Western Seat Basics

Certified Horsemanship Association instructors teach you to sit right.

• Hands and Arms: Elbows are relaxed and close to the sides. Traditionally, reins are held in the left hand, with the rein hand above and just in front of the pommel.The right hand is loose on the right thigh or across your midsection.

Your position in the saddle influences the horse's way of going, which is especially significant in western pleasure classes.  

• Head: The head is level, eyes looking ahead.

• Shoulders: Both shoulders are square, relaxed and even. Be careful that the left shoulder doesn’t move higher than the right or twist forward as a result of holding the reins in the left hand.

• Back: The upper back should be flat, sitting tall in the saddle. The lower back should be relaxed and flexing with the horse’s movements.

• Lower Body: Sit deep in the center of the seat of the saddle, not back on the cantle. Keep your hip in line with your shoulder and the back of your heel.

• Legs and Feet: Stirrup length is important. When standing up in the stirrups with your heels lower than your toes and your knees slightly bent, there should be a space about 2 1/2 to 3 inches (a hand’s width) between the buttocks and the saddle.  The knees and thighs are rolled in so that the flat part of the knee is against the saddle. There is light contact with the horse on the inside of the calves. Ankles are flexed so the heels are lower than the toes. Only the balls of the feet are in the stirrups.