The Psoas and Hyoid are the muscles the rider needs to engage to achieve both stability and lift while in the saddle.

The psoas (pronounced so-as) are the deep core muscles that link the upper and lower girdles of the body. They are the only muscles that attach directly to both the lumbar spine and the upper legs. They lie below the surface muscles of the body and are the "missing-link" a rider must learn to use in order to follow the directions of their riding instructors and to feel their horse's movement. By mastering the use of these muscles, a rider will be able to maintain self-carriage to develop and refine an independent seat.

Riding instructors use their psoas muscles when they ride, but most do not consciously know what specific muscles they are using. Many instructors learned to ride when they were young and learned through trial and error on a body level. This can be referred to as unconscious competence. How the riding instructors use their bodies is different than how their students use their bodies.

Many riding instructors refer to the core muscles as being the stomach and back muscles when explaining to their students how to stabilize themselves while riding, but these are only the surface muscles of the body. Students hear things like:

• Sit deep in the saddle
• Sit on your pants pockets
• Heels down
• Find your balance point
• Ride from your center

What riding instructors actually mean is to engage the psoas muscles.

Students also hear:

• Chest out
• Shoulders back
• Chin in

What riding instructors mean is to engage the hyoid muscles. This enables the chest to lift and expand, yet remain flexible.