Have you ever heard your coach say “step into your right/left stirrup” when you turn, especially after landing off a fence? Have you felt that you step heavier in one stirrup or sit more to one side in the saddle and for the life of you struggle to maintain equal weight? If so, it may be your body’s compensation for an injury anywhere in your body that occurred at any point in your life. It may also be because you are very one sided. You may feel the difference when you stand on one leg and do a hop with a very soft landing. A noticeable difference in the ability to balance or land softly after a few tries will probably demonstrate this asymmetry. The body will always take the easiest path or the path of least resistance and it is hard to convince it to do otherwise. One very useful exercise to create more balance in the stirrup or in the seat is demonstrated in the following video:
Click on image to view video!