The importance of symmetry in the mounted rider is not one to be overlooked as it can do much damage to the horse. I cannot count on one hand the number of times that this question has come up in our clinics and how often we have had to address it. Often my husband will work diligently to explain and to help the rider address the issue of their asymmetry but also fairly often the rider and/or their significant others, whether that be family members, support team or trainer, will be annoyed at the time we spend on the topic. Renowned author Susan Harris does a grand job of explaining the issue. As the great masters such as Alois Podasky advised all those eons ago, the matter of how the rider sits upon the horse should be as though the rider is draped across the horse's back with balance being critical. The rider should not hold themselves in a crooked position, or indeed any position with gripping thighs and legs as the results of such activities show in the illustration above. Ma...
Dressage training advice for riders basic through Grand Prix from proven GP competitor/trainer Nikki Alvin-Smith of Willowview Hill Farm, http://www.WillowviewHillFarm.com, Stamford, NY. Horse breeding advice and training of young warmblood and Iberian horses, plus how to successfully shop for horses in the USA and Europe from an experienced importer and USA producer of performance sport horses and ponies.