Recently, I have been discussing with some of my eventers the difference between two-point and three-point canter seat. I noticed that it is a common practice to blend them together particularly in dressage saddle. This makes a rider quite ineffective - not really releasing the horse's back and staying away from it's motion and not really connecting fully and swinging with the horse.

Two-point seat - this is the seat that was invented for jumping in 1920s. It is also used for galloping because it allows horse's back to work freely letting the rider to take all the motion into legs which is also more comfortable and understandable for the human body. Balancing on the feet is what humans do, humans do not balance on their butts. Because all the motion is absorbed by leg joints - hips, knees and ankles - the buttocks are clear from the saddle and sort of hover above it. The whole upper body of the rider hovers. If watching cross-country you close the horse with your hand the rider will appear to glide over the ground. The rider does not move up and down in the torso, only legs do. This requires athleticism, good coordination and balance like surfing or skiing.

Three-point seat is when a rider fully seated into the saddle, plugged-in into it and becomes one with the horse's back. In dressage saddle there is barely any weight in the stirrups, the feet are lightly supported by them. The weight is distributed other the whole seat surface area and the inner thighs. As the horse's back moves in a circular motion through each canter stride (backward circular motion to be exact) the rider's seat moves with it. In this seat the rider's bottom swings like a pendulum though quite substantial amplitude and the bottom of the seat through it's length from just behind of the pubic bone to the end of seatbones must be plugged in into the saddle. This motion requires suppleness, strong core, coordination to carry shoulder's and head independently of what is happening below them.

Blending the two - this is a common sight, especially, among eventers and young riders who jump more then they ride dressage. They do two-point/light seat easily. However, when required to sit fully they do not know how and preserve the familiar feel of light seat. Because hip joints open and close much less in two-point seat and rather stay more closed then open, riders do not let them open enough, hence, the butt is flying up and off the saddle. These riders keep more weight in their stirrups which making it harder to let the weight spread through the seat and thighs. The upper body stays slightly forward with shoulders taking part in absorbing the motion by rocking back and forth. Instead the upper body must stay vertical regardless of the circular motion of the hips. All these wrong adaptations restrict their motion and their horse's motion as a consequence.

Conclusion: Riders of any discipline must work on learning both seats and easily change between them according to the requirements of their horse, situation and terrain.

Happy riding...