🫖 Spilling the Pilateas – Edition 18 The Secret to Length in the Saddle & a Truly Deep Seat☕️

This week in Spilling the Pilateas, we’re unlocking the secret to a deeper seat in the saddle.

When trainers tell riders to “sit deeper,” many riders try to push down, grip, or get heavier in the saddle. But a truly deep seat doesn’t come from heaviness—it comes from length, lift, and stability.

That’s where the Side-Leg Series becomes so valuable for riders.

When I introduce this work to riders learning Pilates, I often assign Side-Leg at the wall as homework. I keep it simple with three favorites:

• Front kicks

• Up/down

• Circles

Click the link below to practice along:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk4P-axc1jxqhAJbDGy3bnw

These exercises teach riders where real stability actually lives—not in gripping, bracing, or holding tension, but in organized support through the entire body.

In the saddle, tack can influence our perception of position and movement. Side-Leg helps create a clearer foundation, so when a trainer asks for a leg adjustment, you can move from the correct place instead of compensating around it.

It also helps transform a grippy leg into an effective leg.

Many riders overuse the leg constantly without realizing it. Through Side-Leg, you learn how to stabilize without gripping, release unnecessary tension, and apply the leg only when it’s truly needed.

The result is a seat that feels deeper and more connected, aids become clearer and the conversation becomes fun!

I challenge you to try this simple series for a 10 days. See if that conversation becomes more fun you and your horse! I’d love to hear how it goes, happy practicing.