Clagett HorseSports

Balanced Seat riding is what it sounds like: A way of riding which allows you to stay and work in balance and harmony with your horse.  It is the all-purpose base for all types of riding.  Being out of balance hinders performance, creates miscommunication, leads to health problems with your body and your horse's, and is less safe-- all of which matters whether you are riding trails, participating in historical re-enactments or embarking on a professional career with horses.  Riders need to attain a basic level of fitness to stay in balance with the horse as the horse moves and, as a rider's skill develops, to influence the movement of the horse through the use of the rider's body in a synergistic and more effortless way.  If you are wobbly or crooked in the saddle, not only are you less secure, but you are sending your horse mixed signals.  Some horses tune the extra static out; others do not and will react as they determine best in varying degrees of what you did not intend.  Secondly, saddle design and fit have a great influence on a rider's position.  If the saddle does not sit level on the horse's back, and/or the saddle design does not allow the rider to sit centered in the deepest part of the seat with their feet under their body, the rider will be constantly struggling with their balance-- either ahead of the horse's movement and overweighting the horse's forehand, or behind the horse's movement and interfering with the horse's back.  You can find properly balanced saddles in both English and Western styles. That said, even with a well fitting, correctly balanced saddle, a rider still must learn to move together with their horse and master body control to effectively communicate with them and progress.  Acquiring a balanced seat is a systematic process similar to the horse's basic training and, as with horses, the element of enjoyment must be preserved throughout. Dedication and work ethic must never become confused with force and unrelenting grind. Fortunately, versatility and balanced seat go hand-in-hand.  One day you are schooling flat work, another jumping, another trails, another obstacles and ground poles, and so on; a journey that creates a well-rounded rider and horse with the foundation to try new things or enjoy further what they already do.   For more information on Balanced Seat services, please click the Balanced Seat Services button below or use the sub-tabs under the Services tab on the top menu bar.