Some people ride their Icelandic Horses very stiffly, holding up the horse's front end with the reins by heavy contact and additionally tying the horse's mouth shut. Luckily, this manner of riding Icelandic Horses is going by the wayside.
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The Icelandic Horse, as a naturally gaited horse, can perform his gaits without forced support from the rider. A balanced seat will lead to a balanced frame in the horse. Riding with a loose rein encourages the horse to be responsible for his own head placement and front end. The following message will give you an idea of the differences in the seat: "For centuries, Spain fostered two distinct 'seats' or riding styles: a la jineta, the light-armored bowman's or lance-raider's style, and a la brida, the knightly style. In the first, the horseman rides with, his ankles below his hips, with his feet beneath him as he would if he were standing or squatting on the ground, identical to the modern "balanced seat" The brida horseman, by contrast, rides with his feet "on the dashboard" and his weight on the back of his fanny. Today this style has no specific name. However, 'feet on the dashboard' are still characteristic of British steeplechase jockeys and a century ago the style was still considered the 'proper' form over a fence. In the Americas today, a seat indistinguishable from brida is very widely employed by pleasure and gaited horse riders. "The rider's position in the saddle reflects the profound differences between the two styles. The jineta horseman sits as if part of the horse. He rides with his knees somewhat bent, his legs relaxed yet continually caressing the horse's sides, his calves and spurs ready to be brought into play whenever needed. He sits with an open chest, his upper body at ease, his face steadfast and serene, looking between the ears of his horse, a position which enables him to direct his mount with authority and perfect harmony. "The brida rider, on the other hand, sits much more stiffly. With knees locked and legs extended to the front, he braces himself against the stirrups, sometimes pushing back so hard that he literally comes to sit on top of the cantle. Having thus given his horse a cramp in the back and deprived it of most of its ability to coil its loins and engage its hindquarters, he then (in the Middle Ages, and sometimes still today) uses a monstrous bit to drag it to a stop. Turning does not form a large part of the brida program. "The horse's training also differs greatly in the two styles. In the jineta school it is directed principally to making him able to run fast, stop hard, spin to either hand, and back up quickly and cleanly. All movements are carried out with the reins cradled solely in the left-hand. The brida rider by contrast emphasizes primarily he horse's submission and the production of elegant, if somewhat ponderous gaits. The main object here is to make an impression, whether upon the enemy or upon one's subjects (or, in the modern era, a horse show judge.)" Conquerors, Chapter VIII, pp. 99-100. Why is this important? Many here on these lists (and on many other lists) frequently proclaim their desire to be more "natural" or "at one with" their horse. Then, when you see them tacked up and astride, you see the brida presentation. It is certainly dominant in the TWH and racking show ring (witness the pictures in the VOICE). It also carries over to the trail and general "pleasure" riding (although it hardly looks pleasant). Further, a common complaint of riders is that the horse starts out fine but gets "difficult" some time into a ride (half hour to forty five minutes is often the cited time period). Then there are the complaints about the "cold backed horse." While frequently (and correctly) attributed to poor saddle fit and poor conditioning, I wonder how much is due to the brida style? In Chapter IX of the book (entitled "The Technology of the Two Seats") there are a series of photos and drawings of the types of saddles used historically and their modern descendants (pp. 116-120). They clearly show evolution and contain some important information on fit. The stock saddle is of jineta descent. The English hunt seat and "saddle seat" types are pure brida. There is also some interesting information on a third type of saddle, designed for a third type of seat, the estradiota. Those of you who ride trooper, Buena Vista, or Aussie saddles would be interested here! 
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