Hmm, no I haven't. Are you able to feel both seat bones at a halt? Or does this occur when you are riding? .

 

maybe one of your butt cheeks is thicker or maybe one of your legs is a tiny bit longer than the other? I dunno, just thinking. I feel both bones in trot and canter but when galopping I feel like I sit crooked but the feedback of othe riders is that I don't... I suspect one of my legs is a bit longer and I will have to actively watch my balance more!

 

My left leg is a tiny bit longer. It was corrected surgically when I was a kid but will always be slightly off. Perhaps my left leg is pushing me onto my right seat bone and I don’t realize it

 

I do understand what you're getting at. I am still able to "feel" both seat bones on the saddle at all times, but it often feels there is more pressure/contact on the right than on the left. Sometimes it feels as if I'm just imbalanced in my stirrups, but no amount of shifting my weight or readjusting my stirrup length does any good, and others say I don't look unbalanced, so I've just learned to ignore it and enjoy my ride! It doesn't seem to bother my horse any and it doesn't bother me any as long as I'm not actively thinking and fussing about it.

I had a trainer who would always say that all humans are one-sided, whether that be the left or the right, and that applies to the WHOLE body - not just hands - and it's a very good thing to try to balance yourself out and use both sides evenly as much as possible, but true evenness is rarely accomplished.

 

I’m noticing it as an issue since my horse doesn’t bend as well to the left as he does to the right, and we struggle with the left lead.
He is tricky with his left lead regardless of who is on him. This could be something I’ve inadvertently taught him due to me being weak. Maybe he taught it to me since my trainer has said he puts you on the wrong diagonal when he picks up the trot.
Tracking left he is always inclined to counter bend and carry his haunches in instead of straight with his head positioned to the outside.

 

Kind of the opposite, I felt my right seatbone more - and on top of that, felt the saddle contact under my right upper thigh but not the left - and wondered what that was about, until I went in for physical therapy for right SI joint problems, about 20 years ago. Lo and behold, found out during the assessment that my right side really did feel things different - apparently the bony changes affect the nerves in the region in such a way that when poked on my right butt the same as my left, it felt like a much firmer poke.

All of which is to say, it's probably a skeletal asymmetry (which would affect & be affected by muscle development). Have you had any reason to have physical therapy on your back or hips, or seen a chiropractor? If not, it's easy to be mostly oblivious of such things; if so, I'd have expected them to notice.

 

I’ve had numerous back injuries over the years. I don’t see a chiropractor but when I do I am sometimes imbalanced in my hips, but my main problem area is in the thoracic area.

 

Very good question.

I feel like most of us tend to 'lean' to one side. Like, when I'm driving, I find myself slouching more to the right. Putting more weight on my right seatbone.

When I ride, I tend to do the same. It can be hard to fight with yourself to 'fix' it, but I wouldn't stress too much but it is important to try to keep your own balance when riding. It helps!

Although It may just be that you are 'weaker' on one side (like horses can be!). Or you are just unbalanced, which isn't uncommon! We all seem to have a stronger/more dominant side.

 

I know for a fact I stretch my left stirrup leather out faster than my right. I think my unbalance is causing our issues tracking left and with the left lead canter. That or his imbalance is throwing me off. I haven’t been told I’m sitting crooked, so I think I’ve taught myself to ignore it to a degree. I’ve noticed I have a hard time keeping my outside leg back at the left lead canter too.

I especially notice it while trying to post, I always rise with the left shoulder no matter which direction unless I fix myself. I don’t have trouble keeping my balance at the trot, it’s getting the correct diagonal which seems tricky.

 

I always feel as tho I have less sensation at all gaits and even sitting in a chair. I thought perhaps it was due to me being inclined to collapse my right rib cage and round my right shoulder driving my seat bone into the horse. But I’ve fixed my upper body and still have the same problem.

I also always rise with the left front when we pick up the trot and then have to correct it when riding counterclockwise. I thought this was my habit, but the dressage trainer says it’s his own balance causing me to do this, he did the same thing when she rode him.

 

you may need to get a hip adjustment! I have a similar problem but it carries all the way up to my shoulders. My hips are so crooked that my whole body is misaligned.

 

It very well could be. Like, with my mare, she is weaker tracking to the right, so she tries to push my seat more towards the outside, so I have to put more weight on my right seatbone (while staying straight, hard to explain) & it helps keep her balanced.

It's definitely hard work! :lol: It's in the mind too, not just the body!

 

It very well could be. Like, with my mare, she is weaker tracking to the right, so she tries to push my seat more towards the outside, so I have to put more weight on my right seatbone (while staying straight, hard to explain) & it helps keep her balanced.

It's definitely hard work! <img style="max-width:100%;" src="http://www.horseforum.com/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Laughing" class="inlineimg" /> It's in the mind too, not just the body!

That’s what my trainer seemed to be describing. She was intentionally posting on the wrong diagonal to make it more challenging to do that.

 

I can feel my right seat bone better than the left, but I do have back problems and the right leg is shorter and also a bit scoliosis so all these things factor in. Plus several broken bones in the left leg.
I do tend to drop my left shoulder and kind of collapse my left rib cage (got to work on this). If you could get a video of riding it might help point out some weak points or habits.

\I also will sit on a stool, stool and put my legs into a riding position and try shifting my weight about trying to teach myself how sit sit straight and then put my weight on left and right seat bone, I practise this a bit so it will come easily when riding.

 

Sitting on a stool I feel both normally. I do feel like maybe my left side has more padding than the the right.

 

what happens when you ride bareback, or stirrupless?

 

I am ashamed to say I don’t do either of those faster than a walk. He knows when you’re vulnerable and drops his shoulder and spins.
I can’t say I notice a difference when I accidentally lose a stirrup, but honestly I’m more concerned with picking it back up than what I think my seat is doing. I don’t often lose my balance when I drop one, but if Hawk notices I have lost one he makes a sharp turn to try and dislodge me. The last time I tried to ride him bridleless he took full advantage and crow hopped around the ring with me until he decided to stop at the gate.
I sometimes manage to get someone to lunge us but often I’m at the barn alone.

 

What happens on a different horse? That's an easy way to pinpoint the source of the problem.

I see that you had quite a few problems with your back and that could definitely be the source of the issue. I had a similar problem - toes on my right leg are always turned out and my right leg isn't independent of my seat. When using my right leg, my whole body participates - all the way up to my shoulder.

So I went all out trying to find and fix the issue. Got an MRI of my lumbar region and went to a top neurosurgeon who specializes in that region. Only to be told: "Yes, you are built that way, get over it" My mum also remembered that I used to drag my right foot when I was first learning to walk. Nothing much to be done, other than letting new instructors know about it so they don't shout at me. All in all, it was a waste of time and money but at least I got a doctors note for my turned out toes.

 

I’ll hop on my friends mare tonight and find out! I don’t remember having as much of an issue on other horses, but I don’t think I was aware of this issue when I’ve ridden others.

 

If it seems like it doesn't happen on other horses, perhaps your horse is the one who needs the chiropractor visit! I knew a pony who would simply never pick up the left lead for years, but he wasn't lame. The owner figured it was just the way he was for a long time, but eventually got a chiropractor out. I can't remember what exactly was out of line, and after a few adjustments, he started picking up the left lead just fine, and then eventually was so even to both sides you never would have known his past direction issues.

 

I had this issue as well. A clinician had me drop my stirrups and ride without them it really helped. I also spent a few months riding in a bareback pad as my saddle was not fitting my mare. This made the biggest difference as the problems in my seat and weight distribution were really highlighted and obvious to me as soon as they occurred. Just working at the walk and gradually moving up to the trot will be very beneficial. Small evasions that the horse will give consistently are also easier to feel and catch before they happen.

 

In massage therapy were taught to have our client stand up straight, look at their hips and see if one is hiked up higher than the other. Most people have an unevenness to some degree but some have it more than others. Some may also notice They waddle when they walk a bit.

This can be corrected via massage, yoga, or by seeing a chiropractor.

 

I remember using the WII fitness board and finding my weight was hardly ever 50-50 balanced left to right.
I agree many of us are somewhat not balanced either through the rib cage (collapsed) or leg length. So many variables.
Some great discussion, too!