Dressage Solutions: Support Your Horse While Sitting Centered

Try this tip from Susanne von Dietze.

To better support your horse while sitting as centered as possible …

Imagine a person on skis in a slalom race. The skier keeps her torso as quiet as possible while her legs move from side to side. Even if a horse is not as speedy as a skier in a race, this picture helps you understand that the rider does not need to move her whole body from side to side. Instead, she must sit centered and allow the horse to shift weight underneath her. —Susanne von Dietze

(Illustration by Sandy Rabinowitz)

Susanne von Dietze is a leader in equestrian biomechanics. A physiotherapist, licensed Trainer A instructor and judge for dressage and show jumping, she gives lectures and seminars throughout the world, including at the prestigious German Riding Academy in Warendorf. She is a native of Germany and now lives with her husband and three children in Israel, where she competes at the international level. She is the author of two books on the biomechanics of riding: Balance in Movement and Rider and Horse, Back to Back.

Click here to read more articles with Susanne von Dietze. 

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This Solutions illustration first appeared in the Fall 2019 issue of Practical Horseman magazine.

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