Ekidemy

• Balance 1

  Sitting

  Your weight rests in the saddle. Your upper body is tall, your legs long and relaxed, your pelvis following the movement of the gait.

• Balance 2

  Light seat, on the stirrups

  Your seat leaves the saddle, your weight drops into the stirrups and your heels. Hips, knees and ankles bend to absorb the movement; the upper body tilts forward, the hands rest on the neck. The stirrup leathers stay vertical: your feet are underneath you.

Sitting trot

• Start with a slow trot, nice and regular, for a few strides only.
• Sit up tall and bring your upper body slightly back; let your legs hang long and relaxed: gripping with your knees makes you bounce.
• Let your lower back and pelvis follow the movement, softly, at every stride — and breathe.
• If you bounce, slow down or go back to rising trot, then try again. A hand on the pommel can help you stay in the saddle.

Sitting to the canter

The canter rocks the rider from back to front. At every stride, your pelvis sweeps the saddle forward, in a big, supple movement. Keep your upper body tall, leaning neither forward nor back, your legs in contact and your hands following the horse’s head, which moves forward and back at every stride. In the test course you are asked to sit to the canter for at least 10 metres.

Moving from one to the other

• Into the light seat: gradually put weight into the stirrups and bring your shoulders forward until your seat leaves the saddle, hands resting on the neck or holding a handful of mane.
• Back to sitting: bring your upper body up little by little and lower yourself gently into the saddle, without flopping down.
• Practise at walk, then at trot and canter, when asked or at set markers: for example, sitting along the short sides and in a light seat down the long sides.