Should the Rider’s Pelvis Turn Inward or Outward When Riding a Circle “Turn your belly button to the direction you want to go.” It’s one of the most common phrases instructors use to help rider when they are riding a circle. The idea behind it is simple: stop riders from yanking on the inside rein and instead get them to steer with their body instead. But what riders feel they’re doing, and what’s actually happening in their pelvis and spine, are often very different things.

When I posted the first photo of this rider on social media – where we were working on neutral vs anterior tilt – it created far more discussion than I ever expected. Left anterior tilt. Right neutral pelvis. Some people preferred the image on the left, saying her alignment looked stronger, that she was “more correct,” and that the forward-tilted pelvis – the so-called “three-point seat” – was better. Others commented on the saddle fit. A few said she was in a chair seat. And