“How to Sit Deeper, Part 3”

This video is one more in my “finding your seat” series of video for working a cow. I talk about why it is so important for you to be grounded in your center of balance as you put your hand down after making the cut and before working a cow.


VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

This video is one more in my “finding your seat” series of video for working a cow. I talk about why it is so important for you to be grounded in your center of balance as you put your hand down after making the cut and before working a cow.

So here is our goal … to be grounded in your core before you begin working a cow.

This is one of those areas that can be overlooked by coaches because there’s a lot going on in those final moments between making the final moves on the cut and transitioning to putting your hand down and working the cow.

But being down in the saddle as you put your hand down is a must, and here’s why.

During the cut, if you begin working a cow with your center of balance up, as well as your energy extended forward (from the excitement of making the cut), you may have a difficult time getting yourself and your horse back in your core … and grounded again in your center of balance.

On the flip side, if you are in your core as you put your hand down and begin working a cow, both you and your horse will be anchored from the beginning in your center of balance.

Depending on what the cow does, your horse will begin to pivot to turn or move forward on the line from his hindquarters. You too will be balanced.

And because our abdomen is also the physical seat of our emotions, you will feel calm, centered and in the moment to begin working a cow. You won’t be overly excited.

Here are the steps:

1. As you drive your cow forward on the cut, remind yourself to stay in your core.

2. As you put your hand down, drop dramatically down in your saddle. 

3. Breathe.

4. Tell yourself to stay still and deep as you wait for the cow to make its next move.

This is truly a simple routine. But don’t let the simplicity of it fool you. If you are not down and anchored as you begin working a cow, both you and your horse will be out of kilter until you can get down as you work the cow. That is a big challenge on a fast cow. It is much easier to begin working a cow from that secure, deep position in the saddle.

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Comments

9 Comments on “How to Sit Deeper, Part 3”

  1. Cindy Newell on Sun, 14th Apr 2019 1:31 pm
  2. Thank you for this Barbra. I didn’t know to do this and I can see how it anchors you and your horse and keeps us both balanced.

  3. Kelli on Sun, 14th Apr 2019 5:45 pm
  4. Exactly what I needed to hear and great illustration.

  5. Pam riebock on Sun, 14th Apr 2019 5:53 pm
  6. Great piece of information! I will use those reminders for myself and hopefully be more successful in my cutting.

    Thank you so much

  7. Carol MacGregor on Sun, 14th Apr 2019 10:50 pm
  8. Good information for sure and even though I am not a “cutter” I can see the value of this exercise of sitting deeper in the saddle and staring centered for other exercises like “roll backs” as you do not want to be forward in the saddle which would throw you out of position and affect the “roll back”. Just a quick thought.

  9. Lala on Tue, 16th Apr 2019 6:24 am
  10. Excellent, Transition is key. I like this piece of the cutting puzzle!

  11. Noreen Whyte on Tue, 16th Apr 2019 8:37 am
  12. Excellent video. Very clear. Just what I needed as this is what I am working on right now.

  13. Nancy Gallion on Mon, 30th Aug 2021 7:28 pm
  14. This was great! Learned a lot in this clip. Just starting out so I love the way you explain this! Thank you.

  15. Barbara on Sun, 30th Jan 2022 11:12 am
  16. I need this so much. I wish you did audio books I could put on my phone to practice while I ride

  17. Jamie Zueger on Fri, 2nd Sep 2022 10:45 pm
  18. The details you provided in your deep seat videos are invaluable. Thank you for breaking it down in understandable terms. I especially love how you explain the use of the horn and the visual of literally rounding the back and “dropping”. Thank you

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