"Without any help, or without the rider's will, the suppled horse, straight and poised, will be capable of going and perform all the airs being assisted by no other movements than those he causes to the rider's body, which in turn reacts upon him: which must undoubtedly be considered the highest degree of perfection in the instruction of both individuals."                       

Mottin de la Balme, 1773

(1745-1776) Cavalry Officer

From Craig's book on Classical Riding...

"There’s a tendency in modern riding when a rider begins to be preoccupied with lightness to avoid the overuse of the hand and to think that the seat is absolutely everything. In the first stage the seat could well be said to be “absolutely everything”—but not in the influence of the seat on the horse but on the complete non-influence. The ability of the rider to follow the horse’s movement allows the seat to stop interfering with the motion of the horse, and the development of a balanced, following and therefore “silent” seat is the most critical work the rider can do.

"In a teaching progression the rider’s education starts with the seat, and when the seat is well balanced, only then should the rider contemplate the aids. The first aid to study is the hand. As La Guérinière put it: “the hand is the first aid, because the front of the horse comes first.” When the hand is correctly used it brings the horse’s center and the rider’s center into union. When the horse and the rider have a common center then the subtlest use of the seat can have a very powerful influence, and the rider’s forces are magnified."

This is why we start with the seatwork, and we continue with it daily regardless of our level of riding. The preoccupation with perfecting their own balance should be the central concern of any rider, no matter what the discipline.