Riding Technique

So here in the office us gals were discussing whether riding is more about balance or movement. One opinion is it’s more about balance because if you’re not balanced you can’t stay on the horse and go with him. The other opinion is riding is more about movement because you have to be able to move with your horse to stay on…not to mention how uncoordinated we are on the ground until we get on a horse so it couldn’t possibly be only balance. To me, both of these concepts are valid. It seems like one would have to be balanced to stay on the horse no matter what your riding tasks might be. But, is it movement that keeps you on the horse when a deer pops out of the brush and your horse jumps sideways? What about when you are trotting or loping your horse, then movement really seems to be priority because you want to move with your horse’s rhythm. Or the third option is you can’t have one without the other. Who actually knows the answer to this Wednesday lunch hour horse discussion?