What Is An Independent Seat?

The ability to use your hips and pelvis independently from the other parts of your body while riding. This means your hands can do one thing and your legs can do another thing while your pelvis does something else. Think of being asked to pat your head and rub your tummy and jog in place all at the same time. Being able to separate different aspects of your body to perform a task takes practice to maintain it consistently and for long periods of time. Here are some exercises you can do that will focus on building your core muscles in your stomach and abs to help you develop an independent seat and also improve your balance by keeping your shoulders over your hips.

Mounted Exercises

You may want to be on a lunge line while doing these exercises. Always start with the easiest and slowest ones first.

1. Post to the walk.
   1. Drop one stirrup
   2. Drop both stirrups
2. Put your hands out to your sides like airplane wings
   1. Drop one stirrup
   2. Drop both stirrups
   3. Post to the walk
   4. Posting trot
   5. Sitting trot
   6. Canter
3. Put both hands straight up into the air so your arms touch your ears as you reach for the sky
   1. Drop one stirrup
   2. Drop both stirrups
   3. Post to the walk
   4. Posting trot
   5. Sitting trot
   6. Canter
4. Put your hands out to your sides and rotate to the left and right
   1. Drop one stirrup
   2. Drop both stirrups
   3. Post to the walk
   4. Posting trot
   5. Sitting trot
5. Put both hands on your head
   1. Drop one stirrup
   2. Drop both stirrups
   3. Post to the walk
   4. Posting trot
   5. Sitting trot
   6. Canter
6. Put both hands out like airplane wings and make circles with your arms
   1. Drop one stirrup
   2. Drop both stirrups
   3. Post to the walk
   4. Posting trot
   5. Canter
7. Any combination of the previous exercises with only one stirrup or no stirrups while you are posting to your walk, posting trot, sitting trot or cantering.

Unmounted Exercises

1. Get a yoga ball.
   1. Sit on it like you would in a saddle. Now try to lift both your feet up of the ground and not fall over.
   2. Lay on the balance ball on your stomach. Put your hands out like airplane wings.
   3. Lay on the balance ball on your stomach. Try lifting both feet off the ground and putting them straight out behind you like you’re flying.
2. Get an omni directional balance board (moves in all directions not just side to side).
   1. Practice standing on it without falling.
   2. Try doing squats
   3. Try standing on one foot
3. Do a plank
4. Do situps
5. Stand on the edge of the bottom stair step. Let your heels hang over the edge without stepping back down onto the ground. Try doing a squat.
6. Stand on one foot for as long as you can
7. Put your back against a wall. Now scoot down until you’re low like you would be sitting in a chair without the chair. Hold this position as long as you can.
8. Lay on the floor on your back. Lift your legs off the ground and straight towards the sky. Lift your butt off the ground and then lower it back down again. Repeat.
9. Get in a push up position. Move your legs shoulder length apart. Now hop them back together. Hop back out to shoulder length apart. Repeat.