Ten riders each day all levels, Catherine brought her A game! Personally ive been riding Dressage for only 7 years, but I have struggled and struggled with developing my seat, I tend to be VERY stiff. For two days, we worked on my seat. That’s it. That was worth it. Was it that she did something revolutionary….no, but she did make some hugely effective changes that I can visually see and feel that makes my seat completely different, comfortable and rideable. My horse loves me for it too. My own stiffness was causing him to be stiff too. How can he move freely if Im not moving freely with him? He cannot. I hate to simplify it as im about to do, but this is what sticks in my mind and gets me to continue to ride as she taught me:

• Allow my leg to hang in a more forward position, meaning, dont think thigh hanging straight down from hip, think bent thigh forward into bend knee and lower calf straight down, NOT BENT BACK, to create the ear, elbow, heel alignment. Catherine’s view is that this is not natural and actually hurts the body and does not allow your hips and pelvis to swing.
• DONT push your heels down, to relearn, think toes down, YES TOES DOWN, it honestly is what allows my leg to relax and not grip….ultimately you want your foot to rest relaxed and flat on the stirrup bar, slight pressure on the ball of the foot, but, thinking heel down, or toe up, made my leg have tension….try this and you will see!
• Get rid of the vision of the GP dressage rider who sits elegant, still and silent. Think “It’s ok for me to bounce a little with the swing of my horses movement, forward and back, not up and down. It’s ok for my relaxed thigh to occassionally lift upward, like an Indian, its all ok. Focus on the tucked seatbone and visualize your large western belt buckle moving up and down, which will happen if your swinging your pelvis forward and back.
• And if your really serious and want to commit to getting a decent seat finally….ride without stirrups 100% of the time! ( for at least a month, PERIOD) I am

The last thing I want to mention is the saddle. Most of our saddles these days have thigh blocks or knee rolls that make it hard for us to sit naturally, as mentioned above, with the knee more bent and forward. They are made to give us that straight thigh, long leg look. Catherine uses a Stubben, with zero roll or block. I rode in it for two days and it was REALLY hard, but it allowed me to sit correctly, comfortably and made me have balance (otherwise I would have fallen right off) and learn to RIDE!

Anyone with hip, leg or back problems, should REALLY try this…I have a femoral necrosis from a femur break and lose all feeling in my leg when in the super straight thigh position and this has made a HUGE difference for me. Im using my saddle that does has some thigh block but its forward enough that I can bend my knee and thigh and replicate the feel as much as possible.

One more thing…..the horses moved SO MUCH BETTER, when the riders could MOVE with them….something to think about!