Light seat? hunt seat? new experience during lesson for adult beginner rider

[Whitehorsegirl]

I had my usual lesson as an adult beginner rider this afternoon and the instructor who I have done walking/trotting/cantering and trotting without stirrups with suggested we try a ''light seat' which she also called ''hunt seat'' (or is there a difference between the two)?

So off I went walking then trotting doing circles with my bum off the saddle and my torso pitching down. She suggested that would strengthen my legs.

I wonder is this used to prepare you for jumping? or is what people use when trail hunting?

There wasn't too much time to discuss this new style and my focus was on staying balanced but it really got me curious about what it is used for and what the benefits are for the horse. Until now I was told the idea was to seat as deep as you could in the saddle, keep a straight back and I have done my best to keep my backside firmly on the saddle when cantering :)...

Would appreciate any feedback on this and any advice/tips on how to get it right!

Is your instructor American? The reference to "hunt seat" sounds American, as in the way people showing in hunter classes in the US ride a full round of fences in what the BHS would call a half seat or light seat.

It is a useful exercise done correctly for improving the lower leg and your balance. It can also be used to work towards jumping or sometimes to help with the canter if you tend to bounce or struggle with the transition.

I knew an instructor who taught "hover" to save riding school ponies backs when beginners were learning to canter so it could be something like that. Best to talk to your instructor about what her aims were.

You're correct that it's keeping your bum
off the saddle and slightly leaning forward. I've never heard it being referred as a hunt seat but I have light seat as well as 2-point (although I'm sure there's a difference between the two...just not sure what it is! Just similar concepts)

The light seat is really useful for keeping your weight off the horses back. You'll see a lot of eventers doing this out cross country to encourage their horses to move more freely and they'll find it easier to move this way over a long distance. It's also helpful for keeping your balance and can build up core strength (although it can get so painful after doing just a couple of laps around the school in the light seat!) Maybe I'm just unfit lol

Thank you for the comments!!

@JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon the instructor is Irish :)

That all makes sense (giving the horse's back a rest and improving strength and balance).

I had also heard the '2- point seat'' term and was wondering if there were subtle difference between all these seats...I think I will just call it ''get bum off the saddle and try not to fall'' seat for now!

Yes unless you are looking to compete at a higher level in showing or showjumping or go xc I don't think you need to worry about the technical difference between light seat, jumping position, "2 point" and "hunt seat", Tbh I'm not sure I fully know myself and I've been around horses all my life! But essentially they are all variants on the new forward-style position that evolved post-WW2, if you can find all old pics or videos of cavalrymen, huntsmen or jockeys jumping or galloping over rough terrain in the early 20th century or before then you'll see they adopt a 'chair seat' position of legs pushed forward and body leaning back over the horses back, this is in some ways the 'safest', more defensive way to take a big jump/avoid falling, particularly for a cavalryman who had to compensate for carrying heavy equipment and so being off balance, and you'll still see eventers or jockeys using it today for a particularly big/unbalanced jump or one with a big drop the other side. And western riders still use more of this style of riding on the flat as well. There's a reason any instructor or horsey person will instructively bawl "sit up" at the first sign of trouble 😁- centre of gravity backwards is far more likely to keep you in the plate than forwards!

But as video technology developed and biomechanics became more advanced it became more understood that a horse can carry the rider's weight more efficiently and jump/gallop more easily if the rider balances and carries themselves using their lower leg muscles and core, weight out of the saddle and forward, allowing the horse to push from their hindlegs over their back. Obviously this is harder for the rider, requires more balance and strength than just sitting, hence why you don't usually teach it to total beginners but is a really useful skill to learn, just in general to improve your strength and balance and also as prep for faster hacking and jumping where you'll need a light seat, and if you can do it well in all 3 paces for a lap or 2 of the school without having to sit down, clutch the neck strap or losing balance shows you must be progressing well and have a good independent seat!

Such a helpful reply @maxelly

@Whitehorsegirl - sounds like you’re doing really well 🙂

Thank you so much @maxelly for the really helpful and informative reply.

and thank you as well @PrincessGraceless for the encouragement!

As a fellow adult beginner I found this video on 2 point really helpful m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy0A511okec

I have been practising at the walk and found that doing so improved my balance for trot and canter (though not for “spin on haunches and cat jump” - see other thread! 😁)