How To: Assume a correct horseback riding position

This is a video from the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA). See more at CHA-ahse.org and CHAInstructors.com. In this video, Brent Morgan, Christy Landwehr, and a horse named Phoenix show us the correct riding position. In the basic, safe riding position, what you're looking for is a line from the ear, through the shoulder, through the seam of the jeans, down through the heel. That is the correct riding position. As riders, we have a tendency to let our feet slide forward like we're put on the brakes. If you do that, you lean backwards, and that throws your weight backwards, which is bad. In the correct position, you should be able to stand up. If you have your feet forward and try and stand up, the tendency is to pull on the horse's mouth. You want to save that mouth, and put your legs back, and get that line, and then you'll have the correct position for the halt. For beginners, one excellent exercise for developing this seat is riding without stirrups. Your position should be the same with or without stirrups. See the video for more!