takes you through some of the bedrocks of mastering a good position.

#DressagePosition #CorrectDressagePosition #RiderPosition

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Tips for a Correct Dressage Position

We spend so much time trying to get things right with our horses, and wondering why we’re not getting the results we want from the aids we’re giving. The one thing that has the greatest impact on the effectiveness of our riding is our position! It sounds so simple, but if the position is correct, everything else becomes so much easier to implement. When our weight is distributed in a balanced and harmonious way, we can communicate the aids in a manner that our horse respects and appreciates! But getting everything in the right place at the right time is easier said than done!

This video takes you through some tips that help me to get the correct dressage position from the get-go!

SEAT: Firstly, I think about my pelvis. You don’t want it to have an anterior or posterior tilt, it needs to be neutral with both sit bones pointing down into the saddle.

LEGS: I often feel my toes and knees relax and start pointing out and away from the saddle. This is obviously wrong and we need the toes pointing forward and the knees into the saddle. In order to get the toes forward you’ve got to rotate from the hip inwards. Pull the thigh back and rotate the knee in and that automatically pulls the toes forward. This allows the upper thigh to support the seat.

UPPER BODY: We should sit tall in the saddle with the shoulder blades down and back. One great shoulder opening stretch is to hold the cantle of your saddle with the left hand and then turn your head to look the opposite direction. Repeat on the other side.

ARMS: You need a little bend in the elbows. In order to prevent reins from slipping through the hands but without bracing your arms, you need to push your thumb down on top of your pointer finger and that action is what holds the reins! Your wrist and ring finger should be flexible to communicate with your horse.

Have a look at the video where I go through these in more detail and let me know if you find them helpful in the comments!

Thanks for watching and happy riding!