Sweet spot

We're off for holidays today, and while the horses are enjoying lovely weather in the 20 acre paddock, I am writing about the sweet spot.

This is a spot on the horse's back, where I believe, the horse wants you to sit. I have been placed there by Gally himself. I first discovered it in canter. With Gally, you have to maintain quite a lot of drive. Especially in canter. Otherwise he starts humping. (Like bucking, but very very tiny. Almost laughable.) And as I was driving, and he relaxed in canter, I would always end up in this particular spot on his back. A lot more forward in the saddle than I expected. Almost on the whither. But it felt ... well ... perfect. And every time I would be in this sweet spot, the canter would improve.

The best way I can describe the concept of the sweet spot is imagine riding bareback up a very very steep hill. Now, don't hold onto the mane. What will happen? Will you start slipping down the horse's back, towards the tail? Yes?

If you're in the sweet spot, you won't slip back. When you're in the sweet spot your legs hang just in front of the horse's belly, and the power of your legs keeps them there. The belly prevents your legs from slipping back, the shoulder prevents your legs from slipping too far forwards.

Like I said, I found the sweet spot in canter. I then had to work backwards into walk and trot. Finding the sweet spot in walk was simple, but trot ... well, I'm still looking for it. I suspect that when my ankles stop bouncing in trot, then I've found it.

The sweet spot is not just a point on the horse where you sit. It is also the ability to keep yourself there as the horse moves. And this requires strength! But when you've got the feeling once, just once, you will go to all efforts of strength to keep yourself there. Why? Because once you're in the sweet spot you feel safe and secure, and like you "belong" on the horse.

And, it goes without saying, that if you're in the sweet spot when jumping it feels like flying.