by Ginny Creed

Now, you don't have to retreat to the gymnasium to strengthen your legs. There is no need to develop "thunder thighs" just to make your horse move into second gear. The idea is to have the horse going forward without obvious effort on the part of the rider. The rider should not appear to work harder than the horse.

The correct use of the legs is largely dependent on the correct seat. Without a relaxed and balanced seat, independent of hands and legs, the rider will not be able to correctly influence the horse. We all understand the importance of not hanging on with the reins , you can't steer while applying the hand brake!

The same applied to the legs. The rider must be able to sit on the horse without gripping. Unless the legs are free to move, the rider will be unable to apply the correct aids. This becomes more important as the training progresses. For example, in the lateral work (shoulder-in, half pass) the legs must be free to move, firstly to create the sideways movement and then to keep and maintain the bend. Ultimately in flying changes every stride, the rider's legs must move to give a new aid every stride. This requires not only the ability to move the legs, but also the rider must have absolute control. A bump in the ribs at the wrong time, or too much pressure or too little pressure can confuse the horse and spell disaster in a dressage test.

The best way to develop this seat, which is independent of both hands and legs, is to avail yourself of a lunge horse. You can either find a friend to lunge you on your horse, or if your horse is unsuitable, find an instructor who has a horse on which you can have a lunge lesson. Remember, correct lunging should benefit you horse as much as you.

The idea of working on the lunge is to have a horse that will go willingly and calmly forward, so the rider can concentrate on his/her position, without having to control the horse.

The basis of the correct seat is balance and balance cannot be achieved without relaxation. To this end, we do exercises, firstly at the halt, then at the walk, trot and canter. The exercises stretch and contract the muscles of the legs and the body and by moving around we learn to relax in the saddle. Take these exercises slowly at first.

There cannot be relaxation if the exercises cause tension. This usually results from apprehension , sometimes fear , on the rider's part.

The exercises must be introduced gradually so the rider at all times feels confident with the horse and the instructor. If the rider is tense, the muscles in the body and legs will also be tense and will not allow the rider's weight to drop down into the lowest part of the saddle.

The correct position

We want a rider who is sitting in the correct position, upright; a straight vertical line through the shoulders, hip and heel; heels slightly lower than the toe; and a relaxed deep seat and soft swinging lower back. The hips should be slightly forward with the bottom tucked under a little. The hands, via the reins, are steady but giving on the horse's mouth, the wrists and elbows a soft shock absorber between the rider's body and the bit. The legs softly contact the horse's side, with no grip or tension which would push the seat up out of the saddle.

Now we have the correct seat, we must work on getting the message through to our equine friend. The most important thing to remember is that the legs do not just work on their own. Every action with the legs has to be supported with the legs has to be supported with the seat and back and the result of the forward movement has to be controlled by the hands. Likewise every action of the reins has to be supported one way or another by the seat and legs. It is vitally important to develop not only a balanced independent seat, but also a rider who has absolute control of the body.

There are basically two kinds of horse , ones that want to go but are reluctant to stop (the average ex-race horse) and ones that won't go at all. There are, of course, many variations between these two extremes, not to mention some horses who like to vary their repertoire and go from one extreme to the other!

The importance of a correct seat and absolute control over the legs is even more relevant when riding a sensitive Thoroughbred. If the rider grips with the legs, the horse takes off. The rider pulls the reins, the horse throws its head up. The rider gets a fright, hangs on harder and we have a disaster on our hands.

This is an extreme example, but it emphasises the fact it is vital for the rider to maintain a steady and sensitive contact with the legs as well as the hands. The horse must learn (through riding quiet transitions first from halt to walk and back to halt, then walk to trot and walk) to go quietly forward from gentle pressure of the legs into a quiet restraining hand. The voice must not be underestimated. A soothing word here or there can sometimes calm a wayward horse, as can a pat on the neck.

The other extreme, our reluctant friend, requires a different approach. The horse must go forward willingly before we can begin to understand the subtleties of dressage , not to mention the invisible leg aids. If the horse will not go forward from a squeeze with the lower leg, first make sure your seat is deep in the saddle and you are using your weight to back up your legs. Don't lean forward as your bottom will come out of the saddle and you will lose half your pushing power.

If this is still to no avail we have to bring in the heavy artillery. At the same time as you engage your seat and close your legs, apply a sharp tap with a dressage whip just behind your lower leg. Most horses will respond, so long as you combine it with your seat and legs.

If the horse is still sluggish, spurs may be considered, but only as a last resort. Too many people use spurs without first having sufficient control of their legs, so instead of making the horse go forward, they end up making it oblivious to the constant tapping of the spur. The spurs should be used once, firmly and when the horse goes forward the legs should remain still.

Reward and punishment

The idea of punishment and reward applies well here. If the horse does not go forward he will receive a tap with the whip as well as the usual seat and leg aids. If he goes forward from the leg alone he will not be punished. A kind word and a pat on the neck will reinforce this lesson.

Practising lots of transitions and varying the work to make sure the horse is not getting bored is a good way of sharpening up his reflexes and keeping his attention. Usually it is just a matter of convincing the horse it is a good idea to do as it is told. If your requests are clear and within the horse's capabilities, you horse should be happy to oblige.

It takes years to build a partnership in which the horse appears to do what is required without any obvious effort from the rider. Only with careful, intelligent work can horse and rider hope to finish with a happy partnership.

Once you know the joy of riding a horse that is happily "tuned in" to your requirements, you'll never wish to ride in any other way.