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Eventing rider Bianca Bagge: Find the courage when you need to jump in the terrain.
Tina Bjerre Nielsen
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Many riders use a stool when sitting up on the horse. This is to spare the back of the horse. This is in its own sense reasonable most of the time, but have you ever considered that it matters how you sit up when operating with a stool? It is all about how you place your weight. If you do it correctly the girth does not have to be very tight, and you can even practise this without a girth.
It all begins with a western rider. On Facebook the American Carson James has shared a video, where he illustrates how it is possible to get up in the horse without pulling in the horse’s back. Actually, he is so good that he does it without a girth strapped on the saddle. He can sit up on the horse both from the stool and ground. The same technique can all non-western riders consider when we are trying not to pull too much in the horse’s back.
Many followers have already watched the video, but if you have not seen it yet, you can do it right here before you continue reading.
If you get up as close to the horse as possible you can do it without pulling in the back of the horse or damaging the spinous process.
Carson James
Carson demonstrates that it makes a huge difference where you place your weight. It is all about using the correct technique – exactly as he shows in the video.
You can do the same by following these four steps:
A stool is not just a stool when it is about getting on your horse. The height does matter. The taller the stool the easier you can distribute the weight.
Even you get up very gentle it is almost impossible not to pull a bit in the horse. This pull does not effect the horse very much but the saddle and straps will become uneven. Therefore, it is a good idea to sit up both from the left and right side of the horse. You will probably be surprised how difficult it is to sit up from the “wrong” side.
