Riding with seat aids - the science behind an almost forgotten art

Book excerpt: Riding with seat aids is based on two principles - the mutual transmission of body oscillations between horse and rider and the mutual, mostly subconscious perception of the body. Accordingly, riding with seat aids is traditionally also learned subconsciously, preferably in childhood by practicing on a horse acting as a teacher. Modern science, however, can explain how it works to ride with seat aids only. Whoever understands the biomechanics of the body oscillations of horse and rider can become aware of the communication via body perception and thus also consciously learn to ride in movement symbiosis with the horse.