Jane Savoie's Page

Can you tell if your riding position is straight and centered on your horse? Or are you collapsing at your waist and sitting crookedly?

Ask a ground person to stand behind your horse.

1. Is your seat in the center of the dressage saddle so that each se

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I think the main reason riders lean to the outside in half pass is that they use too much outside leg to push their horses sideways. So here are 3 quick tips to help you sit in the direction of movement.

1. Pretend there’s a seam running down the middle of your saddle from pommel to cantle. Then visualize yourself moving your outside seatbone onto that center seam so you don’t get left behind.

2. Think about actually taking a “step down into the inside iron” as you start the half pass.

3. Rem… Continue

Remember that dressage simply means “Training”. You don’t need to work in a regulation dressage arena to “do” dressage. Every second you’re on your horse, you’re either training or “untraining”! So you’re always doing dressage no matter what kind of horse you have or what style of riding you’re doing.

Think about how you can continue to train your horse yet add some fun and variety to his life.

Carla Varasso writes: My friends and I, who like to hilltop with the local hunt club, use the phr… Continue

I have been giving a bunch of seat and leg position riding lessons lately, and we’ve discovered some interesting things about the correlation of the pelvis, lower leg, and losing your stirrups.

Does this ever happen to you?

Do you lose your stirrups in the sitting trot?
Does your horse slow down in the sitting trot or when you work without stirrups?
Does your knee come out over the front of the saddle when you’re in the sitting trot or canter?
Does it seem that the more you use your leg, the s… Continue

I am very good at catching things. I mean VERY good at it! It makes me feel good to snag flying tennis balls out of the air.

I’ve been swimming a lot too. I wasn’t sure I could swim at first, but I took a chance and leaped into the water. I found out quickly that I’m a good swimmer! Some things you’re naturally good at. Some things you have to work at.

Either way, doing something really well is very good for your inner being.

What would you like to do well? What would it take for you to give… Continue