How Strengthening your Hips can Lead to Better Seat Control

When it comes to the hips.. a lot of people will say that their hips are “tight”, but more often than not, your “tight” hips are actually weak! Instead of stretching your hips, you may need to strengthen them instead!

Here’s how having stronger hips can help with better control over your seat in the saddle.

1. Stability and Balance

• Core and Pelvic Stability: Strong hip muscles contribute to the overall stability of the pelvis and lower back. This stability is essential for maintaining balance in the saddle!

• Improved Balance: Strong hips help riders maintain better balance by providing a solid foundation.

2. Posture and Alignment

• Proper Alignment: Strengthening the hip muscles helps in maintaining proper posture. Good posture is critical for effective communication with the horse through subtle weight shifts in the seat and leg aids.

• Pelvic Alignment: Strong hip muscles ensure that the pelvis is properly aligned, reducing the risk of tilting forward or backward, which can disrupt the rider's seat and the horse’s movement.

3. Control and Coordination

• Enhanced Control: With stronger hip muscles, riders can better control their leg positions and movements. This control allows for more precise aids from the seat to the horse!

4. Improved Range of Motion

• Increased ROM: Strengthening exercises often improve the mobility of the hip muscles. Greater mobility allows for a wider range of motion which can help prevent stiffness, which can restrict movement and affect the rider’s ability to sit deeply in the saddle.

Simple exercises that can help strengthen your hips:

• Leg Raises

• Glute Bridge

• Forward/Reverse/Lateral Lunges

• Sumo Squats

• Lateral Squat Walk