I've seen different riders do different things, but in equitation over fences classes and hunter over fences classes, is it better to sit in the saddle like this:
or
...or is it better to stand like this?:
My friend who competes often says that eq judges want you to sit, but I haven't seen many eq riders actually sitting.
It's called a half seat, and is often used in hunter so that the rider does not interfere with the horses movement underneath them. For hunter (on the horse) your half seta, and for equitation (on the rider) you should sit
^ agree, but the rider needs to know when it is necessary to sit and collect or half seat and lengthen. I was always told that hunters the judge wants to see more of the horses free movement with minimal rider interference while eq they want to see the riders position and seat. I always sit the trot as well in the eq o/f class.
That's a good question that I don't think there is an answer to. As mentioned above a half seat (or light seat) is the position hunters do on course because it allows a horse to move more freely. Some find that a deeper seat allows for more control/connection. i personally think a good rider should be equally effective in both a half seat and a full seat and able to switch between the two when needed. I wonder if eq riders who focus more on hunters are more comfortable in a half seat and the ones who do more jumpers ride in a fuller seat? Don't know! In general judges don't necessarily penalize for one or the other as long as your position is correct and you navigate your course effectively.
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