Last week, we explored the importance of an active, connected seat. Remember our flat tire versus inflated tire analogy? When we ground our feet properly, we begin to establish a connection through the legs into the glutes, allowing that energy to transfer through the body.
But what happens next?
When the glutes are functioning effectively, the lower back has the opportunity to move differently.
One of my favorite places to demonstrate this is in Short Box work on the Reformer.
I often see clients trying desperately to round their lower back into the box. They’re thinking about their spine, concentrating on pushing it backward, and wondering why they can’t get the movement they’re looking for.
But here’s the question I ask:
What are your feet doing?
I remind them to think about Footwork on their heels. Inflate that tire! Reestablish the connection from the feet through the legs into the glutes.
If we haven’t established that connection, we’re missing an important part of the support system that allows the pelvis and spine to articulate.
Rather than forcing the lower back into position, we want to create the conditions that allow it to lift, lengthen, and move.
The difference can be remarkable. Instead of feeling as though we’re pushing our back into something, we begin to experience the movement originating from a connected, supported foundation.
We’re not asking the lower back to do less. We’re giving it the support it needs to do its own job.
Now Take That Feeling Into the Saddle
Think about sitting the trot or canter.
How often do we hear riders being told to relax their lower back, follow the movement, or sit deeper?
But what if the problem isn’t simply a tight lower back? What if the rider hasn’t established the muscular connection that allows the lower back to move freely?
Just as in Short Box, we can’t expect the lumbar spine to do its job effectively if the foundation beneath it isn’t working with it.
An active, connected seat provides support for the pelvis while allowing the lower back to respond to the horse’s movement.
This doesn’t mean squeezing the glutes, gripping with the legs, or forcing the pelvis to follow every stride. It means developing a responsive connection that allows the rider to absorb and follow movement without losing balance or control.
The same connection that helps you articulate your spine on the Short Box can help you develop a more independent, following seat in the saddle.
And remember, your horse feels the difference. A rider who can follow the movement without bracing or bouncing is better able to communicate through the seat.
The Takeaway
The next time you struggle to find movement in your lower back, don’t immediately focus on moving your back more.
Remember Short Box. Where did you control your spinal movement from? Use those same muscles!
Whether you’re on the apparatus or sitting the trot or canter, return to that connection from your feet through your legs into your seat.
Sometimes the movement we’re looking for begins somewhere else entirely.